Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) hires new leader

Lori Stern has been hired to head the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), a nonprofit in Spring Valley, Wisconsin, that is nationally recognized for hosting the country’s largest annual organic farming conference.

Stern now heads a team of seven employees, five on-farm specialists, and contract staff who provide training, resources, and practical advice to farmers.

“Lori is a passionate advocate for organic and sustainable food systems,” said David Perkins, president of the MOSES Board of Directors. “We’ve been very impressed with the breadth of her experience and the skills she brings to MOSES.”

Stern has a master’s in education with a focus on adult learning and organizational development. Her background includes work on public policy related to community and environmental health, social justice, and food access. In 2014, she embarked on a new venture to “walk the talk” of building community around a just, inclusive, and local food system by opening Cow & Quince, a community-supported restaurant in New Glarus, Wisconsin. Due to the pandemic, she recently closed the restaurant.

Stern and her wife, LeAnn, live on a small farm near Monticello, Wisconsin, where they grow vegetables and raise chickens and goats.