Title: David Engel Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1988-2017

Creator:

• Engel, David, 1951-2017

Call Number: Mss 1190

Quantity: 1.6 cubic feet (1 records center carton and 2 archives boxes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Papers, 1988-2017, of David Engel, organic dairy farmer and administrator, documenting his involvement with, and leadership of, a number of organic agriculture organizations: founding member of Wisconsin Chapter #1 of the Organic Crop Improvement Association (WI OCIA #1) and the Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool (CROPP Cooperative), founder and executive director of the Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA, 1999-2005), member of the Wisconsin Organic Agriculture Advisory Council (2007-2012), and executive director of Nature's International Certification Services (NICS). Also included are materials from National Organic Standards Board meetings (2004-2005) and OCIA International board meetings (1994).

Note:

Forms part of the Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Collection.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss01190

David James Engel was born on August 9, 1951 in New Haven, Connecticut. He graduated from Bismarck High School in North Dakota and attended Antioch College in Ohio. In 1981 Engel and his wife Marta Engel, a veterinarian, established an organic dairy farm in southwestern Wisconsin with a small herd of Jerseys, while also growing their own feed grain. By 1986, the Engels stopped using antibiotics on the farm, often using homeopathy to manage the health of their herd. The farm became a certified organic operation in 1988.

In 1988 Engel was a founding member of two organic agriculture organizations: Wisconsin Chapter #1 of the Organic Crop Improvement Association (WI OCIA), which offered organic education and certification programs, and the Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool (CROPP Cooperative, later known as Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools, to reflect its regional marketing focus). The Educational Fund of WI OCIA Chapter #1 later became the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), while CROPP Cooperative is known by its primary brand name, Organic Valley, a farmer-owned marketing cooperative based in La Farge, Wisconsin. In its early days, CROPP itself was a non-farm chapter member of WI OCIA #1, and there was member overlap between the two groups. David Engel became secretary for WI OCIA #1 in 1989, and in addition served as the membership contact, the chair of its Certification Committee, and member (with Marta Engel) of its Education Committee. He was also a member of the International Certification Committee of OCIA International, and represented the local chapter at international meetings. He served as secretary (1993-1994) and president (1994) of OCIA International. During 1988 to 1990, Engel also served on the Board of Directors of another newly formed farmers' organization, the Wisconsin Organic Growers Association (WOGA).

In 1999 Engel founded the Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA), which offered organic certification services for the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Michigan, Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio. Engel served as program director and then executive director (spring 2001 to May 2005) for MOSA, which became a USDA accredited certification agent in April 2002. He also served on the board of directors of the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), and as the secretary of the Accredited Certifiers Association.

In March 2004, Engel participated in the Organic Roundtable Discussion convened by Governor Jim Doyle, and in September was appointed to the Governor's Organic Task Force, which met on four occasions: October 20, 2004; November 17, 2004; December 2, 2004; and January 12, 2005. The four key Organic Task Force recommendations were the establishment of an infrastructure consisting of a permanent advisory council, an inter-agency implementation team, an organic specialist at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP), and an organic specialist within the University of Wisconsin System.

At the end of 2006 Engel was invited to serve on the newly formed Wisconsin Organic Agriculture Advisory Council, a twelve-member standing committee appointed by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) as one of three at-large representatives (the council also included three organic farmers, three organic businesspeople, and consumer, non-profit, and certification representatives). He served two three-year terms, from 2007 to 2012.

Engel founded and served as Executive Director of Nature's International Certification Services (NICS, since 2011?), an organic certification agency located in Viroqua, Wisconsin. David and Marta Engel's sons, Josh and Noah Engel, operate Driftless Organics, an organic farm in Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, with another farmer, Mike Lind.

David Engel died on March 14, 2017 in Viroqua, Wisconsin.

The David Engel papers are organized in two series: the ORIGINAL COLLECTION, 1988-2012; and the 2017 ADDITIONS, 1988-2017, that together document Engel's early involvement in a number of organizations, particularly CROPP Cooperative and WI OCIA, that would become significant forces in the Midwestern sustainable agriculture movement.

The Original Collection is arranged in five subseries: Wisconsin Organic Growers Association (WOGA), National Organic Program (NOP), Wisconsin Organic Task Force (WOTF), Wisconsin Organic Advisory Council (WOAC), and Subject Files.

Engel's self-described role as an “organicrat” began in 1988, when he founded the Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA) and then served as its executive director. An internal audit of MOSA's certification program in the Original Collection dated July 2004, near the end of Engel's tenure with the organization partially documents his role at MOSA. (See also the 2017 Additions for papers relating to MOSA support for the newly created MOSES organization.)

Engel's involvement with the National Organic Program is well-documented, with materials from NOSB meetings at which he made public comments in 2002 and 2006, regarding the NOP decision making process, materials allowable for organic livestock production, and access to pasture standards. Materials for meetings of the Wisconsin Organic Task Force and the subsequently formed permanent Wisconsin Organic Advisory Council document Engel's involvement and the type of issues on which these groups worked. Engel's involvement in WOAC is particularly well-documented, with meeting materials for his two three-year terms.

The Wisconsin Organic Growers Association (WOGA) subseries consists of board materials (including a second draft of the organization's by-laws), 1988-1990; drafts and background materials on state organic food certification standards, 1990-1991; and comments from the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection on the proposed rule for the National Organic Program, 1998. (See also the Faye Jones Papers (Mss 1209).)

The National Organic Program (NOP) subseries includes correspondence with, or copied to, director Richard Matthews on various aspects of the organic program, specific questions and answers related to interpretation and compliance with the federal organic standards, and materials and notes from National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meetings, including two meetings (2002 and 2006) when Engel made public comments on livestock/dairy issues or was present while others made public comments.

The Wisconsin Organic Task Force (WOTF) subseries consists of materials from the Organic Roundtable Discussion in March 2004 and the subsequent four meetings in 2004-2005 which addressed farmer support, university/government technical assistance, marketing/processing, and related issues. Meeting materials include notes, background materials, meeting summaries, and action lists.

The Wisconsin Organic Advisory Council (WOAC) subseries consists of meeting materials, 2006-2012, such as agendas; background materials for discussion; agency, committee, and workgroup reports; presentations; and draft minutes. Topics addressed include ongoing grower support and technical assistance, government relations and legal affairs, development of an organic directory and other marketing efforts, farmer and consumer education, relations with other state organic advisory councils, and National Organic Program issues.

The Subject Files subseries includes a MOSA internal audit report, 2004; materials from Organic Certifiers Council (OCC) meetings, 2001-2002; files relating to gas pipelines and organic farms; concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs); and an annotated report relating to the Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (WISA).

The 2017 Additions are arranged in five subseries: Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool (CROPP Cooperative), Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) International, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), National Organic Program (NOP), and Subject Files.

The Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool (CROPP Cooperative) subseries includes a few folders of early board minutes and materials, annual reports, draft of by-laws, the beginnings of the dairy program, and member and consumer mailings, that document the structure and activities of the early days of the cooperative (now also known by its brand name, Organic Valley).

The Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) subseries provides documentation of Engel's role as president of OCIA International in 1994 through his memos and board materials from that year, including the first Board of Directors meeting in April 1994, when OCIA moved from an administrative council to a board of directors governance structure. Engel's memos reflecting on this change provide information about the organization as well as Engel's leadership role. Also of note are membership surveys (1995-1998) of Wisconsin Chapter #1 of OCIA. (See also the Prescott Bergh Papers (Mss 1177, Box 1, Folder 81) for a chapter review report of WI OCIA #1 while Engel was actively involved in that organization; it contains some references to his role there.)

The Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) subseries includes papers that document MOSA's role as MOSES was becoming established; Engel's participation in the founding meeting of MOSES on December 2, 1999 in Trempealeau, Wisconsin; and some early documentation of the Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference (UMOFC). (See also the Roger Blobaum Papers for early UMOFC records, Box 6, Folder 47-63.)

The National Organic Program (NOP) subseries includes an analysis of the NOP by the Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture and annotated copies of the proposed Organic Rule, 1997 and 2000.

The Subject Files subseries includes an obituary, memorial presentation, and scholarship fund established after Engel's death; and articles, papers, and drafts of working documents related to sustainable agriculture.

• Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Publications (M2018-026)
• Roger Blobaum Papers (Mss 1169)
• Prescott Bergh Papers (Mss 1177)
• Faye Jones Papers (Mss 1209)

Acquisition Information

Presented by David Engel, Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, March 31, 2015, and Marta Engel, Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, November 18, 2017. Accession Number: M2016-029, M2018-025

Processing Information

Processed by Julia Wong: Original Collection, April 2015; Additions, March 2018.

Mss 1190	Series: Original Collection, 1988-2012
	Subseries: Wisconsin Organic Growers Association (WOGA)
Box   1 Folder   1	Board of Directors and membership meeting materials, 1988?-1990
Box   1 Folder   2	Texas organic standards draft, 1988 February 10
Box   1 Folder   3	Wisconsin comments on proposed organic rule, 1998
Box   1 Folder   4	Wisconsin organic food standards drafts (Chapter Ag 58), 1988-1991
	Subseries: National Organic Program (NOP)	⇧
Box   1 Folder   5	Certificates of organic production, 2003
Box   1 Folder   6	Commercial availability (of organically produced ingredients), 2003-2004
Box   1 Folder   7	Compliance and enforcement, 2003-2004
Box   1 Folder   8	“Creating Credible Edibles: The Organic Agriculture Movement and the Emergence of U.S. Federal Organic Standards” / Mrill Ingram and Helen Ingram (chapter in the book, Routing the Opposition: Social Movement, Public Policy, and Democracy, ed. David S. Meyer. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2005), 2003 December 30
	Labeling
Box   1 Folder   9	Certifier seals/logos, 2001-2002
Box   1 Folder   10	Organic wine, 2002-2003
Box   1 Folder   11	Recombinant bovine somatropin (rBST)-free labeling, 2003 April
Box   1 Folder   12	Milorganite (fertilizer), 2003 May-August
Box   1 Folder   13	National List, 1999-2004 Note: Includes Frank Lampley complaint.
	National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)
Box   1 Folder   14	Livestock Committee directive, 2004 September-December
	Meeting materials and notes
Box   1 Folder   15-17, 19	2002 April-October
Box   1 Folder   18	Public comments (Engel), 2002 September 17
Box   1 Folder   20	2004
Box   1 Folder   21-24	2006 February-April
Box   1 Folder   25	Public comments (Engel, access to pasture), 2006 April 20
Box   1 Folder   26	Producer exemption, $5000 limit, 2001-2002
Box   1 Folder   27	Questions and answers, 2002-2003
Box   1 Folder   28	Seed variance request, 2003 February-March
	Subseries: Wisconsin Organic Task Force (WOTF)	⇧
Box   1 Folder   29	Engel appointment, 2004 September
Box   1 Folder   30-33	Governor's [Jim Doyle] Organic Task Force meeting materials, 2004 October-2005 January
Box   1 Folder   34	Organic Roundtable Discussion, 2004 March 15
	Subseries: Wisconsin Organic Advisory Council (WOAC)	⇧
Box   1 Folder   35-59	Meeting materials, 2006 June (interim)-2012 January
Box   1 Folder   60	Nomination (Engel), 2012
	Subseries: Subject Files	⇧
Box   1 Folder   61	Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), 2003, 2007
Box   1 Folder   62	Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA) certification internal audit, 2004
Box   1 Folder   63	National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)), 2004, 2006
	Organic Certifiers Council (OCC) meeting materials
Box   1 Folder   64	2001 October 13, 2002 March 9
Box   1 Folder   65	2002 May 8-11 Note: Joint meeting of National Association of State Organic Programs (NASOP) and OCC, following NOSB meeting on May 8.
Box   1 Folder   66	Organic certifying agency fees, 2002-2003
	Organic farms and gas pipelines
Box   1 Folder   67	Agricultural impact mitigation plan, Gardens of Eagan, 2006
Box   1 Folder   68	Meeting, 2007 April 27
Box   1 Folder   69	Pasture and natural resource management: grazing and dairy symposium notes, 2006 April 18-19
Box   1 Folder   70	Sustainable Farming Association (SFA) of Southeast Minnesota, 1989
Box   1 Folder   71	Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (WISA), revisioning process report, 2009 July 30
	Series: Additions, 1988-2017	⇧
	Subseries: Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool (CROPP Cooperative)
Box   2 Folder   1	Annual reports, 1988-1989, 1991, 1999-2001
Box   2 Folder   2	Board of Directors materials, 1988, 1991, 2001
Box   2 Folder   3	Dairy program, 1988-1990
Box   2 Folder   4	Member, consumer mailings, 1988-1989, 1998
	Subseries: Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) International	⇧
	Board of Directors
Box   2 Folder   5	Mailings from Thomas B. Harding Jr., International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), 1994 November
Box   2 Folder   6	Meetings, 1994 April 5-September 13
Box   2 Folder   7	Memos as President, ex- President, 1994-1995
Box   2 Folder   8	Nominations, 1996-1997
Box   2 Folder   9	Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool (CROPP) user fees, 1993-1996
Box   2 Folder   10	Harvey, Arthur, letters, 1996 December 18, 2004 February 6
Box   2 Folder   11	Transaction certificates, 1991, 2003
	Wisconsin Chapter #1
Box   2 Folder   12	Correspondence, 1995-1999
Box   2 Folder   13	Farm disparagement bill (AB 702), 1995-1996
	Membership survey responses
Box   2 Folder   14	1995 March
Box   2 Folder   15	1997-1998
	Subseries: Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)	⇧
Box   2 Folder   16	Board of Directors meeting, 2000 March 19
Box   2 Folder   17	Fundraising, Roger Blobaum contract, 2000 February 14
	Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA)
Box   2 Folder   18	Financial support, 2000-2002
Box   2 Folder   19	Administrative/bookkeeping staffing contract, 2000 May-November
Box   2 Folder   20	Strategic planning meeting (December 2, 1999), 1999 August-December
	Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference (UMOFC)
Box   2 Folder   21	Brochures, notes, 1994-1997
Box   2 Folder   22	Budgets, income/expense summaries, 1990-2000
Box   2 Folder   23	Evaluations tally, 2000, 2002
Box   2 Folder   24	Planning Committee materials, 1994-2002
	Subseries: National Organic Program (NOP)	⇧
	Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture
Box   3 Folder   1	Mailing to Campaign Organic Committee, 1998 May 12 Note: Includes Wallace Institute analysis of National Organic Program, "Beyond the 'Big Three': A comprehensive analysis of the proposed National Organic Program," docket #TMD-94-00-2, 1998 April 30.
Box   3 Folder   2	Proposed rule: annotated, 1997 December, 2000 March
	Subseries: Subject Files	⇧
	Blobaum, Roger
Box   3 Folder   3	Letter with draft of Suzanne Vaupel report for International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), 2001 February 8
Box   3 Folder   3	Paper on "Emerging Organic Food and Farming Issues," 2004 February 15
Box   3 Folder   4	Engel obituary, Organic Valley (OV) memorial presentation, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) scholarship fund, 2017
Box   3 Folder   5	Genetic engineering, 1993-1998
Box   3 Folder   6	Midwest Organic Alliance, Organic Education and Information Sharing Network, 1997 March-April
Box   3 Folder   7	Organic agriculture, collected articles, papers, 1986-1999 Note: Organic Foods Production Association of North America (OFPANA) position paper #1, 1986 December, reissued 1989 March; articles by Eric and Anne Nordell, 1996-1998; presentation by John Ikerd, 1999.
Box   3 Folder   8	Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (SAC), "No Time for Delay: A Sustainable Agriculture Agenda for the 2007 Farm Bill," 2006 October