Meet Gen-O: The Future of Organic Food

Ceara Westaby, fifth generation and Generation Organic farmer

My name is Ceara Westaby and I’m a fifth generation farmer. I grew up on my family’s 150 year-old dairy farm with my sister and two brothers in Northwest Illinois in a town called Stockton. Today, we have 81 milking cows and we farm 645 certified organic acres of land. But back in the 1990s, my family’s farm almost didn’t survive selling milk in the conventional market. We decided to transition to organic—no pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or synthetic hormones—and in 2002 our farm was certified organic. We were able not only to preserve our five-generation, 150-year farm but also to raise a healthier herd, contribute to a safer environment, and ultimately, produce better milk.

Ceara Westaby and fellow Gen-O farmer Elainna Coehlo, playing in the leaves during a fleeting moment of downtime. Photo by fellow Gen-O farmer Johan Doornenbal.

Going Organic saved our farm and has given me the chance to meet amazing new people and form new friendships with people who understand organic farming. When I found out I was chosen to be a part of the Generation Organic 2011 “Who’s Your Farmer?” Tour earlier this year I was excited, but I honestly didn’t realize how big the impact was going to be. People came up to me saying they drove 45 minutes just so they could meet their farmer in person.

I felt proud that many people are rooting for organic farming and are interested in why we are driving around the Western United States in a painted school bus talking about Organics. It’s enough to make you feel like a rock star—imagine that, young organic farmers drawing crowds!

My first day on the Generation Organic Tour was in Portland, Oregon, at grocery store. I had only met two of the other young farmers before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this was going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Generation Organic group shot at Chico State, courtesy of Organic Valley.

I’ve met amazing Gen-O’s from New York, California, Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, Oregon, Maine and Maryland—all young organic farmers, like me. We’ve done college visits, retail events, farm tours, plant tours and attended the Bioneers conference. Some of my favorite memories will be the ones that were made on the long drives from place to place, at the booths telling stories about ourselves, and during dinner after a long day. Even after being with each other all day, by nightfall we still weren’t sick of each other—we all ended up together in a hotel room laughing and talking.

Ceara with fellow Gen-O farmers Joanna Kohnen of Ohio and Allison Bates of Maine. Photo courtesy of Organic Valley.

Each Gen-O came as one person from their home farm, but during our road trip we joined together to become one voice in Generation Organic. I am grateful to have been a part of the Generation Organic 2011 “Who’s Your Farmer?” Tour and I know there are many more young organic farmers like us out there.

Organic Valley supports its young farmers with a slate of initiatives from educational programs to scholarships to regional gatherings, to a farmer support hotline, to on-staff organic veterinarians. And every year we recognize a young farmer in each region through our Gen-O awards program. Learn more about our programs at OrganicValley.coop.