Spring 2026 Pre-NOSB Meeting

Resource Page

Meeting Resources:

  • Participant List:

    • By organization

    • By last name

  • Restaurant suggestions for lunch

  • List of Acronyms

NOSB Update (Presented by Steve Ela)

  1. NOSB Proposals and Discussion Documents for the Spring 2026 NOSB Meeting

  2. NOC Spring 2026 Comments to the NOSB

Farmer Panel

Noreen Thomas, Doubting Thomas Farm

Organic Farmer & Educator
Moorhead, Minnesota

A resident of Moorhead, Minnesota, Noreen Thomas is a volunteer educator, producer, and former Bush Fellow whose work in the community is based on the belief that knowledge shared with others can collectively aid in resolving our world's hunger problems.

Since 1997, Noreen and her husband, Lee, have been certified-organic producers, farming 1,200 acres of grains, feed and beans for domestic as well as foreign markets. Noreen, who holds a bachelor's of science in Food and Nutrition from North Dakota State University, shows her ongoing commitment to agricultural education through the countless volunteer hours she spends working with children and youth on projects throughout Missouri, Minnesota and Montana. She has taught children the Junior Master Gardener program, worked with youth and adults to plan, plant, tend and harvest organic vegetables for local buyers and written agricultural curriculum. 

More recently, Noreen has joined forces with her daughter-in-law, Melany in raising and malting oat and barley. These grains are highly sought for local craft brewers.

Noah Wendt, A&W Farms

Organic Farmer & Owner
Cambridge, Iowa

Noah grew up near Manchester, IA, a small town in Northeast Iowa. Noah graduated from Iowa State University in 2000 with a major in Ag Business and a minor in International Ag. After graduating ISU he worked in the industry for Cargill until late 2001. Noah learned several fundamental business skills throughout his experience working with Cargill. However, his heart was still in production agriculture. After leaving Cargill he moved on to work for some farmers in Central Iowa and participated in the wheat run throughout Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota for four years.

In 2006 Noah started farming together with Caleb Akin, forming A&W Farms. From 2006 to 2015 A&W Farms was able to build a successful farming operation as first-generation farmers. In 2015 they decided to begin the aggressive transition from conventional to organic production. Since 2015 Noah and Caleb have transitioned over half of their 3000 acres to organic production. Their passion for caring for the land and providing a safe food supply continues to be the driving force in their organic production. 

Organic crops include corn, soybeans, sunflowers, oats, wheat, hemp, and field peas. To maximize organic crop rotations, A&W Farms has been using weed control strategies including unique crop rotations, relay cropping, no-till roller crimping, rotary hoeing, and weed burning/zapping.

Steve Boyda, E & V Peeks Family Farm

Organic Farmer & OFARM President
Marysville, Kansas

After retiring from a 27 year career in law enforcement Steve and his wife Kim came back to his family’s farm with a commitment to his grandparents to farm it organically. With little knowledge of farming, they began their adventure by certifying their first part of the farm in 2015 and the remaining ground in 2018.  They focus on soil health, crop rotation, cover crops and trying to incorporate their cattle herd into the rotations. Steve is a board member of Central Plains Organic Farmers Association (CPOFA) and President of Organic Farmers Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM).  

Their farm was purchased by Steve’s great grandfather in 1903 and is named E & V Peeks Family Farm after his grandparents. They have three adult children and four grandchildren.

Thank you to the Pre-NOSB Meeting Co-Sponsors: