Organic Seed Alliance is pleased to announce that Research and Education Associate Brook Brouwer will soon join Washington State University as its Director of San Juan County Extension.
In his new position, Brouwer will continue to support OSA by collaborating on current and pending pulse and grain research, while working to bring OSA’s expertise in organic seed production research and education to stakeholders in San Juan County. OSA’s outreach in San Juan County has helped expand seed growing and variety trials on the islands in recent years and Brouwer’s new position is an opportunity to further develop regional seed systems in San Juan County and Western Washington.
Brouwer’s expertise in breeding small grains and his passion for organic seed has brought great value to OSA’s programs. This past winter he led a regional symposium on organic plant breeding in the Pacific Northwest. A report on the outcomes of this event will be released in June.
“Working for OSA was the ideal transition from graduate school into the working world of organic seed,” says Brouwer. “I had the opportunity to connect and work with a national community of organic seed producers, plant breeders, and seed and food companies. No other organization acts as such a dedicated convener in the organic seed community.”
Brouwer says he looks forward to building on these partnerships to support the growth of organic seed production in San Juan County and beyond. He starts his new position June 6th, 2016, and can be reached at brook.brouwer@wsu.edu.
