Micaela Colley leads OSA’s research and education programs focused on organic seed production and organic plant breeding. She is the author of several publications. Micaela frequently teaches and speaks on organic seed topics and collaborates on research projects nationally. Micaela is also pursuing a PhD focused on organic and participatory plant breeding under Dr. Edith Lammerts van Bueren at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
Ana C. Galvis-Martinez joined OSA's staff in 2022 after several years of working in collaboration with the education team. She is an educator that holds a bachelor degree in Biology, a MSc in Sustainable Development, and a MA in Latin American Studies with an emphasis in food justice. Ana is deeply interested in agroecology as an agricultural production alternative to produce nutritious food, conserve natural resources, and strengthen social movements. For over 15 years she has worked within the food justice and food sovereignty movements in the non-profit and in the academic sector, in Mexico, Colombia, and the U.S. Ana is originally from Colombia, single-mother of a young man, immigrant to the U.S. and has a deep love, respect, and admiration for ancient cultures and Indigenous cosmovision. She has extensive experience teaching sustainable agriculture to people of different socio-cultural backgrounds, ages, and genders.
Kayla Ierlan is the farm manager for Organic Seed Alliance's research farm in Chimacum, Washington. After graduating from the University of Washington with a bachelors degree in philosophy and human rights, she transitioned into farming and hasn’t looked back. Since then, Kayla has farmed in Hawaii, Washington, and Oregon and have spent the bulk of her career focusing on seed production. She has over 8 years of professional experience as a commercial seed grower and has managed several seed production farms including her own, Honey Bloom Farm, in southern Oregon. Over the span of Kayla's career she's grown a diverse range of seed crops for High Mowing Organic Seeds, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Fedco Seeds, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Baker Creek, Uprising Seeds, Sow True Seed, and more. She's most passionate about connecting others to seed work and supporting fellow seed growers.
Michael Lordon began working with Organic Seed Alliance in 2021, supporting the research and education program. He has over five years professional experience in the organic seed industry working with Nature & Nurture Seeds, helping to grow the business, the seeds, and the community. Michael has a master’s degree focused on conservation ecology from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources & Environment, a bachelor’s degree in biological science from DePaul University, and is the co-author of multiple peer-reviewed articles in the field of population and community ecology. Currently, he’s involved with several Midwest-based seed projects, including growing the organic seed breeding network in the region. Michael wants to create accessible spaces for learning and exchange while exploring research questions involving agroecological data and human stories. He is committed to helping seed growers make decisions when confronted with both environmental and social dilemmas.
Jasmine Sarp is the research and education assistant for Organic Seed Alliance. She holds a BA in Graphic Design from MICA, and an MSc in Agroecology and Food Sovereignty from UNISG in Bra, Italy. Growing up in a multicultural context, her focus continues to develop around community resilience, cultural ecology, and the healing strength of food. She currently supports OSA’s California work, including variety trials, field days, relationship building, and summits. Through this involvement, her design and strategy background, and her personal engagement, she aspires to facilitate food system transformation in service to community food sovereignty.
Putting the power of seed into the hands of growers
Advancing ethical seed solutions to meet food and farming needs in a changing world