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 completed a PhD in 2022 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.
Dr. Laura R. Lewis joined Organic Seed Alliance in 2024 as executive director. She is a plant biogeographer with over 30 years of experience working with agricultural systems around the world. Her work is focused on utilization of agrobiodiversity, particularly plant genetic resources, to enhance social and economic opportunities for producers. Specializing in leadership and development, Lewis uses her experience to build partnerships and networks that seek to create equitable, inclusive programs that foster a healthy food system for all.
By focusing on the importance of diversity, both human and agroecological, Laura has been able to put the Ph.D. she earned at UC Davis to good use. Over the years, she has led programs in food systems with Washington State University and University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Some of her major accomplishments are the development of the WSU Food Systems Program, establishing the WA Meat Up initiative in collaboration with the WSDA, and leading the Cascadia Grains Conference for several years.
When not thinking about ways to utilize plant diversity, Laura enjoys time traveling with her family, working on her property, and swimming in the ocean.
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.
Kiki grew up with farmers, musicians, and artists on Bainbridge Island and has lived in the Northwest most of her life, settling in Port Townsend in 2020. Before coming to OSA, Kiki provided operational logistics, financial management, and grant work for a local Black-led nonprofit, where she helped grow the organization grow from a $200,000 annual budget when she started in 2016, to a $5 million budget in 2023. Prior to that, Kiki was instrumental in developing one of the largest and most prestigious yoga teacher training programs in Washington state. Kiki went to Smith College and earned a bachelor’s degree with High Honors in American Studies. Kiki loves to cook organic food, share meals with friends and family, dance, backpack in the Olympics, and find ways to disrupt white supremacy culture, both inside herself and in her community.
Jasmine Sarp is the communications and outreach associate 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 helps connect growers working with seed with OSA's program resources and one another to share knowledge and build relationships, and supports relationship building and network development across program areas and partnerships. 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
Promoting an abundant and diverse organic seed supply, tended in perpetuity by skilled and interconnected communities