Susana Cabrera-Mariz

Pacific Northwest Program Associate
susana@seedalliance.org

Susana Cabrera-Mariz is supporting the research and education program in Washington state. Susana has worked within food systems for a decade in seed and food access nonprofits. Additionally, Susana has organically farmed for eight years and adores connecting with plants and land. Susana has a master’s degree in Anthropology focused on the matrix of seed, culture, and public education from Iowa State University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies focused on restoration ecology from San Jose State University. Susana trained in agroecology at the renowned Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, the Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture, and the Rogue Farm Corp. Susana is committed to participating in the creation of a just food and seed system that supports cultural reclamation and sovereignty efforts.

Kiki Elfendahl

Finance Manager

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 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.

Ana Galvis-Martinez

Assistant Director of Education
ana@seedalliance.org

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

Washington Research Farm Manager
kayla@seedalliance.org

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.

Aba Kiser

Assistant Director of Outreach and Events
aba@seedalliance.org

Aba Kiser (she/they) is the Information and Events Associate for the Organic Seed Alliance. Born in the ancestral lands of the Piscataway Conoy people near Washington, D.C., Aba has spent over a decade developing sustainable agricultural initiatives across the Pacific Northwest and beyond and is thrilled to be joining the staff after many years of collaboration as an OSA Field Intern, grant collaborator and contractor. With a background in theater from the University of Washington and a Bachelor's in Integrative Media from The Evergreen State College, her journey to OSA has been as diverse as her interests. Aba's work is a tapestry of regional value chain development, culturally relevant frameworks, and groundbreaking events like the Cascadia Grains Conference and the International Quinoa Research Symposium. In 2020, she earned recognition as Capital Press’ Western Innovator for her unwavering commitment to data equity and participatory frameworks. Extending beyond the fields and conference halls, Aba moonlights as a performer and media producer and during the George Floyd uprising she founded Watershed Productions to blend her love for media production with her dedication to culturally relevant food and farming projects. A grateful resident on Chimakum/S’Klallam land in the Olympic Peninsula, Aba finds solace in tending her cover crop garden when she's not orchestrating transformative events or planning her next international adventure.

Publications

  • Sarah M. Collier, Alan Ismach, Victoria Jansen, Aba Kiser, Holly Henning, Laura R. Lewis, Marie L. Spiker, Jennifer J. Otten. (2024) A call for collaboration among food systems programs in higher education to train the future workforce. Frontier Sustainable Food Systems 05 January 2024 Volume 7 - 2023.
  • Assessing WA Food Systems Through an Equity Lens (2021)

Laura R. Lewis

Executive Director
laurajean@seedalliance.org

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

Assistant Director of Regional Programs – Midwest
michael@seedalliance.org

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.

Cathleen McCluskey

Policy and Advocacy Director
cathleen@seedalliance.org
Cathleen McCluskey is the policy and advocacy director for Organic Seed Alliance. She leads our legal and cultural advocacy work developing policies that support organic agriculture and farmers' rights to save seed. She co-directs OSA's State of Organic Seed project and leads federal policy initiatives targeting Congress and federal agencies. Her research focuses on seed systems, intellectual property, market concentration, germplasm management and diversity, data access and transparency, and democratization of science and knowledge. Cathleen holds a PhD in Environment and Resources and an MS in Agroecology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Selected Publications

  • McCluskey, C. and Tracy, W.F. (2024). Data blanks by design: Intellectual property and restrictions on genetic diversity assessments of the maize standing crop in the USA Upper Midwest. Plants, People, Planet, 6(6), 1372-1380. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10531.
  • McCluskey, C. and Tracy, W.F. (2021). Engaging Farmer Stakeholders: Maize Producers' Perceptions of and Strategies for Managing On-Farm Genetic Diversity in the Upper Midwest. Sustainability, 13(16), 8843. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168843.
  • Colley, M., Dawson, J., McCluskey, C., Myers, J., Tracy, W., & Lammerts van Bueren, E. (2021). Exploring the emergence of participatory plant breeding in countries of the Global North – a review. The Journal of Agricultural Science, 1-19. doi:10.1017/S0021859621000782.
  • Op-ed: How Patents Threaten Small Seed Companies (Civil Eats, 2020)
  • Dawson, J., Healy, K., and McCluskey, C. (2017). Organic Vegetable Trials and Plant Breeding Needs Assessment and Strategy for National Collaboration. University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. (Accessed November 2018)

Jasmine Sarp

Assistant Director of Outreach and Communications
jasmine@seedalliance.org

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.

Molly Travis

Molly Travis
California Program Associate
molly@seedalliance.org

Molly Travis is supporting the research and education program in California, based in Humboldt County. 

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with a focus on agroecology from the University of California Santa Cruz, and also earned a Permaculture Design Certificate. 

While working for land management agencies across the Pacific West and Southwest, Molly spent extensive time in the field performing ecological and recreational data collection. This data was instrumental in developing funding priorities and analyzing visitor use impacts on wilderness areas.  

After gaining more financial and administrative experience working for non-profits, Molly wanted to return to her agricultural roots. She is excited to coordinate projects and develop partnerships with members of the seed growing and organic farming communities.

Jared Zystro

Research and Education Director
jared@seedalliance.org
Jared Zystro is Organic Seed Alliance’s research and education director. He has an M.S. and Ph.D. in plant breeding and plant genetics from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, where he studied efficient methods of developing new organic sweet corn varieties. Jared has worked in the organic seed industry for over 15 years, managing seed production at two farms and conducting research and education projects with OSA. He currently manages OSA’s regional development in California, conducts participatory breeding projects and variety trials, and teaches farmers about seed production and plant breeding at workshops, conferences, and field days. He lives in the coastal town of Arcata, CA, with his wife and son.

Selected Publications

  • Zystro, J., T. Peters, K. Miller, and W. Tracy. 2021. Classical and genomic prediction of synthetic open pollinated sweet corn performance in organic environments. Crop Science 61:1698-1708.
  • Zystro, J., T. Peters, K. Miller, and W. Tracy. 2021. Inbred and hybrid sweet corn genotype performance in diverse organic environments. Crop Science 61:2280-2293.
  • Zystro, J., T. Peters, K. Miller, and W. Tracy. 2021. Classical and genomic prediction of hybrid sweet corn performance in organic environments. Crop Science 61:1698-1708.
  • Zystro, J. Efficient Methods to Develop New Sweet Corn Cultivars for Organic Systems. PhD Dissertation, The University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI.
  • Lyon, A., W. Tracy, M. Colley, P. Culbert, M. Mazourek, J. Myers, J. Zystro, and E. Silva. 2018. Adaptability analysis in a participatory variety trial of organic vegetable crops. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems: 1-17.
  • Zystro, Jared, Micaela Colley, and Julie Dawson. 2018. Alternative Experimental Designs for Plant Breeding. Plant Breeding Reviews 42: 87-117.
  • Hoagland L., J. Navazio, J. Zystro, I. Kaplan, J. Vargas and K. Gibson. 2015. Key Traits and Promising Germplasm for an Organic Participatory Tomato Breeding Program in the US Midwest. HortScience 50:1301-1308.
  • Buttala L., J. Zystro, M. Colley S. and Siegel. 2015. The Seed Garden. Seed Savers Exchange, Decorah.
  • Lyon, E. Silva, J. Zystro and M. Bell. 2015. Seed and Plant Breeding for Wisconsin’s Organic Vegetable Sector: Understanding Farmers’ Needs. Agroecology and Food Systems 39: 601-624.
  • Zystro, J., N. de Leon, and W. Tracy. 2012. Analysis of Traits Related to Weed Competitiveness in Sweet Corn (Zea mays L.). Sustainability, 4:543-560.

Mowgli

Washington Research Farm Supervisor

Mowgli Ierlan was born on a Bison Ranch in Springfield Oregon to Labrador parents Lexie and Happy. Mr. Mowglers has been working on seed farms since he was 8 weeks old. Mowgli is an excellent coworker and is the definition of a personality hire. He is a skilled supervisor and maintains team morale.

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Staff Directory

Susana Cabrera-Mariz
Pacific Northwest Program Associate
susana@seedalliance.org
Kiki Elfendahl
Finance Manager
Ana Galvis-Martinez
Assistant Director of Education
ana@seedalliance.org
Kayla Ierlan
Washington Research Farm Manager
kayla@seedalliance.org
Aba Kiser
Assistant Director of Outreach and Events
aba@seedalliance.org
Laura R. Lewis
Executive Director
laurajean@seedalliance.org
Michael Lordon
Assistant Director of Regional Programs – Midwest
michael@seedalliance.org
Cathleen McCluskey
Policy and Advocacy Director
cathleen@seedalliance.org
Jasmine Sarp
Assistant Director of Outreach and Communications
jasmine@seedalliance.org
Molly Travis
Molly Travis
California Program Associate
molly@seedalliance.org
Jared Zystro
Research and Education Director
jared@seedalliance.org
Mowgli
Washington Research Farm Supervisor

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