January 25, 2012 -- Agriculture in Developing Communities

Join us on Wednesday, January 25, at the Pyramid Alehouse, as we welcome Ethan Schaffer and Justin Hanseth, who will talk about agricultural issues in developing countries. Ethan and Justin have traveled the world practicing small scale agriculture and helping subsistence farmers out of poverty.

Ethan Schaffer is the co-founder of GrowFood.org, an international nonprofit dedicated to training a new generation of organic farmers. The organization has grown into a network of over 2,500 farms in 57 countries where people can work and learn.

In 2009, Grow Food launched Viva Farms, a 33 acre farm incubator located one hour north of Seattle in the Skagit Valley. In 2011, Viva Farms won the Green Washington Award and Social Innovation Fast Pitch and was featured in the Christian Science Monitor and High Country News. Ethan was a recipient of the Brower Youth Award, a top national honor for young environmental leaders. He survived lymphoma cancer when he was 15 years old.

Justin Hanseth has founded and contributed to sustainable agriculture projects in several African countries including Burundi, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. Originally from Washington State, Hanseth greatly appreciates the abundance of the Pacific Northwest, but has a passion for food security in resource poor settings in developing countries.

Justin is currently working as a consultant while finishing his MBA. He also works with Village Health Works, Terra Phoenix Design, and Montanye Ranch.

Location