Dr. Karen Klonsky spent a lifetime championing organic. The CCOF Foundation will honor her work and spirit at the CCOF Foundation Feast on December 4 at the Organic Grower Summit.
Klonsky was a University of California Cooperative Extension Specialist in Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). For 35 years, Klonsky collaborated with both Californian and international agricultural stakeholders. She is said to have had a willingness to work collaboratively with colleagues, bringing a dynamic range of perspectives and unique experiences to offer in her discussions with peers. UC Davis writes that Klonsky worked with “industry clientele, many of whom had strongly held views that may have differed from her own.” Her many contributions built a vast legacy that she left for the agricultural community before her death on September 26, 2018.
Klonsky’s grace and respect for the scientific process and cross-industry collaboration is one of many reasons the CCOF Foundation honors her as this year’s Organic Champion, as we could all learn from Klonsky’s approach to difficult issues now more than ever before.
Klonsky’s breadth of research was notable. With the newly released Roadmap to an Organic California: Benefits Report, our progress in advancing organic farmland in the state of California would not be possible without her tireless research. Until her retirement in 2015, Klonsky was dedicated to providing evidentiary support for organic as a solution to countless issues plaguing our society, including climate change. “Her publications were valued by bankers, investors, governments, farmers, non-farm business, researchers, and students as the ‘go to’ publications,” as one UCCE farm advisor noted. “Rarely a day goes by without my referencing something from one of the cost and return studies; my work has benefitted profoundly from these analyses.”
Please join us for this special evening to honor the legacy of Dr. Karen Klonsky as the fourth CCOF Foundation Organic Champion. Space is limited. Early bird pricing ends soon. Register yourself and your colleagues today!