Brian Leonida is a CCOF Future Organic Farmers Grantee.
Brian Leonida works for the Environmental Services division of the Department of Defense Navy as an Engineering Equipment Operator, where he specializes in making compost. His division also eradicates invasive species for the island of Oahu.
Leonida recently graduated from Leeward Community College in Pearl City, Hawaii, with an A.S. degree in Sustainable Agriculture. He sits on two advisory boards for Aquaculture and Cultivation of local food products, where he gives advice and connects contacts for agriculture projects. In addition, he runs a one-acre farm where he grows fruit, leafy greens, herbs, and a native plant called kalo (also known as taro).
Now, a year after earning his first degree, Leonida is returning to school to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Agricultural Science, with a Sustainability minor, from Oregon State University. “With this new education I would return to Hawaii and help educate children in organic, natural, and sustainable agriculture,” Leonida says. “I would also continue to build my farm with organic theory and methods until I am able to achieve organic certification. I would like to use my farm as a teaching place for students.”
Leonida has always enjoyed teaching. He spent 19 years as an instructor for the American Red Cross. “To this day, I enjoy teaching people new skills and will teach anyone who wants to learn,” he says. “I have been complimented many times on how my students prosper.” He places a special focus on conveying complex scientific data to non-scientists in an accessible way.
Leonida looks forward to a future where he can put his degrees to good use. “With my education and background in farming, I will finally be recognized as an education professional, not just a farmer who has done it for 20-plus years,” he says. He intends to get his farm certified organic, too. “I’ll have the education and experience to build a place where I can farm, educate, and grow. I want to help expand the organic movement in Hawaii.”
The CCOF Foundation is proud to support producers like Brian Leonida with the Future Organic Farmers grant, which provides $5,000 scholarships to college and vocational students training for careers in organic.
If you would like to contribute to the success of Future Organic Farmers grantees like Brian Leonida, please contact the CCOF Foundation’s Donor Relations Manager Shawna Rodgers at srodgers@ccof.org to learn more.
