How Our Food Choices Impact Our Health, Our Environment, and the Economic Vitality of Our Communities

Mark Kastel is co-founder of The Cornucopia Institute, a progressive farm policy research group based in Wisconsin and director of its Organic Integrity Project.

For almost 20 years prior to its launch he was president of M. A. Kastel and Associates, Inc. His professional practice included political consulting, lobbying work on behalf of family farm groups, and business development work benefiting family-scale farmers. Mr. Kastel has played a key role in a number of cooperative ventures designed to empower farmers in the marketplace. His development work has focused on creating sustainable farmer-owned businesses with an emphasis on dairy production and marketing.

Kastel, who worked for agribusiness giants International Harvester and J.I. Case before making the paradigm shift to sustainable farming, lives on a 160-acre organic farm in the rugged hills of southwestern Wisconsin, near the tiny burg of Rockton.