Oran B. Hesterman is the president and chief executive officer of Fair Food Network, a non-profit organization based in
Ann Arbor Michigan, is a national leader in
sustainable agriculture
Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. It can be based on an understanding of ecosystem ser ...
and food systems and the author of ''Fair Food: Growing a Healthy, Sustainable Food System for All'' (Public Affairs), as well as more than 400 reports and articles on subjects such as cover crops,
crop rotation
Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of different types of crops in the same area across a sequence of growing seasons. It reduces reliance on one set of nutrients, pest and weed pressure, and the probability of developing resistant ...
, and the impact of philanthropic investments on food systems practice and policy.
Since its release, ''Fair Food'' has garnered a significant amount of attention, with over 4,000 food and social justice activists attending book events nationwide in 2011. Beyond listing the health, environment, and economic dysfunctions of the current broken American food system, the book presents burgeoning success stories and illuminates a clear path toward a more sustainable and equitable food future. ''The New York Times'' calls it “an important, accessible book on a crucial subject.”
Before starting Fair Food Network, Dr. Hesterman co-led the Integrated Farming Systems and Food and Society Programs for the
W.K. Kellogg Foundation for 15 years, during which time the Foundation seeded the local food systems movement with over $200 million. At Kellogg, Dr. Hesterman envisioned and nurtured national and international food system projects and collaborations and organized seminars on sustainable agriculture and community-based food systems on behalf of the Foundation.
Prior to his position at the Kellogg Foundation, he was a fellow at the National Center for Food and Agriculture Policy in Washington, DC and a professor of crop and soil science at
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...
in East Lansing from 1984-1995.
Dr. Hesterman earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The inst ...
, in plant science/vegetable crops and agronomy, respectively. He received his doctorate in agronomy and business administration from the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
, St. Paul.
He grew up in Berkeley, California and presently lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his wife, Lucinda Kurtz.
References
*http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/oran-hesterman-reinvents-fair-food-network-to-redesign-broken-food-system/
*http://www.bioneers.org/presenters/oran-hesterman
*http://ww2.wkkf.org/Default.aspx?tabid=90&CID=19&ItemID=5000184&NID=5010184&LanguageID=0
*http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mfpc/Council_Meeting_Summary_March_2010_324210_7.doc - 2010-06-09
*http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dr-oran-b-hesterman-to-lead-new-fair-food-foundation-53580292.html
*http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dhs/09-09-10_340804_7.pdf - 2010-12-20
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hesterman, Oran B.
University of Minnesota alumni
Living people
Michigan State University faculty
Year of birth missing (living people)
University of California, Davis alumni