Lynn Coody Oral History Interview (1 of 2)

In this, the first of two interviews with Lynn Coody, Lynn discusses her childhood, her career and her involvement with Oregon Tilth. She begins by sharing her family history, discussing community life in the small towns in New Jersey where she spent her childhood, and the connection to the ocean that she developed while living on the East Coast. Lynn explains her early interest in nature, gardening, and how her education intertwined with those interests, and her first exposure to environmentalism. She then recalls her decision to go to Colby College, her studies in both biology and botany, and how her interest in agriculture developed from there.

From there, Lynn discusses why and how she decided she could become a farmer with all the hard work it requires, and her eventual move to the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Lynn talks about her work on different farms near Cottage Grove, the continuation of her education at University of Oregon, and the many people who helped her succeed there. She then speaks of the strong community of like-minded individuals in Oregon that she became involved with, and how that led to her involvement in Oregon Tilth.

Lynn next describes her experience with Tilth and the different regional issues that Tilth worked on, including certifications, cultural relations between different farmers from different regions of the state, and many other problems within farming and the community. She discusses the complicated nature of passing bills and the efforts taken to broaden their impact, especially in certification. She finishes the interview by mentioning the interests in organic farming and education that Oregon State University had taken at the time.

Lynn Coody was born in Englewood, New Jersey, where she became very interested in the natural world around her. She planted a garden when she was seven years old, and enjoyed her biology class in high school so much that she decided to go to Colby College to study environmental science in 1970. From there she learned about organic farming from her own reading and from a farming internship in Canada that she experienced while in college. Lynn then moved to Oregon because of the lure of organic farming in the state, and after some time working was able to attend the University of Oregon to continue her education in biology and ecology. During this period she became involved in the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides and other national environmental groups. She also participated in the farming project at Cerro Gordo, while likewise becoming involved with Oregon Tilth and its certification project. Lynn was essential to this project coming to fruition, an achievement that changed the landscape for organic agriculture across the United States.

Lynn worked for Tilth for a total of nineteen years, while also teaching organic farming at Lane Community College, and working at Fresh Start Farm. She then became a farm consultant and was also involved with the Oregon Materials Review Institute and the Organically Grown Company. Lynn also worked periodically in Italy to for the Institute for Mediterranean Agriculture. Today she devotes her time primarily to her firm, Organic Agsystems Consulting.