Ken Hart, Vice President
khart@moscowfood.coop

I moved to north central Idaho with my spouse (Gail) and young daughter in 1979 to begin a career in agriculture. Now, 40 years later, my life revolves mostly around agriculture and food systems. Gail and I own and operate Lolo Breaks Farm near Weippe. I am an Extension Educator with University of Idaho Extension, working in crop production, farm management and youth development. I have been an owner of the Moscow Food Co-op since 2000 and a member of other cooperatives dating back to 1979. I have been fortunate to have extensive specialized training and experience with cooperatives and worked as an agribusiness volunteer in Moldova in 2012, focusing on the structural problems experienced by many of their cooperatives. While on a 2016 sabbatical to study cooperatives and local food systems I completed an internship with the NW Cooperative Development Center in Olympia, WA,. I worked with farming cooperatives in Angola (West Africa) as part of my sabbatical work and followed this up with a volunteer assignment in Malawi working with two cooperatives whose members were subsistence farmers. I learned that universal cooperative principles and effective member participation, education and governance are critical to the success and mission of cooperatives worldwide. 

The success of the Moscow Food Co-op benefits the community of Moscow and surrounding areas very directly, but it also supports the development and success of other food system co-ops around the region and encourages small acreage farmers producing local food. In this way Moscow Food Co-op acts like a hub for information on cooperatives and an example of cooperative success. I am  excited to serve on the Board of our Co-op and play a role in the future of the Co-op and would love to share “Co-op shop talk” with anyone…anywhere…anytime.