Idaho Center for Sustainable Agriculture

David Anderson – President

David is the Idaho Program Manager for American Farmland Trust, which is a national not-for-profit organization focused on protecting agricultural land, promoting environmentally sound farming practices, and keeping farmers on the land. AFT is the only national agricultural organization that approaches its work in this comprehensive, holistic manner. David works closely with academia, government agencies, and local growers to support farmland protection and regenerative practice learning opportunities that maintain and enhance Idaho’s vast agricultural resources.

As President of ICSA, David leverages his systems-thinking, project development, and community outreach expertise to create opportunities to strategically connect stakeholders, projects, and grant funding to deliver the ICSA mission of being a knowledge hub for regenerative agriculture in Idaho.

Neil Crescenti

Neil is the Agriculture Program Manager at The Nature Conservancy Idaho Chapter.

The Nature Conservancy sees the importance of agriculture to Idaho’s communities and economy and the potential it holds for addressing some of the biggest environmental challenges we face today. As the Agriculture Program Manager, his work focuses on demonstrating and communicating the value of soil health, both environmentally and economically. There is a strong nexus between Neil’s professional work with the Nature Conservancy and the mission of ICSA and he leverages his professional experience and community network to advance the work of ICSA and elevate the organization’s recognition in the state as a hub for regenerative agriculture.

Emily Erickson – Vice President

As an Idaho native my best memories are on horse-back either at a rodeo or jumping the ditch in the pasture. My journey has been as unique as the landscape of our beautiful state. From rodeo queen to an MBA in Sustainable Business, I’ve explored California, NYC, and Seattle. Eventually, I found my way home with a deep appreciation for the lifestyle and outdoor adventures that Idaho offers. Since returning to Idaho, I’ve worked with organic food companies, designed and implemented collegiate programming for B Corp certification, led diversity & inclusion conferences for the business community, and promoted regenerative agriculture practices. I believe in using business as a tool for good to build a resilient future for our agricultural state. I’m thrilled to serve on the board of ICSA because we bring Idaho’s stakeholders together to protect our farms, rangelands, soil and water that will feed generations to come.

Chris Johnson

Chris is the EPA Program Coordinator with Idaho Rural Water Association. He provides training and technical assistance to water utilities throughout the state to assist with system compliance with EPA and Idaho DEQ regulations. He also aids with developing source water protection plans along with risk and resilience assessments and emergency response plans. As a former NRCS employee and current conservation district chairman he believes that soil health is a key factor to improving water quality and water conservation. He works closely with NRCS, Idaho DEQ and other partners to educate producers and water systems on adopting soil health principles to reduce agriculture effects on drinking water pollution. As Idaho’s population grows there will be a growing need for utilities and producers to work together on a range of projects from land application of reuse water to biosolid composting.

Evan Lynam

Evan is Director of Operations for Our Gorongosa, a for profit business selling coffee grown in Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, with all profits going back to the park and the communities surrounding the park. Our Gorongosa is using regenerative agriculture practices on Mt. Gorongosa with the coffee to save a rainforest that has been in decline for a decade. Regenerative agriculture has principles that work, but implementation looks very different from Mozambique to Idaho. Evan has helped local regenerative ag farmers/ranchers take the next steps in their agriculture journey from ideas to launching direct to consumer business. With an operations background he can help people take the theory and put it in practice of their business to help it become profitable.

Amy Mattias – Secretary

Amy Mattias is the Program Director for the Sun Valley Institute for Resilience. In her role at SVIR, Amy works with farmers, ranchers, food entrepreneurs and small business owners to strengthen the regional food supply chain. Amy also leads educational offerings on topics such as sourcing from local farmers, applying regenerative agriculture principles to home gardens and small acreage, and being resilient in the face of a changing climate. As SVIR’s Program Director, Amy collaborates with policymakers, community advocates and food system stakeholders to ensure a thriving future for the economy, the environment, and the people within her community.

Amy has been on the ICSA board since 2018 and utilizes her deep knowledge of regional food systems, Idaho agricultural stakeholders, and regenerative agriculture practices to enhance the mission and vision of the organization. As Secretary of ICSA, Amy provides administrative support for the Board of Directors and contributes her facilitation and organizational skills to support the volunteer board productivity and ability to work together as a team.