Amigo Bob Cantisano Legacy Fund

 

Robert “Amigo Bob” Cantisano (1959-2020), an early pioneer of the organic farming movement whose accomplishments have been featured in National Geographic, the L.A. Times, and the New York Times, died late last year after an eight-year battle with cancer.

 

The Amigo Bob Cantisano Legacy Fund aims to honor the love, vision and dedication he had to the Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm) and its role in training and supporting farmers to care for the Earth with the use of organic practices. 

 

The public is invited to honor Amigo’s memory with a significant gift. 

 

Friends and family of Amigo have the goal to establish the Legacy Fund with $25,000 to support young and beginning farmers attending the 42nd annual EcoFarm Conference in January of 2022, as well as EcoFarm’s mission.

 

 

An influential founding figure in California’s organic agriculture movement, Amigo’s spirit was always sharing wisdom, expertise, and a bounty of produce. 

 

Amigo Bob helped organic agriculture evolve on a large scale, including the nation’s largest lettuce growers, Tanimura and Antle in the Salinas Valley. 

 

He was involved in early efforts to certify organic farms and products, helping to found California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and to organize the first EcoFarm Conference, the longest running organic farming conference on the West Coast. 

 

Cantisano, who lived most of his life in Nevada County, California, founded or co-founded a number of organizations and businesses dedicated to organic farming, including Peaceful Valley Farm Supply, Aeolia Organics, Starr Farms, Heaven and Earth Farm, and the Felix Gillet Institute, as well as EcoFarm. 

 

He also was one of the nation’s first organic crop advisors, consulting on organic practices with many of the largest organic food producers in California. An inspiring mentor and consultant to businesses and farmers, he helped people with crop rotation, composting systems, and organic farming throughout the state. 

 

Amigo Bob served on the Board of Directors of EcoFarm for over 20 years.

 

Everyone who knew Amigo Bob or worked with him is invited to make a gift to EcoFarm carry on his work and support EcoFarm’s mission. If you'd like to make a gift by check, please make it out to "Ecological Farming Association" or "EcoFarm." Thank you!