Bob Olson, Co-op Development Specialist & Food Alliance Midwest Director
Phone: 651-265-3682
Fax: 651-228-1184
bob at foodalliance.org

400 Selby Avenue, Suite Y
St. Paul, MN 55102

Bob Olson is a Cooperative Development Specialist with special emphasis in value-added agriculture and conventional farming/ranching enterprises. In this capacity he helps businesses plan for long-term viability by developing feasibility studies, marketing assessments, and business plans. Bob is also Acting Director for Food Alliance Midwest, an affiliate of the Portland-based nonprofit Food Alliance, North America’s leading certifier for sustainably produced foods. He assists brand managers and food processors in using Food Alliance’s certification to differentiate their products in the marketplace. He also helps businesses to place these certified products in a variety of retail and foodservice venues.

Bob is Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota Extension Service, where he worked for 25 years as an Extension Educator specializing in agriculture and natural resource issues prior to joining CDS in January, 2005. He holds undergraduate degrees in Plant and Soil Science, and a graduate degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics.

He was raised on a Wisconsin dairy farm where he experienced first-hand the challenges and opportunities of food production. Bob and his wife have three children and reside in Stillwater, Minnesota.