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Tim Knorr
Crown Point Ecology Center

The Nominator: Beth Knorr, Countryside Conservancy

How has the nominee implemented sustainable business practices in his or her business or organization?
Tim has farmed organically at Crown Point since 1998, although the farm has been certified longer than that. Under Tim`s management, the farm has grown from a one acre pilot project to grow food for the Akron Canton Regional Foodbank, to be the longest continually running CSA in NE Ohio with a consistently lengthy waiting list, while distributing nearly 20,000 pounds of fresh produce to the Foodbank annually.

What are the triple bottom line benefits (people, planet, prosperity) of the nominee`s work?
Tim is feeding roughly 150 families through the CSA in addition to providing much needed nutritious foods to those in our region that need it most. He is doing this in an ecological manner, carefully managing the health of the soils with a 9 year crop rotation. He has consistently increased the farm income through increasing CSA memberships, as well as through the annual organic plant sale.

How has the nominee inspired you to implement sustainable business practices?
Tim has inspired me to lead workshops on CSA farming to help others in our region to successfully implement this kind of relationship building with our customers.

How can someone else translate the success of the nominee? Is the work of the nominee an example or model that others can follow?
Because Tim has been able to demonstrate the successes of CSA farming, there has been an increased growth in that model of farming in our region. Other farmers have seen the demand and have taken up CSAs. Because of his leadership and farming skills, he, as well as Crown Point, is continually held up as *the* model to follow.

How does the nominee actively participate in the sustainability community? How do they collaborate and share their knowledge with others?
Tim encourages others to come out to the farm and to learn by volunteering if they feel they are interested in farming for a living. He has also trained many apprentices over the years, and participates in educational programs about CSA farming. In fact, several apprentices have gone on to either start their own CSAs or to begin their own farming/gardening ventures in other communities. His humility, however, has kept him from tooting his own horn too much..that`s why I feel compelled to do it for him!