We would like to acknowledge the tireless efforts of our Board of Directors.  This truly is our “Dream Team” and the positive energy, fresh creative ideas and momentum they bring has moved SF&C to a new level of operation.  We look forward to sharing our vision with Mid-Missourians and hope that you will join us in our efforts.

Here are our board members:

Dan Kuebler 
Dan is the SF&C Board Chairperson, has been a resident of Columbia, Missouri for the past 30 years. He has been both an organic vegetable grower and board member of the Columbia Farmers’ Market, Inc. throughout the 1990′s. In 1998 he helped found SF&C, which is committed to establishing and managing a permanent market pavilion in Columbia which will serve the urban and rural members of the Mid-Missouri region. Dan grew up in the small Missouri town of Hermann and learned to garden, preserve food, and cook with the love and guidance of his parents. He attended the University of Missouri and has been a registered Physical Therapist since 1975. Joined 1998.

Chris Dohm
Chris was born in Columbia and, except for an all-too-brief semester in London, has resided there ever since.  His long and circuitous college career eventually earned him a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from MU with emphases in English, Business, Art and History, and very nearly  a  Master’s degree in Political Science.  He began working as a warehouse assistant and vestibule-sweeper at Columbia Photo and Electronincs during college and eventually worked his way to Vice President and General Manager.  After fifteen years in the retail business, he set off on a serial-entrepreneurship interlude that included owning a live music venue and, very briefly, a delicatessen.  Currently he spends his work-week writing scientific reports for ABC Laboratories and his wife has recently joined him in a similar capacity (albeit at the nice new location).  When he is not concentrating on micrograms and milliliters, he is the father of two great kids, a part-time musician, cook, amateur wine-maker, and sometime gardener- not to mention an avid Farmers’ Market consumer.

Liz Graznak
Liz is a Columbia native.  She moved away to attend college and grad school, living in many different places for about a 10 year period, before finding her way back to Missouri.  After grad school Liz worked on a number of different vegetable farms.  For the last seven years she was an employee at Superior Garden Center.  In November of 2007 Liz and her partner purchased a farm in Moniteau County.  Liz is currently a full time organic vegetable farmer and 2010 marks the first year she will be offering memberships to her Community Supported Agriculture farm- www.happyhollowfarm-mo.com.  Liz has been a member of the SF&C board for almost almost 5years and is thrilled to be working on such a wonderful project.  Columbia’s residents will benefit greatly from a permanent pavilion for hosting the Columbia Farmer’s Market as well as numerous other community events.

Mike Knoll
Mike grew up is south St. Louis County during the Eisenhower & Kennedy years of peace and prosperity. Pop tried and tried but never could grow a tomato plant in the suburban back yard due to some problem related to the family dog, but the seed was planted, so to speak, in Mike’s mind. As he wandered out on his own and planted his own gardens he separated his dogs from his tomato plants and things worked out better. He tried more fruits, vegetables, and herbs as time allowed and eventually he moved to Boone County in the mid-seventies, finding places with larger garden spots. Except for a brief foray to Alaska in ’79 he’s pretty well stayed put somewhere or another out in Boone County, raising gardens and such. He became a member of the Columbia Farmers’ Market in the late 90′s and has kept with it since then. He is currently serving as the Market’s vice-president while operating his farm at the Devil’s Backbone in southeast Boone County. Mike first got involved with SF&C for a bit in 1998, again from 2001-2005, and rejoined in June 2009.

Mike McGowan
Mike is the proprietor of Shadetree Engineering Services which builds and repairs radio broadcast stations. This operation helps support Shadetree Vegetable Ranch where he grows 200 to 250 different varieties of organic vegetables including 70 different heirloom tomatoes. Other big crops are sweet corn and peppers but he grows several varieties of most vegetables. Mike doesn’t grow anything he doesn’t like to eat. He loves to cook and has the belly to prove it. He also has a collection of over 700 cook books for ideas. His grandfather grew tomatoes, sweet corn, onions and chickens but he sold the farm before Mike was big enough to drive the tractor. So now Mike has his own tractors and is thinking about getting poultry. Mike has been on the board of Sustainable Farms and Communities since shortly after it began and has been selling at the Farmers Market for several years. Some of his other interests include flying and singing classical music. Joined 1998.

Peter Meng 
Peter is an entrepreneur and a Donald W. Reynolds Fellow at the Reynold’s Journalism Institute. Peter worked in higher education marketing and value added sales for Apple Computer; as a business analyst for the University of Missouri; Internet marketing manager for Knight’s Direct – a division of Home Depot; and had his own online learning and interactive marketing business for 10 years.  Peter is known for his wealth of ideas and persistence in bringing them to fruition.

Tom Rippeto
Tom recently retired (August 2009) form a career as CIO in Information Technology and returned to Columbia with his wife, Ellen.  They were both raised in Columbia so it has been a very happy experience returning home after many years.  Tom is excited about being involved in the community, particularly in the area of sustainable food production.  In 1990, his daughter, Teri, and Tom started the restaurant, Trattoria Strada Nova, in a building Tom still owns on North 9th Street.  After selling the business in 1994, they started a new restaurant venture in Denver. This restaurant, Potager, is still going strong and is known for its changing, seasonal menus based on fresh ingredients and a strong relationship with local farmers.

Marcus Monroe
Architect – retired

Jen Muno
Goatsbeard Farms

Ken Pigg
University of Missouri – Columbia
School of Agriculture