Lisa Kivirist

Lisa Cindy Kivirist (born April 14, 1967 in Illinois) is an American author, women-farmer and cottage-food activist, entrepreneur, and writer. She founded the Rural Women’s Project.[1] for the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service and started the award-winning[2][3] Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast, a small business completely powered by wind and solar energy generated on site and Wisconsin Travel Green certified.[4]

Kivirist authored the award-finalist[5] Soil Sisters (New Society Publishers) and Kiss Off Corporate America (Andrews McMeel). She also co-authored Homemade for Sale, Farmstead Chef, the award-winning[6] ECOpreneuring and Rural Renaissance with her husband, John D. Ivanko, all published by New Society Publishers[7]

A leading national advocate and spokesperson for women farmers, Kivirist was named by In Business Magazine as a "Woman of Industry"[8] for her leadership growing the women in sustainable agriculture movement. Kivirist is a Senior Fellow, Endowed Chair in Agricultural Systems[9] at the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Minnesota, focusing on identifying opportunities to champion leadership development among female farmers and rural women. She's also a distinguished member of the IATP Food and Society Fellows and serves on the National Outreach Committee[10] for the Sustainable Agriculture Research Education, the sustainable agriculture division of the United States Department of Agriculture, advocating for a voice for women farmers.

As an activist, Kivirist joined two other farmers in Wisconsin to sue the State of Wisconsin in 2016 over the constitutionality of the state law preventing cookies baked in a home kitchen to be sold to the public.[11][12][13]

Early life and education

Raised in Glenview, Illinois, by a first-generation daughter of immigrant refugees from Latvia and Estonia, Kivirist graduated Glenbrook South High School in 1985 and was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award[14] in 2009. She received her Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University in 1989.[15]

Career

Kivirist started out working at Leo Burnet Advertising, USA, in Chicago in account management, after which she ran event marketing programs for Johnnie Walker. In 1997, Kivirist started Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast, a two-bedroom inn created on a 5.5-acre farm in Browntown, Wisconsin, that she and her husband farm organically and is focused on sustainability.[16] The Inn received the 2004 Energy Star Small Business Network Award[17] from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Vegetarian breakfasts are vegetarian and prepared mostly with ingredients sourced on site[18]

Lisa Kivirist authored Soil Sisters and Kiss Off Corporate America. With John Ivanko, Lisa Kivirist co-authored Homemade for Sale, Farmstead Chef, ECOpreneuring and Rural Renaissance. As a writer, Kivirist contributes to Mother Earth News,[19] Hobby Farms,[20] Natural Awakenings[21] and many other magazines.[15]

Kivirist founded[22] and leads the Rural Women’s Project of the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES). In collaboration with other women farmers and the South Central Chapter of the Wisconsin Farmers Union and the Wisconsin Farmers Union Foundation, Renewing the Countryside and the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, Kivirist guided the development[23] of Soil Sisters: A Celebration of Wisconsin Farms and Rural Life, which has now grown to an annual weekend showcasing women farmers and rural revitalization. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker proclaimed that time frame "Wisconsin Women in Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Week."[24] In partnership with the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Farm Commons, Kivirist led development of the on-farm food businesses resource: Diversify Your Minnesota Farm Business Through Food Service: A How-to Manual for Serving Food on Your Farm, from Farm-To-Table Dinners to Pizza Farms and More[25]

Personal life

Lisa C. Kivirist is married to John D. Ivanko, and have one son, Liam Ivanko Kivirist. Kivirist accompanied her son, Liam Kivirist, to The White House for a Kids’ State Dinner with President Barack Obama and First Lady, Michelle Obama, related to his award-winning Wisconsin solar oven simmered chili recipe submitted to the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge and Let’s Move.[26][27]

References
  1. "Rural Women's Project". Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service. Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  2. Hartzell, John (14 March 2006). "Wisconsin certifying green tourism businesses". NBC News Associated Press. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  3. "2004 Energy Start Business Network Award". Energy Star EPA. Energy Star Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  4. "Travel Green Wisconsin certification". Travel Green Wisconsin. State of Wisconsin. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  5. "2016". Forward Magazine. 30 April 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  6. "Axiom Business Book Awards". Independent Publisher. Independent Publisher. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  7. "Lisa Kivirist author". New Society Publishers. New Society Publishers. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  8. Vanden Plas, Joe. "Women of Industry: Lisa Kivirist breaks through glass barn". No. October 2015. In Business Madison. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  9. "Endowed Chairs". Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture. Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  10. "Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)". www.sare.org. United States Department of Agriculture: Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  11. Kirwan, Hope (2 May 2016). "Wisconsin Farmers Challenge Ban On Selling Homemade Baked Goods". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  12. "Lawsuit over Wisconsin baked goods ban heads to court". The Washington Times. Associated Press. 26 April 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  13. Reynolds, Dean (19 April 2017). "In Wisconsin, Selling cookies can land you in jail". CBS Sunday Morning News. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  14. "Distinguished Alumni Awards". Glenbrook South High School. Glenbook South High School. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  15. Kivirist, Lisa. "Lisa Kivirist". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  16. Bolster, Mary (28 August 2007). "Use your vacation to protect the environment". No. August 2007. Yoga Journal. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  17. "2004 Energy Start Business Network Award". Energy Star EPA. Energy Star Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  18. "Living Green". Vegetarian Times. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  19. "Writer Biography". Mother Earth News magazine. Mother Earth News. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  20. "Writer Biography". Hobby Farms magazine. Lumina Media. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  21. "Writer Biography". Natural Awakenings magazine. Natural Awakenings. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  22. "Rural Women's Project". Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service. Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  23. Werner, Rachel. "Soil Sisters Earth Movers". Brava Magazine. Brava Magazine. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  24. Agriculturalist, Wisconsin (4 September 2016). "Soil Sisters Green County woman writes book about sustainable ag". Wisconsin Agriculturalist. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  25. "Diversify your Minnesota Farm Business through Food Service" (PDF). Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture. Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  26. Kivirist, Liam. "Wisconsin Solar Oven-simmered Chili". letsmove.obamawhitehouse.archives.gov. The White House Obama Let's Move. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  27. Lewis, Dannika (11 July 2013). "11-year-old takes top prize for chili recipe Michelle Obama gives Wisconsin boy a special shout-out". Channel 3000 WISC TV 3. WISC TV Madison. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
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