MOSA provides our clients with much more than just certification.

Joe Pedretti

MOSA Client Services Director

Staff Profile: Katie Starr

Staff Profile: Katie Starr’s 20 Years with MOSA

By Christine Davies, Client Services Specialist

Meet Katie Starr, MOSA’s Finance Director – keeping the numbers in check since 2004! Katie’s diverse responsibilities include accounting, customer service, strategic planning, support for programs like Cost Share, and more. If you are certified organic by MOSA, you’ve seen Katie’s name on quarterly statements and other communications about fees. You may have even spoken with her directly if you’ve ever called to discuss an invoice.

Outside of work, Katie loves gardening, spending time at the lake, and cheering on her teenage kids at their sports events. Katie grew up on a small farmstead in Vernon County, WI. After college, she began a career in accounting at a bank in La Crosse. The bank was soon bought out by a company 200 miles away in Green Bay, creating a tough decision: relocate to keep the job, or take a leap of faith with a small non-profit business in her home community. Drawn to the idea of managing finances for small business, Katie took a chance on MOSA. At the time, MOSA wasn’t as well-established, but Katie was familiar with Organic Valley’s local presence and she saw the potential of organic businesses.

In 2004, MOSA had only eight employees – 20 years later, four of them are still at MOSA and two have gone on to work for the National Organic Program! Katie has seen the organic movement grow in popularity and reputation. Business in the early years was small but steady. Founder Dave Engel was actively recruiting farmers to participate in the then new National Organic Program. After about 3 years on the job, Katie started seeing organic really take off. “Back then, we were just trying to keep up with the demand for certification. Farmers couldn’t meet the growing demand for organic products fast enough.” Over the last 20 years, MOSA’s certified client base has grown from just a few hundred to nearly two thousand.

Some of Katie’s favorite memories from working at MOSA:

  • Talking with the farmers we serve and hearing your stories

  • Attending the Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse for many years

  • Working alongside great staff and other folks involved in the organic movement

In recent years, many of MOSA’s 40 staff members work entirely remotely, changing the office dynamic a bit. Katie still visits the Viroqua office 2-3 times per week to perform various duties. The organic requirements are ever changing with input from the organic community; it can be a lot to keep up with, but never boring. Katie looks forward to upcoming projects aimed at continuously improving our processes and data systems to make MOSA’s services better.

Katie has always loved the culture at MOSA. “Projects might be hard, but the people are passionate and good to work with,” says Katie. “At the end of the day, we’re all moving in the same direction and fighting for the same cause.”

Over time, Katie’s confidence in the organic industry has only grown. “The older I get and as I raise my kids, I have become more aware of how organic food is so important. As I watch people battle with health issues and suffer unhealthy lifestyles, it makes me even more of an advocate for organics,” Katie explains. “Organic agriculture is our history and our future!” For her family, the higher quality of organic eggs, milk, butter, fruit, and potatoes is clear and cherished.