The People Behind Kalona Organics
______
Meet some of the good people
who are at the heart of Kalona Organics.
Bill Evans | Joanna
Mouming | Kathy McCarthy | Dorothy
Barrowman
Jennifer Jacobs | Linda Caquelin
Bill Evans: Founder
and Owner
Bill Evans started Kalona Organics with a vision. He wanted to help small
farmers bring good products to market—and do it by staying true
to the land and the quality of the product. His style of straight talk
coupled with his deep understanding of family farms and organics is a
refreshing change of pace—and one that is well respected in the
industry. In just more than two years at the helm of Kalona Organics,
Bill has seen products such as Farmer’s All-Natural Milk continue
to find more and more loyal customers. Bill takes tremendous pride in
the fact that this product, and many others, comes primarily from small,
Amish/Mennonite family farms where almost all of the work is still done
by hand. Some of these farms have been in the same family for 150 years
and have never been touched by chemical herbicides or pesticides.
Joanna Mouming: Marketing Director
There is no doubt that Joanna Mouming is a true believer in Kalona Organics
products. She has been an avid supporter of her local food co-op for
years—a connection that ultimately led her to Kalona Organics.
Joanna had purchased Farmer’s All-Natural Creamery organic milk
and Farmer’s Hen House organic eggs locally and raved about the
products. In fact, she liked them so much that she walked up and down
the aisles of the co-op telling other customers they should try them.
What she didn’t know at that time is that the milk and eggs were
being produced on the same small farms just 30 miles away. Nor did she
know they were being marketed by Kalona Organics. “Once I learned
more about what Kalona Organics was doing I began to believe strongly
in their commitment to helping farms and small and rural manufacturers.” Ultimately,
Joanna, a self described “foodie” who loves to cook and bake
with organic foods, discovered there was a position open to help market
Kalona Organic products. “It was a natural fit for me. I love the
products, and I love what they stand for.” She and her husband
recently moved to a small farm outside Kalona, Iowa. “I love the
idea that we are selling the foods of my "neighbors" on local
farms.”
Kathy McCarthy: Regional
Sales Manager/Customer Relations
Kathy McCarthy knows the grocery store business and she knows quality organic
products when she sees them. Kathy joined Kalona Organics after serving
as manager of perishable goods for Hy-Vee food stores, a regional grocery
store located throughout the Midwest. Kathy oversaw the products in areas
such as produce, seafood, meat, dairy, floral, and more. Kathy spearheaded
the effort within her store to increase the amount of locally grown,
fresh produce available to customers. She created an in-store farmer’s
market and sold an increasing amount of organic products. One of the
companies she turned to for high quality, local products was Kalona Organics.
Kathy, who has a background in information technology, business management,
and fine dining restaurant management, is excited to be part of the innovative
team at Kalona Organics. Her goal is to help more stores bring food from
small family farms to their customers.
Dorothy Barrowman: Sales
Manager
Dorothy Barrowman came to Kalona Organics in 2006 with more than a decade
of experience in international sales and marketing, including marketing
organic product lines and working with companies that promoted sound
environmental practices. Dorothy is responsible for Kalona Organics
direct sales; working with distributors, new business development, and
current customers. She was eager to join the Kalona Organics team because
she believes the sustainable products the company offers are beneficial
to both people and nature. Her interest in the environment emerged early
in life when she developed a science class solar energy project and then
went on to work on a recycling plan for the town of Bridgewater, Massachusetts
during college. Dorothy has a Bachelor of Science degree in management
science from Bridgewater State College and has completed post-graduate
work from DePaul University.
Jennifer Jacobs: Accounts
Manager
Jennifer Jacobs loves numbers. And she
thrives on helping customers and farmers. In 2004, the Iowa native began
working as an office manager for Farmer’s
All-Natural Creamery, one of the leading products from Kalona Organics. The
rest of the Kalona Organics teams calls her “the glue” that gives
them the freedom to be out in the field talking with farmers and customers
while she holds down the fort. And with Jennifer, her love of organics is
a family affair. Her husband, James, is the production manager for
Farmer’s All-Natural Creamery.
Linda Caquelin: Customer Service Manager
Linda is the newest member of
the Kalona Organics team. Before joining Kalona Organics in 2007, she
was a buyer at a hospital for nearly two decades. It’s there she learned the valuable skills of being highly organized
and detail oriented. Today, she brings those talents to bear at Kalona Organics
where she enjoys working for a company that shares her passion for promoting
organics and a natural lifestyle. “Throughout my adult life I have
been aware of preventive health and how important it is for us to take care
of our bodies,” she says. She believes in the vision Kalona Organics
has developed within the community and likes the idea of buying fresh and
buying local. “I also love helping people,” she says. “Being
in customer service for Kalona Organics gives me the opportunity to fulfill
our mission of “helping good people bring good products to your table.” Linda’s
favorite Kalona Organics product? Cultural Revolution raspberry yogurt!
