Over half a century ago, in 1973, CCOF began as a small group of organic farmers who were committed to growing good food in a responsible, transparent, and trustworthy way. From those early grassroots years, CCOF has grown into an internationally recognized industry leader whose clients span the breadth of North America. It’s been a great journey, and some amazing people have come along with us on the adventure.
Today, we want to shine a spotlight on two special farmers who have been with us since the early days: Dru Rivers and Paul Muller, who established Full Belly Farm in 1984 and have been certified by CCOF for over 40 years. Full Belly Farm is a 400-acre certified organic farm in Guinda, California. It became CCOF’s ninth certified member in 1985 and has farmed organically ever since.
Rivers and Muller met each other at the second annual EcoFarm conference. “First we started a farm,” Rivers says, “and then we started a family.” Becoming a mother reinforced her conviction that organic was the way to go. “I got really involved from a health perspective,” she says. “With all the pesticide risks, I realized, this is not good for the health of my kids, of farmworkers, of anybody.”
“CCOF has provided an invaluable support network for so many growers throughout the 40 years that we have been involved,” Rivers says. “The Transition to Organic Program in particular has helped many growers with the leap from conventional to organic and has been a wonderful educational resource. CCOF has done a tremendous job rolling out this program!”
After over 40 years of farming their land and watching their produce yields grow, Dru has some advice for new farmers: “Never underestimate the power of good, healthy soil, and never underestimate the power of community. Be a good neighbor; get involved. Community mirrors what we’re learning about the soil; the more complex and rich it is, the better the farm does.”
Full Belly Farm now has three generations of family helping at farmers markets, sending out CSA boxes, and running educational offerings on soil health. “It’s such a fallacy that we need all these chemicals and pesticides and fertilizers to grow food for the world,” Dru says. “I’m a big believer in the Native American philosophies that we should be thinking many generations out, not just for our own moment here on earth. Organic farming makes sense for a long-term healthy planet.”
See Full Belly Farm and other CCOF client stories in our 2025 Annual Impact Report.
