Advocacy & Policy 101 Series Kickoff: Organizing 101 with Denise O'Brien

Hear about Denise O'Brien's work in collective organizing from her time as a WFAN Founding Mother to her continued advocacy work nowadays!

About Denise

Denise O'Brien is a farmer and community activist from Atlantic, Iowa. She has farmed with her husband, Larry Harris, for 50 years. They raised three children and are now enjoying eight grandchildren.

Denise has had numerous opportunities to work within the agricultural community by working on policy development on the state, national and international level. She has been involved in the community of women farmers and land owners, local food systems and conservation issues. Throughout her farming career, Denise has been an active member in her local community as well as in the agricultural sector. She is the co-founder of Women Food and Agriculture Network. She is past Chair of the Board of Directors for Pesticide Action Network of North America. Denise helped found and served on the board of Sustainable Iowa Land Trust, an organization that helps establish beginning farmers and uses easements to preserve land for food production in Iowa.

She currently serves on the board of the Iowa Organic Association, the Cass County Food Policy Committee, and is the Chair for the county Democratic Party. Denise and her husband have recently co-founded The Nishnabotna Water Defenders, a non-profit advocacy group focused on defending the rights for clean water. O’Brien served as an Agriculture Advisor in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2012 and used that experience to deepen her knowledge of women farmers on an international level. She has received numerous awards for her community achievements and accomplishments.

In 1997 she addressed the United Nations on behalf of the world's farmers and was inducted into Iowa's Women's Hall of Fame in 2000. Denise has run for numerous public offices from school board to the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture in 2006 to running for the Iowa Legislature in 2018. Never winning but always willing to step forward!