Dr. Linley Dixon: Farmer, Scientist, Advocate
Dr. Linley Dixon is a farmer, scientist, and advocate who brings both scientific expertise and hands-on experience to her work and leadership, ensuring that organic farming remains rooted in transparency, sustainability, and respect for creation.
The Temple of Understanding is honored to welcome Dr. Linley Dixon as a featured speaker for our upcoming symposium, “Envision the Future of the Interfaith Movement.” Dr. Dixon’s life and work embody the spirit of collaboration, stewardship, and justice that this historic gathering seeks to advance.
A scientist, farmer, and advocate, Linley brings a unique blend of rigorous academic training and hands-on agricultural experience to her role as Co-Director of the Real Organic Project, a farmer-led movement dedicated to preserving the integrity of organic food production. With a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Florida, a Master’s degree in Soil Science from West Virginia University, and a USDA postdoctoral fellowship focused on plant–fungi interactions, she is recognized as a national leader in both the science and practice of sustainable farming.
Yet her influence goes far beyond the soil. At her family’s Adobe House Farm in Southwest Colorado, Linley lives the values she teaches: cultivating food that nourishes both people and planet, protecting the health of the land, and creating a model of agriculture rooted in care, transparency, and respect. Through this work, she has become a trusted voice in the movement to defend and strengthen organic standards at a time when industrial interests threaten to dilute them.
Linley co-founded the Real Organic Project (ROP) in 2018 with fellow farmer Dave Chapman. Together, they have built a national “add-on” certification that highlights farms truly committed to organic principles—those who prioritize soil health, pasture-raised livestock, and biodiversity. Today, the Real Organic Project includes more than 1,000 farms across the United States, each a testament to the belief that farming is more than food production; it is an ethical and spiritual practice of caring for creation.
This vision resonates deeply with the mission of the Temple of Understanding. Our symposium seeks to unite voices across faith traditions to reaffirm shared values of compassion, justice, and responsibility for the Earth. Linley’s message is a timely reminder that caring for the soil, ensuring the integrity of what we eat, and holding corporations accountable are not merely agricultural concerns—they are moral imperatives.
In previous dialogues hosted by the Temple of Understanding, Linley has already shared her expertise with interfaith audiences, helping participants see the connections between food sovereignty, climate action, and spiritual responsibility. She emphasizes that authentic organic farming is not only about avoiding chemicals but about fostering life, creating systems where both the land and communities can flourish.
As we envision the future of the interfaith movement, Linley challenges us to consider how our faith traditions call us to act in the face of environmental crisis. She reminds us that the choices we make at the table ripple outward, shaping the health of our communities, our ecosystems, and generations yet to come.
We are delighted to welcome Dr. Linley Dixon to this year’s symposium. Her insights will help us cultivate a shared vision of resilience, justice, and hope, rooted, quite literally, in the soil beneath our feet.
Primary Sources & Speeches
- Dr. Linley Dixon – Co-Director, Real Organic Project
Linley’s bio on Real Organic Project’s website. - Podcasts, Speeches, and Interviews at ROP
Resources featuring Linley on Real Organic Project’s website. - Eco Justice For All: “The Soil of Life”
A dialogue with Linley and soil scientist Ray Archuleta - Eco Justice For All: “Can Organic Farming ‘Scale Up’ to Meet the UN’s Goal of Eradicating Poverty and Hunger?”
A dialogue with Linley, Anastasia Nesvetailova, Paul Holmbeck, and Dr. Miguel Altieri. - Eco Justice For All: “Community-based Organic Food Production and Distribution”
A dialogue with Vicki Assevero and Chuck Kayser, moderated by Linley. - Eco Justice For All: “Why We Farm: How Organic Farmers Are Changing the World”
Linley interviews five organic farmers who see organic farming as more than growing food.