Joe Scrimger is a longtime farmer and Ag consultant with decades of experience helping farmers strengthen their operations through organic and biologically informed practices. Joe and his wife Kay Scrimger purchased a 160-acre farm in 1972 and began transitioning to organic the following year, eventually expanding to 198 acres and renting another 300 acres. A few years later, Joe launched Bio-Systems, an agricultural consulting and soil testing business that served farms across Michigan and Southwest Ontario for 38 years.

Joe has been extensively involved in organic growers’ associations and farm marketing organizations, including leadership roles in Organic Growers of Michigan (OGM) and Michigan Thumb Organics (MTO), among others.

He’s completed trainings in areas such as soil fertility, integrated pest management (IPM) and foliar crop feeding, and has presented to audiences across the U.S. and Canada. The Michigan Organic Food and Farming Alliance (MOFFA) recognized Joe with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 and with a Community Service Award in 2006.

Currently describing himself as “semi-retired,” Joe launched Bio-Systems II in 2020 and continues his work in agricultural consulting, advocacy and education with a special focus on local and regional food systems and farm practices that protect Michigan’s lakes and rivers. 

Joe and Kay have three daughters and six grandchildren, and live in Michigan’s Battle Creek/Marshall area.