48 January | February 2026 abasto.com BY ABASTO T he Organic Grower Summit named Arnott Duncan, founder of Duncan Family Farms, the 2025 Grower of the Year. The award, sponsored by John Deere, re- cognized his three-decade evolution from a small agritourism operation into an or- ganic agriculture innovator farming 3,850 acres across three states. A discovery that defined a career Duncans path to organic leadership began in the 1990s. While managing a farm stand and petting zoo that welcomed 30,000 chil- dren a year in Goodyear, Arizona, Duncan and his wife, Kathleen, composted daily waste from animals and farm operations. I didnt know it at the time, but it was compost, Duncan said. When they used the pile as fertilizer, he added, It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. The colors were vibrant and the texture was incredible. You couldnt see more perfect growth, and the flavor and texture were fantastic. That discovery cemented his commit- ment to soil health and organic production. He fully converted the operation and earned complete organic certification in 1994. Organic Future: Arnott Duncan Drives a New Agricultural Era Duncan Family Farms founder receives 2025 Grower of the Year award Duncan has built a reputation as an innovative leader advancing compost- based soil health. Matt Jungmann | Senior director of events at Farm Progress Community impact beyond the farm Beyond production, Duncan Family Farms donates more than 10,000 pounds of fresh organic produce each week to food banks, partners with schools to provide free organic salad programs and hosts educational days for new farmers. The operation supplies retai- lers including Sprouts Farmers Market and Albertsons/Safeway. Duncan received the award during the 2025 Organic Grower Summit in Monterey, California, an event that brings together growers and industry leaders to examine trends and innovations in organic agriculture. Innovation reshaping the fields Today, Duncan Family Farms operates one of the largest private composting facilities in the Southwest. The company processes 25,000 tons annually from manure, retai- ler food scraps and municipal green waste. Facilities in Arizona, Oregon and New York produce organic leafy greens, microgreens, melons, herbs and specialty vegetables. Duncan has also advanced water con- servation through automated greenhou- ses using Agbotic technology, which cuts water use by 90% compared with tradi- tional methods. The farm integrates cover crops, reduced tillage and laser weeding to achieve organic matter levels above the re- gional average. Arnott Duncan of Duncan Family Farms accepts the award from Greg Christensen of John Deere. AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY