Stuart Hill is one of the pioneers, if not the first, to present a Ph.D. (1969) on whole ecosystem studies, focusing on the interrelationships of community and energy flow in agriculture. A clear and compelling voice in the 70s and 80s, he spoke at numerous conferences and events within the growing natural-farming movement, captivating large audiences of young people returning to the land and helping them understand the complexity and elegance of natural cycles. He served on the Institute’s board for over a decade, offering thoughtful critique and encouragement as he untangled and reassembled the soil-plant-animal relationships that inspired the Institute’s research to ground organic theory and practice in sound science—without compromising its holistic principles. Stu is still happily active on our Board.

Win was an extension agronomist in New England who, early in his career, reached across the aisle to invite organic farming advocates to be recognized and even speak at official agronomy events, during a time when organic farming was often dismissed out of hand. In recognition of his efforts, NOFA presented him with an award for being a key figure in advancing organic agriculture in New England. For the young Woods End Institute, Win was an invaluable Board member and a challenging advocate, always striving to balance the viewpoints of conventional science extension with the interests of growers embracing new farming trends. He insisted that no perspective be left out simply for not fitting conventional wisdom. Win was posthumously honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Bob is another one of the early voices in the field, with his 1978 Ph.D. thesis becoming the foundation for the widely recognized textbook Organic Agriculture: Economic and Ecological Comparisons, published by Wiley and favorably reviewed in Science in 1979 in a time that scientists shunned organic. He introduced original math models to elucidate the social and marginal costs of changing farm practices to organic, aligning with the groundbreaking results of the CBNS study at Washington University, which demonstrated the enhanced economic efficiencies of organic farming—challenging the popular dogma of the time. It was the same time that Amish Agriculture was found to be so energy-efficient. As a welcome member of the Board, Bob played a key role in encouraging testing and defending unconventional theories in economics and biology, supporting the alternative agriculture movement.

Mary was a visionary scientist known for her remarkable ability to "think like a microbe." She left Hahnemann University Medical Microbiology to join the Woods End Institute and lab team, pioneering new methods for what she affectionately referred to as “weird microbiology.” The early struggles in developing reliable compost microbiology tests, led Mary to address deep challenges such as non-culturability, microbial mutation, heat survival mechanisms, and plasmid-borne pathogenicity in compost systems. These insights shifted our understanding of microbe behavior and influenced our approach to soil health, a much misunderstood field. Mary’s curiosity about aerobic versus anaerobic metabolic pathways helped redefine standards for compost quality. Her work also contributed to Brinton’s Ph.D. award for semi-anaerobic processes in composts—a critical reexamination of the myths surrounding “aerobic” methods since microbes are multi-functional. Mary’s technical expertise with agars also facilitated the development of the Solvita gel system for detecting microbial gases.

Joseph Forgacs was a pioneering mycologist and iconoclast. In a 1966 Science article, he revealed that tobacco-curing methods allowed Alternaria mold spores and mycelia to proliferate and when aerosolized as fungal smoke caused emphysema and other lung diseases in mice. This was a year after aflatoxin was first discovered. In 1974, Will Brinton sought Joseph’s help investigating sudden chick death linked to feeding organically-grown grains. This marked the start of a long collaboration. Together they worked on cultural methods in Maine to identify the presence of mold spores in feed grains and to extract mycotoxins present. This groundbreaking work was a wake-up call to the burgeoning organic grain world and ahead of its time. Joseph’s mentorship inspired Will to work on grain harvest and storage conditions and contributed to studies on grain respiration. This lead ultimately to the invention of a mold-respiration test validated by Iowa State University —an innovation realized 20 years later, later the Solvita soil test.

Henri Bortoft — physicist, philosopher, and educator - bridged science and philosophy. His University of London thesis, "A Non-reductionist Perspective for Quantum Theory," and his influential book, Wholeness in Nature, proposed a comprehensive and holistic approach to science that complements traditional reductive methods. Henri’s perspective drawing on other great works like Goodwin and Bohm addressed a critical gap in modern science, offering a methodology for deeper understanding rather than outright rejecting established principles. Henri and Will Brinton met at a Columbia University colloquium and established a long-lasting relationship as Henri led summer retreats in New England, exploring emergent properties, relevant to describing soil health, rather than only using mechanistic tools. His insights deeply shaped the Institute’s research direction, inspiring new pathways for science that embrace interconnectedness and expand its potential. Henri’s legacy continues to influence the future of scientific inquiry.

Marjorie Spock, raised in New Haven, Connecticut, with siblings including the renowned Dr. Benjamin Spock, was a Columbia University graduate who studied Philosophy and Eurythmy in Europe under Rudolf Steiner post-World War I. After returning to the U.S., she blended childhood education with biodynamic farming and gardening.

Marjorie’s trajectory shifted dramatically in 1957 as the USDA began DDT spraying across NY, without notice. It impacted towns, villages and farms. Experiencing the consequences to food growing, Marjorie and her philanthropic partner, Mary T. Richards, initiated a landmark legal challenge to the USDA, invoking the 5th and 14th Amendments. Not widely known at the time, the case drew the close attention of Rachel Carson, who was motivated by the evidence submitted (33 Volumes) to write Silent Spring, a foundational text in environmental literature. Marjorie co-founded a biodynamic farm in Chester, New York with E.E. Pfeiffer, and after his death, relocated to the pure location of Maine’s Frenchman’s Bay. Here while farming she supported the germinal scientific effort that became Will Brinton’s Woods End Laboratory.

Peter was a rare find as a collaborator in our early research. As an assistant professor in landscape ecology at the University of Pennsylvania, he worked with world-renowned landscape architect Ian J. McHarg— who virtually invented ecological landscape design. Peter was pursuing the ‘minimal intervention’ field, exploring how naturally occurring successional plant communities could be incorporated into landscape management programs, to allow nature’s regenerative processes to work for us - a view well ahead of its time.

Thus, he segued into our early on-farm research project studying the degeneration of timothy-alfalfa swards as influenced by natural soil amendments and crop rotations on a biodynamic dairy farm. We observed strong indirect effects of selected soil treatments on plant diversity which then influenced disease and longevity. This work significantly broadened our insight into soil management and helped the local organic farmers who chose minimal subsidies of exogenous resources for successful farming— the Institute’s core focus.

Maria was an extraordinary biochemist and mentor whose work significantly advanced the understanding of human nutrition and the metabolism of trace elements, particularly copper. Her textbook, Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism, remains one of the finest in the field and was possibly the first to highlight the profound impact of farming and food processing methods on nutritional value.

A passionate advocate for organic and biodynamic agriculture, Maria was known for her courageous support of these approaches in both food and animal farming. As a skilled metabolic scientist, she challenged the assumptions of mechanistic genetic models underlying gene manipulation. She argued that whole organisms exhibit multiple pathways for genetic expression, raising important questions about the sustainability and viability of current GMO techniques.

Maria was a cornerstone of rigorous, reasoned science at organic and biodynamic meetings, where, over the decades, Will Brinton engaged in deep discussions with her and visited her lab in California. She was always generous with her insights, offering guidance whenever asked.