From Organic Farming to a Nationwide Food Network: David Stelzer of Azure Standard Ep. 124

<p>In this episode of the <em>Acres U.S.A. Podcast</em>, Taylor sits down with David Stelzer, founder of Azure Standard, to hear the story behind one of the country’s largest organic food distribution networks.</p><p>David shares how his family’s journey into organic agriculture began in the 1960s after a dramatic change in diet helped restore his health—and how discovering what was being put on conventional seed pushed his father to leave chemical farming behind.</p><p>He takes us through the early days of Azure Standard, from delivering grain and flour in an old pickup truck to creating the company’s first catalog and developing the drop-point model that now serves communities across all 50 states. David also discusses the challenges of building a food distribution system outside the traditional supply chain and the unexpected role Y2K played in Azure’s growth.</p><p>The conversation dives into the biggest challenges facing organic and regenerative agriculture today, including the lack of domestic production, limited mid-sized processing infrastructure, and the need for private investment in regional food systems.</p><p>David will be speaking at Eco-Ag 2026 in Iowa City, December 1–4, focusing on how farmers can connect with consumers and build economically viable markets.</p><p><strong>Thank you to our Sponsors of Today’s Episode:</strong></p><p><strong>Azure Standard</strong>: <a href="https://www.azurestandard.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.azurestandard.com/</a></p><p><strong>American Farmland Trust</strong>: <a href="https://farmland.org/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://farmland.org/</a></p><p>Important Links from Today’s Episode:</p><p>Members site: <a href="https://members.acresusa.com" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://members.acresusa.com</a></p><p>Acres U.S.A. Memberships: <a href="https://eco-farming.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://eco-farming.com/</a></p><p>Eco-Ag 2026 Tickets: <a href="https://www.conference.acresusa.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.conference.acresusa.com/</a></p><p>Eco-Ag 2026 Exhibitor Information:<a href="https://conference.eco-ag.com/booth-selection-page-page" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://conference.eco-ag.com/booth-selection-page-page</a></p><p>Azure Standard Website: <a href="https://www.azurestandard.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.azurestandard.com/</a></p><p>Pre-Order ‘Seeds of Hope’ (David’s Book): <a href="https://www.seedsofhopebook.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.seedsofhopebook.com/</a></p><p><br /></p>