Independent expertise for sustainable agriculture initiatives.
Inspection and consulting services for farms, businesses, certification organizations, and agricultural initiatives.
Independent inspection and audit services for certification organizations and agricultural businesses.
Organic inspections
Non-GMO audits
Regenerative Organic Certification inspections
EOV audits
Shadow inspections
Internal audits
Practical support for farms, brands, and agricultural businesses pursuing certification or strengthening their compliance systems.
Certification preparation
Compliance reviews
Audit preparation
Recordkeeping and documentation
Standard interpretation
Corrective action support
BUILT ON EXPERIENCE
Meadowlark is built on more than a decade of experience working across sustainable agriculture, certification, inspection, international development, and agricultural programming.
I've worked directly with producers and agricultural businesses, conducted inspections and audits, managed agricultural programs, and collaborated with government agencies, certification organizations, universities, and conservation partners in the U.S. and internationally.
That range of experience brings a practical perspective to every engagement, understanding both what standards require and what it takes to implement them in the real world.
Why Meadowlark
A meadowlark doesn't stay in one place.
It moves across fields, grasslands, and open landscapes, following the seasons and connecting different places along the way.
My work has taken me across farms, agricultural businesses, certification systems, and communities in the U.S. and abroad. I've worked from the field level to the program level, always looking at how agriculture fits within the larger landscape.
Meadowlark is a reflection of that perspective: grounded in agriculture, connected to place, and comfortable working across boundaries.
Practical by Design
Standards and certification can be complicated. The work of meeting them shouldn't be.
Meadowlark takes a practical, independent approach by helping clients understand requirements, identify what matters, and build systems that work in the real world.
Whether conducting an inspection or helping a business prepare for one, the goal is the same: clear expectations, sound documentation, and confidence in the process.
Meet the Founder
I'm Maclaine Sorden, founder of Meadowlark.
My career has taken me from working on farms in Iowa and serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nicaragua to agricultural program management, certification inspection, and consulting. Along the way, I've worked with producers, food businesses, certification organizations, government agencies, and agricultural initiatives across the U.S. and internationally.
My work has always been grounded in a simple idea: sustainable agriculture has to work in the real world. It has to work for the people producing food, the businesses moving it through the supply chain, and the communities and landscapes that support it.
Credentials & Qualifications
Organic Inspector
Non-GMO Project Auditor
Regenerative Organic Certified Inspector
Ecological Outcome Verification Auditor
Agritourism Consultant
Ccototaki, Peru
M.S. Sustainable Agriculture | Master of Landscape Architecture
Iowa State University
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security Peace Corps Volunteer
Matagalpa, Nicaragua