MINNEAPOLIS – Two southwest Minnesota organic farmers have been charged for a $46 million organic grain fraud scheme. Accused in federal court: James C. Wolf, 65, of Jeffers, and Adam C. Olson, 45, of Windom. The criminal complaint says the massive fraud involved claiming crops as organic when actually they had been grown with chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Organic crops command higher prices. Wolf lost his organic certification in 2020 and was charged earlier. In expanding the charge now, prosecutors said Olson, also a certified organic farmer, then helped Wolf sell grains under false pretenses. This involved documenting sales with a copy of his National Organics Program certification, the complaint said.
