Who We Are

Founded in 2003, Apple Leaf LLC was established to provide essential services and unbiased information, helping growers manage their production and meet market and consumer demands.

Integrity and objectivity are the cornerstones of our business. As a private firm with no affiliations or ties to agriculture product-based companies, our mission is to deliver unbiased, real-time data to support our clients in effectively managing pests and commodities.

Rob Koch - Founder and Expert Consultant

Rob Koch, the founder of Apple Leaf LLC, brings over 15 years of experience as a Project Manager, Integrated Pest Management scout, and Food Safety Project Lead. He has extensive expertise working with fresh and processed fruits, vegetables, hops, and herbs in various settings. Rob has collaborated with conservation districts, international governments, federal agencies, private businesses, and NGOs on agriculture, resource conservation, endangered species, and wildlife/fisheries projects.

Rob is a highly qualified consultant and auditor for both non-GFSI (LIVE, Salmon Safety, NOP-Organic Standards, FSMA, Tesco, PRIMUS Non-GFSI) and GFSI (SQF, BRC, GlobalGAP, PRIMUSGFS) schemes, as well as HACCP, food safety training, risk assessment development, and food security. He has advanced Lead Auditor and HACCP training and a strong background in policy writing. Rob has consulted on both organic and conventional crops, including specialty, greenhouse, Christmas trees, row crops, permaculture, and agriculture production.

Rob holds a bachelor's degree in science from Iowa State University (1995) and a master's degree in science from Bard Center for Environmental Policy (2004), where his thesis focused on measuring Integrated Pest Management tools used for 22 different commodities.