Tamara Benjamin, Purdue Extension
Tamara Benjamin works with small scale and beginning farmers helping them find ways to produce more sustainably through on farm planning tools.
DFFS Team: Assistant Program Leader, Agriculture and Natural Resources
Ashley Adair, Purdue Extension - Montgomery County
Ashley Adair is the Ag and Natural Resources Educator in Montgomery County. Her areas of interest include cover crops, small farms, local food, UAVs, and native plants. Recently she has been working on farm to school and school garden projects in the Crawfordsville area.
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
Brooke Alford, Purdue Extension - Marion County
Brooke Alford co-teaches the Urban Agriculture Certificate Program, Rainscaping and the Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing.
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
Katje Armentrout, Purdue Extension - Tippecanoe
Katje Armentrout is the Community Development Educator and County Extension Director in Tippecanoe County. She holds a PhD in American Studies from Purdue University, with research interests focusing on agricultural history, farmers markets and food studies, rural community development, and environmental sustainability.
DFFS Team: County Extension Director
Azad Chahal, Purdue Extension - LaPorte County
Azad Chahal holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from Penn State University. He works with small and mid-size farmers helping them find ways to diversifying their operations through farm planning tools
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
Phillip Cox, Purdue Extension - Vermillion County
Phillip Cox is the Agriculture & Natural Resources Educator in Vermillion County. He is on the Indiana Small Farm Conference team and has served on the Trade Show subcommittee for the past several years. He also coordinates programming that includes such topics as pesticide safety, native plants, invasive species, gardening, natural resources, farming, wildlife management, and forestry.
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
Meagan Diss, Purdue Extension - Vanderburgh County
Meagan Diss received a B.S. in Animal Science and Ag Business from Illinois State University along with a M.S. in Animal Science from Murray State University. Before coming to Purdue University, she worked for the University of Kentucky and is familiar with multiple facets of the agriculture industry. Meagan is passionate about integrating more agriculture into urban environments and connecting communities back to their roots.
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
Kwamena Quagrainie, Agricultural Economics
Kwamena Quagrainie holds a joint appointment in Agricultural Economics Dept (70%) and Forestry and Natural Resources Dept (30%). He is also affiliated with the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant program as Aquaculture Economist & Marketing Specialist. He works with the aquaculture / aquaponics industries in Illinois and Indiana, aquaculture producers, aquaculture associations, distributors, restaurants, and consumers to develop viable markets for Indiana and Illinois farm-raised aquaculture products.
DFFS Team: Aquaculture / Aquaponics Economist and Marketing Specialist
Sara Dzimianski, Purdue Extension - Perry County
Sara Dzimianski is the Purdue Extension Educator for Agriculture and Natural Resources based in Perry County, and serves statewide as a sheep and goat specialist. Her primary areas of interest are dairy goat management, and parasite management in sheep and goat production. She also coordinates programming that includes such topics as pesticide safety, beekeeping, beef production, invasive species management, and gardening.
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
Miranda Edge, Purdue Extension - Harrison County
Miranda Edge, is an ANR Extension Educator and will have worked in Harrison County for 9 years this October (2019). I work with farmers markets and am considered an expert in market management and food safety.
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
Wenjing Guan, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Wenjing Guan is a horticultural specialist. Her research and extension programs focus on developing and delivering sustainable production practice for vegetable, melon, and strawberry production. She is an expert in vegetable grafting
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
Sarah Hanson, Purdue Extension - Johnson County
Sarah Hanson is the Ag and Natural Resources Educator in Johnson County. She is on the Indiana Small Farm Conference team (serving on the Content subcommittee). Her areas of interest include gardening, small farms, local food, and native plants. Recently she has been working on community garden projects.
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
John Hawley, Purdue Extension - Dearborn County
John Hawley is based in Dearborn County and serves statewide as a Farm to School specialist. He also coordinates programming that includes such topics as agricultural communications, backyard poultry, pest control, and gardening.
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
Mathias Ingle, Purdue Extension - Howard County
Mathias Ingle is the Ag & Natural Resources Extension Educator in Howard County (Kokomo, IN). Mathias is a newer educator to the group, starting in April of 2019. He coordinates the local programing on a local level to serve the community.
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
Laura Ingwell, Assistant Professor Horticulture Extension Entomology
Dr. Ingwell conducts research and creates resources for insect pest management on fruits and vegetables. Her areas of expertise include pest management in controlled environments, urban agriculture, biological control and insect exclusion techniques. She also leads the content organization for the Indiana Small Farm Conference.
DFFS Team: Asst. Professor, Purdue Entomology
Michele Jones, Purdue Extension - Morgan County
Michele Jones is based in Morgan County and is relatively new to Extension. She has a background in dairy farming and coordinates programming that includes gardening, vermicomposting, and soil health.
Mark Kepler, Purdue Extension - Fulton County
Mark Kepler is the Extension Educator in Fulton County. He is involved in livestock production both personally and professionally. He does programming for beginning livestock farmers in the area of beef, swine, goats and general pasture management.
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
Rebecca 'Becca' Koetz, Purdue Extension - Lake County
Rebbeca Koetz earned a BS in Wildlife and MS in Extension Education at Purdue University. She has been instrumental as the Project Coordinator for the The Nature of Teaching program offered through Forestry & Natural Resources.
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
Petrus Langenhoven, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Petrus Langenhoven is Horticulture and Hydroponics Crops Specialist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. His strong background in horticulture production research and Extension allows him to leverage research and Extension programming around new technologies and expertise in high tunnel and greenhouse management, and open field vegetable production. His skills propel him to engage in new crop development activities such as microgreens, personalized specialty cantaloupe, leafy amaranth, summer squash, sweet colored and chili pepper, and peppermint production.
DFFS Team: Horticulture and Hydroponic Crop Specialist
Liz Maynard, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Liz Maynard works with vegetable farmers on production issues in the field and high tunnel, including stand establishment, transplant production, cultural practices, irrigation, soil fertility and plant mineral nutrition, and variety selection.
DFFS Team: Clinical Engagement Assistant Professor
Karen Mitchell, Purdue Extension - Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Karen Mitchell is the Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. Karen’s passion for plants led her to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture and Master’s in Botany and Plant Pathology at Purdue University. She served as the Ag and Natural Resources Educator in Tippecanoe County for six years before transitioning onto campus where she is able to continue her statewide extension programming for community gardens and home horticulture.
DFFS Team: Extension Specialist
Amanda Moisman, Purdue Extension - Warrick County
Amanda Mosiman, Amanda’s DFFS expertise is aiding farm market masters and direct marketing vendors to understand proper food safety protocols and state / county regulations. She also enjoys aiding small livestock producers.
DFFS Team: Extension Specialist
Jeffery Pell, Purdue Extension - Hendricks County
Jeffery Pell is serving on the Exhibitors committee and the Content committee. He is working on planning an animal marketing tour for the first day of the conference and assisting in recruiting presenters for the youth track. In addition, He is working on the logistics of the Exhibitors part of the conference and serve as the liaison for non-stationed items for the booth.
DFFS Team: Extension Specialist
Rachel Rawls, County Extension Director - St. Joseph County
Rachel Rawls is the County Extension Director and ANR Educator in St. Joseph County. Her background is in horticulture and ag leadership. Among other things, Rachel provides a variety of educational opportunities for urban growers.
DFFS Team: County Extension Director
Bob Rode, Forestry and Natural Resources
DFFS Team: Aquaculture Research Lab Manager
Courtney Schmidt, County Extension Director - Miami County
Courtney Schmidt serves as the Agricultural & Natural Resource & Health & Human Sciences Educator in Miami County. She holds an Indiana casualty and property insurance license and has experience working with commercial and agribusiness clients in risk management.
DFFS Team: County Extension Director
Nathan Shoaf, Urban Agriculture State Coordinator
Nathan Shoaf, has worked on soil, groundwater and vapor intrusion contamination issues for remediation sites as a field technician, consultant and regulatory agency project manager. In addition, he has worked with community gardens and urban agricultural projects on improving soil health and safety using organic amendments such as composts, biosolids and biochar.
DFFS Team: Urban Agriculture
Brooke Stafford, Graduate Assistant, Tippecanoe County
DFFS Team: Graduate Assistant
Terri Theisen, Purdue Extension - Allen County
Terri Theisen, is an Urban Agriculture Educator for Purdue Extension – Allen County. Terri has experience with a variety of small-scale, diversified farming operations in urban and rural environments and has a passion for local foods.
DFFS Team: Urban Agriculture
Laurynn Thieme, Purdue Extension - Delaware County
Laurynn Thieme serves as the Agricultural & Natural Resource Educator in Delaware County, providing programming, expertise, and researched based knowledge to the local community and community agencies focusing on the areas of natural resource conservation, urban agriculture, horticulture, and environmental stewardship.
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
Beth Vansickle, Purdue Extension - Madison County
Beth Vansickle is based in Madison County. She coordinates programming that includes such topics on gardening, beginning livestock and production livestock.
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
Andrew Westfall, Purdue Extension - White County
Andrew Westfall is the Agriculture & Natural Resources Educator in White County. He helps large and mid-sized farmers who are interested in diversifying their operation, as well as beginning farmers who are getting started with small scale production.
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
James Wolff, Purdue Extension - Allen County
James Wolff is the Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator in Allen County. He works with a variety of agricultural issues and focuses on beginning farmers, farmers markets, urban agriculture, site assessment, and hops production.
DFFS Team: Extension Educator
Amy Shambach, Forestry and Natural Resources
Amy Shambach is Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant's (IISG) aquaculture marketing outreach associate who works with the aquaculture industry in the USDA’s North Central Regional Aquaculture Center. Her work focuses on the demand side of domestic farm raised seafood products. She provides outreach and extension services to producers, potential producers, and consumers. Along with Dr. Kwamena Quagrainie, producers, aquaculture associations, and consumers she works to determine the needs of stakeholders.
DFFS Team: Aquaculture Marketing Outreach Associate