Angela is the proud owner of HIdden Hill Farms in Auburn Kansas, an agritourism farm where she is dedicated to conservation, no till and regenerative practices in growing grass fed / finished beef, pastured poultry, produce and more.
Carmen McKee,
wife, mother of three adult sons, and grandmother to three healthy, happy and adorable grandchildren is a commercial gourmet garlic and honey FarmHer of three years; a hospital Chaplain of 20 years; an Educator of 25 years; and Author of several booklets. She currently resides and grows in the beautiful city of Gary, Indiana.
Carmen is the manager and curator behind Oases Botanic Gardens, a themed agritourism healing space that features edible flowers, herbs, gourmet garlic, and agriculture related educational opportunities.
Doug Spencer serves as the state grazing specialist for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Kansas. He provides NRCS personnel and the producers they serve with statewide leadership, technical guidance, and training on grassland and livestock management related practices, programs, and activities. Some of the most rewarding portions of his 25-year career with the agency has been working and learning alongside producers seeking resource-based solutions. Awards include the USDA-NRCS Rangeland Conservationist of the Year in 2020 and the Hugh Hammond Bennett Northern Plai
People didn’t use the term “cover crop” 50 years ago, but the Smiths were growing one.
Like his father and grandfather before him, Jimmy Smith grows rye as a companion to cotton. What some would call an innovation has long been considered a necessity in western Oklahoma. The year-round presence of a living root retains precious moisture in a drought-prone region and prevents wind erosion of sandy soils.
Ariel Greenwood works with her husband Sam Ryerson and daughter Helen managing a commercial cow operation on a high-elevation leased ranch in northeastern New Mexico. She has also worked on ranches in California and Montana, and is interested in how developing our understanding of pasture and range hydrology can support progressive ranch management and make operations more resilient to erratic weather and drought.
Jeff and Jolene Steffen farm around 600 acres in Northeast Nebraska about 10 miles south of the South Dakota border. About 500 of these acres are row crops. They currently grow Corn, Oats, Soybeans, Buckwheat, Cereal Rye and Peas for cash crops. They also graze Cow Calf pairs on full season annual cover crops and winter graze cover crops and crop residue. They have been continuous no-till for 30 plus years but only in the last 10 years have they really concentrated on soil health with cover crops being implemented on the entire farm.
Austin Schweizer is a 5th generation farmer from Sterling, KS. After graduating from Fort Hays State University (FHSU) in 2016 with a degree in agronomy he returned home to his family farm. Austin started farming with no-til and regenerative practices on the rented acres he farmed. Working with his family’s farm they have continued to incorporate and adopt regenerative practices in their operation.
Will Stutterheim, LCP, is a Fort Hays State University Instructor with over 20 years of experience in mental health therapy and education. Will grew up on a multi-generation farm in northwest Kansas. As a child, he saw the struggles and stress his parents went through when they were required to leave the farm during tough times. This experience inspired Will to become a therapist in hopes of helping others manage struggles and stressors throughout their life. Will received his Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from Fort Hays State University in 2003. After graduating, Will worke
