As a policy associate, I support the Center’s work to lift up producers and rural communities through policy advocacy and outreach. My work is rooted in Nebraska, where I focus on agriculture and conservation policy.
As a seventh-generation farmer, I have a deep respect for the work the Center does in rural communities across Nebraska. My work as a diversified vegetable and pasture poultry producer brought me into contact with the Center at multiple points throughout the years. At each point, the Center staff were talented partners who offered professional expertise. Keeping a connection to the land and the food my family eats is important to me, so I have always balanced work as a farmhand or farmer with other professional roles. I appreciate that the Center holds the same values.
I grew up in a rural community on the High Plains along the South Platte River, where my family has been farming since they received their land via the Homestead Act. I was encouraged to leave the farm and go to college, and at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), I found new ways to invest in my roots and grow my passion for conservation, studying ecology with an agronomy/horticulture focus. Throughout my time in eastern Nebraska, I have worked at UNL laboratories specializing in soybean genetics and plant pathology and was able to work in every county in Nebraska that produces soybeans. In my most recent role with the city of Lincoln, I helped develop the Lincoln Local Food Master Plan and the Lincoln Biochar Initiative. My work has touched on many aspects of our food system, including production, soil health, policy, conservation, and access.
My wife and I live in Lincoln’s Mount Emerald Historic District just three blocks east of Lincoln’s original plat, where we steward a century home and help neighbors grow food and native landscapes through the Antelope Gardeners’ Alliance. We love raising our daughter in a neighborhood where everyone looks out for each other. Outside of all things plants, I enjoy hiking and hunting in the Sandhills, Loess Hills, and along the Great Plain’s many beautiful rivers.
Q&A
Do you have any hidden talents?
I have often heard that “every farmer must be an amateur mechanic, welder, etc. …” One skill I grew to be more than an amateur at through work around the farm is carpentry. I started to save money by knocking out structural projects around the home and homestead and developed a love for woodworking. On top of repairs and utilitarian builds, I built my family our own wood-burning Finnish sauna that we enjoy regularly, and I am preparing to build my daughter a tree house.
Are you a morning person or a night owl, and what is your favorite thing about that time of day?
I love the peace of the mornings; having a clear mind and a cup of coffee is my favorite daily ritual. I also love early morning hikes and hunts – it’s where to catch all the best views and action.
What book has impacted you the most?
Aldo Leopold’s “A Sand County Almanac” was foundational to my understanding of our place in the natural world. Aldo lived to see and document the “taming” of the North American forests and prairies – he gives us a glimpse of what we’ve lost and can work to rebuild.
