2024 ISPC Speakers

Michelle Miller - The Farm Babe

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig

Carly Strauser

Carly Strauser is a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture at Iowa State University. She is working with Dr. Ajay Nair, studying sustainable weed management with a research project focused on tarping for vegetable production systems.

Dr. Suzanne Slack

Dr. Suzanne Slack joined the Horticulture faculty at Iowa State University in late 2021 specializing in fruit production. She received her PhD from Michigan State in 2020; her dissertation topic was on the tree fruit disease fire blight. Dr. Slack’s new fruit program at Iowa State aims to improve fruit production in Iowa.

Naomi Friend

Naomi Friend owns and operates a specialty cut flower farm, Friend's Flowers, with her husband Andrew. The farm is just north of Ames, Iowa. They began their farm with the purchase of their homestead in 2013. Naomi graduated with an MFA in painting and photography in 2013 from Iowa State and uses the flower farm as an expression of her artwork, which is about farming and the land. She is a self-taught farmer florist but many of the principals of art and design carry over into floristry.

Mark Wenzel

Founders Mark and Teri Wenzel’s enjoyment of bubbly during the early years of August Hill Winery/Illinois Sparkling Co. sparked Mark’s recognition that the grapes in their vineyard had similarities of high acidity and low tannins to those in the French Champagne region.  Even though the grapes are not the same varieties used in Champagne, the winemaking method is.  Mark’s passion for bubbly has evolved from the Traditional Method to Petillant Natural, Piquette, and Carbonated Wines.  To this date, Mark and his team continue to learn and share their resources and knowledge with other wineries to give consumers more great Midwest bubbly.  

Randall Vos

Randall is the Commercial Fruit Crops Field Specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach where he provides technical assistance to fruit growers throughout the state. He has a wide range of experience in fruit production. Prior to working in Extension, Randall taught production horticulture courses and served as the Coordinator for the Mid-American Wine Competition at Des Moines Area Community College.

Beth Romer

Beth Romer joined the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship in 2022 as Choose Iowa Program Director. Choose Iowa is the state’s signature brand for Iowa food and beverages that are grown, raised or made within Iowa. Choose Iowa also offers cost-share grants which leverage additional private investment to increase or diversify agricultural product offerings, expand markets and shorten the supply chain.

Andy Kellner

Andy works in the Wildlife Bureau of the Iowa Deparment of Natural Resources assisting farmers, landowners, and cities with wildlife conflict.

Paul Rasch

Paul is a fourth generation fruit grower. He is the owner and operator, alongside his wife and two children, of Wilson's Orchard and Farm in Iowa City, IA.

Christa Hartsook

Christa provides technical assistance to small farmers and acreage owners, and conducts outreach and education on value-added agriculture topics. She is the Iowa SARE coordinator and has served as a grant reviewer for USDA for many years.

Jeff Sindelar

Jeff Sindelar grows honeyberries and many other perennial fruits on his three acre farm near Newhall, Iowa.

Bloomsbury Farm

Dave and Karen Petersen are the 5th generation on their farm and started Bloomsbury Farm in the early 90's as a small floral and landscaping business along with their traditional farming operation. Over the years, they transformed the farm into an agritourism destination for all to enjoy. Their daughters, Jess and Sammy, now work full time with Dave and Karen to continue to grow and expand their farm, sharing their home with the community.

Daniel Ossian

Daniel produces educational video programs for Iowa State University CALS and other departments across campus.

Dan Fillius

Dan Fillius is the statewide field specialist for commercial vegetables and specialty crops with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Before joining Extension, Fillius grew organic vegetables for 13 years including stints managing the Michigan State University Student Organic Farm and 140 acres of vegetables at Featherstone Farm.

Stephanie Neppl

Stephanie Neppl is a Tourism Liaison for the Iowa Tourism Office, part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. This role sees Stephanie working with communities and visitor related businesses and organizations to help connect them to state marketing tools and initiatives. She is also the IEDA representative on the Iowa Wine, Beer, and Spirits Promotion Board.

She previously spent 8 years working in Economic Development in roles in Iowa and Missouri. Before that, Stephanie spent 12 years working overseas, including 8 years in New Zealand working in the tourism and major sporting event industries in a range of PR and communication roles.

Originally from Estherville, Stephanie is based in Sibley and works remotely for the Iowa Tourism Office.

Dr. Leslie Holland

Leslie's research focuses on the biology, epidemiology and management of pathogens affecting fruit production in Wisconsin, primarily in cranberry, apple, grape, and strawberry. The goal of her extension program is to optimize and deliver integrated disease management approaches that support the productivity and sustainability of fruit crop production.

Julia McGuire

Julia McGuire has had honey bees since 2011 and taught beekeeping since 2013. The creator of BeeLaws.org and A Phenology Planner for Beekeepers, and A Beekeeper's Year (prairie edition), she currently keeps bees at a flower farm in beautiful Madison County.

Eric Jellum

Eric began farming in 1998 after moving to Iowa from Washington State, where he worked for Washington State University for 20 years at an agricultural research station in Puyallup (near Seattle). During that time he got his Masters in Soil Science from Washington State University. He currently farms 160 acres in North Central Iowa together with his brother.

Andrea Evelsizer

Andrea Evelsizer is the Executive Director for the non-profit; Healthy Harvest of North Iowa. She has been working to support the local food system for the past ten years in various capacities including food system development, marketing, sales, and farm to school, agri-tourism and farmers market development. She was a founding co-chair of the Clear Lake Farmers Market and managed the first north central Iowa food hub/multi-farm community supported agriculture (CSA) program.

Aude Watrelot

Dr. Aude Watrelot is an Assistant Professor and Extension specialist of Enology in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University. Dr. Watrelot’s research area is fruit, grape and wine tannin and polysaccharide chemistry and their relationship with wine quality. Dr. Watrelot graduated with a PhD degree in Food Science from the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) and the University of Avignon in France. Following graduation, Dr. Watrelot moved to California both at CSU Fresno and UC Davis to keep conducting research into polyphenol-macromolecular interactions on red wine chemistry. At ISU, she is currently conducting research and developing Extension programs on understanding viticultural and winemaking practices that could maximize phenolics extraction and improve wine quality. She had developed extension programs such as webinars, workshops, field days, articles to answer the growing wine industry in Iowa and in the Midwest.  She is currently serving as the chair elect for the American Society of Enology and Viticulture – Eastern Section (ASEV-ES) and as the vice-president for the Groupe Polyphenols.

Drew Horton

Drew Horton has been active in the wine industry for over 20 years having started as a wine salesman, he then worked up the wine production ladder from cellar rat to cellarmaster and eventually winemaker starting in 2004.  With a BA in Anthropology and early career experience working in kitchens, Drew brings a unique perspective at the intersection of food, culture, and of course wine.  He produced award-winning wines in Santa Barbara County, California before moving to Minnesota in 2010 where he began working with cold-hardy, hybrid grapes as founding winemaker for Chankaska Creek Winery. In 2015, Drew moved from commercial winemaking to research winemaking and providing outreach as a field specialist enologist for the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

As Enology Specialist for the University of Minnesota’s Grape Breeding & Enology Project Drew produces nearly 100 micro-lots of research wine and ciders annually, as well he engages with and provides University and Extension resources to winemakers across the state. This includes trouble-shooting, planning, and evaluating winemaking processes for Minnesota’s Farm Wineries.  Drew has broad experience and expertise in winery design and equipment, fermentation techniques, barrel-ageing, filtration and blending. 

Justin M. Glisan

Dr. Glisan has an extensive background in atmospheric and climatological research, with expertise in the analysis of extreme temperature and precipitation events. He earned his B.S. (2005) and M.S. (2007) in meteorology at the University of Missouri, where he concentrated on droughts and heat waves. In 2012, he completed his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences at Iowa State University with a research concentration on the dynamical causal mechanisms of precipitation and temperature extremes. While at Iowa State University, his research had a strong academic collaboration across a broad range of federally funded projects. His work experience includes advanced atmospheric research techniques, large data machine learning, and statistical analysis.

As State Climatologist of Iowa, his responsibilities include quality control of Iowa weather observations, weekly recommendations to the U.S. Drought Monitor, and weekly and monthly climate summaries for state stakeholders. Iowa weather and climate observations go back to 1872 and represent the history of weather across the state. These observations help tell the story of Iowa agriculture and how resilient and innovative the state’s farmers are and have been. Looking at how trends in precipitation and temperature are changing and applying this climatological analyses through the lens of agriculture is also a very important part of the position. Dr. Glisan advises the Secretary of Agriculture on climatological matters impacting the agricultural sector.

Sharon Badilla Arias

Sharon Badilla Arias is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Mark Gleason’s and Dr. Gwyn Beattie’s labs. She received a B.Sc. and Licentiateship degree in agronomy from the University of Costa Rica. Her interests are IPM and biocontrol. Her Ph.D. research focuses on studying mesotunnel systems –a physical barrier to reduce plant exposure to the vector of Serratia marcescens- in terms of pollination and weed control under organic production in the Midwest, and biocontrol of Erwinia tracheiphila, such as bacterial candidates and bacteriophages.

Erin Norton

Erin joined the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute in December 2015 and is currently the Associate Director.  Erin’s background in chemistry eventually led her to studies in viticulture and enology and before coming to Iowa she worked 7 harvest seasons around the world. Erin finished her PhD in food science in 2022 at Iowa State University.  At the MGWII Erin is responsible for all research and outreach activities.

Rebecca Ritz

Rebecca is passionate about the wine industry and making it easier for businesses to achieve their goals.

In 2008, she blended two of her loves – design and wine – and began to focus on helping wine brands tell their brand story. Rebecca specializes in integrating this brand story and strategy into print, packaging, digital marketing, and website design and development to stand out from the

competition.

She prides herself on providing tangible takeaways that owners and marketing managers can apply to their specific winery. When not speaking, she partners with wineries and vineyards around the country to create unforgettable brands with strategy and heart.

Her free 7 week email course entitled “Sell More Wine” has helped hundreds of wineries discover how branding and digital marketing can play an integral role in increasing their bottom line.

Bauerhaus Design is a member of the Wine Industry Network, Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association, and the Women of the Vine & Spirits, an organization dedicated to the support and advancement of women in the alcohol beverage industry.

Jessica O’Riley

Jessica O’Riley has been with the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) since 2007. In her capacity as Communications Manager for the Iowa Tourism Office, she works with travel writers, reporters and editors on Iowa-related stories by pitching ideas, fact checking and providing photos. She also manages the Office’s influencer program, coordinates the annual Iowa Travel Guide, provides media relations for the Enhance Iowa program and oversees the Tourism Office’s Co-operative Advertising program. An Iowa State University graduate, Jessica spent nine years in the Iowa State Fair’s Marketing Department before joining IEDA.

Zach Cassidy

Zach is the Central Iowa Land Scout for the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT). He is responsible for finding prospective landowners in Polk County and the surrounding area who wish to leave a legacy of sustainable table food farming to Iowa.

Kristine Lang

Kristine Lang holds a Ph.D. in Horticulture and Sustainable Agriculture from Iowa State University. Her horticultural career has included working in private-sector, university, and nonprofit organizations across four Midwestern states. Kristine is currently based in Brookings, SD. She works state-wide and collaborates with South Dakota farmers, gardeners, and organizations to conduct research and outreach on Northern Plains high tunnel management, suitable cut flowers for South Dakota, and integration of cover crops and tillage reduction practices for vegetable production.

Michelle & Hope Hartman

Cathy & Dennis Carlson started the Carlson Tree Farm in 1982 & over the years they have expanded the tree farm into 17 acres while working with 3 generations of their family. Michelle Hartman, the oldest Carlson daughter, has helped incorporate social media & sharing the story of the farm. At the Carlson Tree Farm we sell you a priceless family experience & you go home with a Christmas tree or wreath.

Jenica Johnson & Jamie David

The Iowa Small Business Development Centers offer personalized, confidential, and no-cost business counseling to small business owners and entrepreneurs in Iowa. Jenica is the Regional Director for the Mid-Iowa SBDC and Jamie is the Regional Director for the South Central Iowa SBDC.

Karen Mahoney

Karen has been working for Center Grove Orchard for six years. In those six years she has been able to help with many different tasks, her focus has been on employment, volunteers, H2A workers and helping with food growth. Her background in the last 30 years has been working with employment and financials, so her past experience has helped Center Grove achieve their goals in multiple areas.

Harold Hill

Harold is an ISU grad with B.S. in Ag. Business, M.S. in Ag. Econ. He worked for ISU Extension in northern Iowa for 3 years, then returned to his home farm. In 1982, they planted their first Christmas Trees at the encouragement of a college friend who was raising Christmas Trees. They started with Scotch Pines, and are now growing two kinds of Pines, two kinds of Spruce, and four kinds of Firs. They also bring in two additional species of firs as pre-cuts. They have about 10 acres of trees, and sell 6-800 trees per year.

Ashley Kaldenberg

Ashley created Kaldenblooms in 2021 after moving to Albia back to her husbands family farm. Ashley works full time off the farm for a ag cooperative. Kaldenblooms focuses on fresh cut flowers with an emphasis on gathering people for creative events.

Lynette Wineland

Lynette owns and operates Jester Hill Farm North of Grimes. Always an avid lover of flowers and gardening Lynette opened the You-Pick flower farm 3 years ago, with her husband, Mike, after her hobby turned into something more. Lynette also has a full-time career as an event planner.

Kitt Tovar - Jensen

Kitt is a Staff Attorney at the Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation at Iowa State University. She focuses on areas of agricultural law including farm succession planning, environmental law, and farm policy. Kitt also manages the Beginning Farmer Center.

Spencer Nelsen

A Nebraska native, Spencer attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln focusing on human-wildlife conflict and spent 17 years working with a diverse group of agricultural producers in Nebraska. For a change of scenery, Spencer and his family moved to Alaska for 10 years where he assisted the aviation industry in mitigating risks from wildlife collisions with aircraft. Spencer recently moved to Iowa hoping to reconnect with his agricultural background. Throughout his career he has focused on the practical application of integrated wildlife damage management and helping real people find real solutions to real problems.

Jordan Lyon

Jordan is the wholesale manager for Buser’s Produce, a farm that has been active in melon production since the late 1800s, in Conesville, Iowa.

Greg Rinehart

Greg Rinehart, a graduate of Iowa State University, has farmed for 50 years NW of Boone. After raising cattle, hogs, corn, soybeans, and hay for 20 years, he transitioned the farm to a diversified vegetable and grain operation. Greg, Polly, and their 10 children have worked together to sell a variety of fresh produce from the farm to consumers at the Des Moines Downtown Farmers’ Market, Boone Farmers’ Market, local restaurants, and grocery stores. For the past three years, Greg and his family have developed a farmers’ market at their home farm each Saturday morning. He features his sweet corn, tomatoes, asparagus, and green beans. The Rinehart Family Farm has had the privilege to host several journalists for various newspaper and magazine articles as well as radio interviews.

Mark Stumpenhorst

Mark started using irrigation on his own fruit and vegetable farm in 1984. The irrigation business, Hooks Point Irrigation, developed out of a need for irrigation supplies in Iowa. Mark has designed irrigation systems from small gardens to 480 acre fields.

Andy Farmer

Andy has owned and operated Northeastern Vine Supply with his wife India since 2002.  We grow, pack and ship grapevines of cold hardy varieties from our farm in Vermont to commercial and hobby growers around the country.  In addition to their grapevine nursery production, we also maintain 8 acres of “mother block” vineyard with over 40 named and un-named varieties of grapes that supplies our nursery with budwood and grapes for wine production, as well as hi tunnel table grapes for the local market.  They feel fortunate to have worked with growers from challenging climates as diverse as maritime and mountain areas of the East, the Upper Midwest and Plains, and the high deserts of the Intermountain region, and they apply that experience to helping growers match grape variety, site, and their goals.

Stephan Sommer

Dr. Sommer joined the Grape and Wine Institute at the University of Missouri in August 2022. He is the enology program leader and provides extension support for all wineries in the State of Missouri. Prior to moving to Missouri, he was the Director of the Viticulture and Enology Research Center at California State University Fresno. As Director of VERC, he provided research and administrative leadership by planning, promoting, and administering all viticulture and enology research programs. Prior to that, Dr. Sommer was the academic program director and an Assistant Professor of Fermentation Sciences at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. He also brings more than eight years of industry experience in various fields of beverage production including wineries, sparkling wine companies, breweries, table water production, and related fields including industrial flavor production.

Dean Volenberg

Dr. Volenberg is the Extension Program Leader for viticulture at the Grape and Wine Institute at the University of Missouri. Dean’s current research program is focused on applied and hypothesis drive discovery of pests that have economic implications for Eastern United States grape growers. Dr. Volenberg was first to confirm the presence of Grapevine Red Blotch virus in Missouri. These results lead to a statewide survey of grapevine viruses. Further research on GRBV is surveying potential insect vectors of the virus. His Extension program is multifaceted with attention focused on fungal and viral pests and their management. Dean Volenberg cut his teeth on cold-climate viticulture in the far reaches of Wisconsin. During his tenure in Wisconsin, Dr. Volenberg established three replicated cultivar trials in three different USDA plant hardiness zones. In the far northern zone trial, the objective was to learn which cultivars would survive and produce grapes in extreme cold temperatures ranging from -45 to -50°F. Further, Dr. Volenberg helped establish the Wisconsin Grape Growers Association and over his eight-year tenure in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin wine industry grew from 40 wineries to more than 120.

Lisa Scarbrough

Lisa Scarbrough is a Communications Specialist with Iowa State University Department of Economics and Extension and Outreach. Lisa co-leads a Women in Agriculture program. She produces videos, designs marketing materials, coordinates promotion, manages websites, creates program impact reports and publishes an online newsletter. Lisa works with Extension professionals across the state to promote educational courses, workshops and conferences for women. She leads the Women Impacting Agriculture recognition program. Lisa earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies with a minor in Journalism from the University of Iowa.

Tammy Stotts

Tammy Stotts is employed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship, where she has worked for over 28 years.  As a marketing specialist for the Agricultural Diversification & Market Development Bureau, she has witnessed many changes in Iowa agriculture.  Her experience includes roles within the Soil and Water Conservation District, Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and IDALS Organic Certification Program.  Tammy created the Local Produce and Protein Program in 2020 and currently serves as the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Administrator and the Farm to School Coordinator.  Additional roles include overseeing the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program and the Local Food for Schools Program and the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program for the state of Iowa. 

Brian Gossling

Brian serves as the Farm Loan Program Director with responsibility for the Farm Loan Programs of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Iowa. Iowa has the largest FSA loan portfolio in the nation, with over $2.5 billion in loans and loan guarantees.

Amanda Weigel

Amanda serves as an Agriculture Program Specialist for the Price Support Department of the Farm Service Agency in the state of Iowa. The Price Support Department services producer across the state with Facility Loans (FSFL’s), Marketing Assistant Loans (MAL’s), as well as Livestock and crop disaster assistance programs.

Chris Currey

Chris Currey is an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University. Chris’s controlled-environment and greenhouse crop research is focused on providing research-based best-management practices to support commercial producers of ornamental and food crops to improve productivity, profitability, and sustainability using and managing light, temperature, mineral nutrition, and plant growth regulators.