October 2020 - 16

Trevor Hardy
Farm Supplies Manager/
Systems Engineer/Assistant
Crop Production Manager,
Brookdale Fruit Farm
Andrea Kirchoff
Operations Supervisor/Food Safety
Specialist, Tim Campbell Farm
Andrea grew up on her family farm. She is
a fourth-generation grower in the vegetable
Trevor is a seventh-generation fruit and vegetable farmer with a degree
in industrial engineering. He is the current president of New England
Vegetable and Berry Growers Association, as well as president of
Hillsborough County Farm Bureau. He built and operates Brookdale
Farm Supplies, the largest irrigation and row crop supplies company
in New England. His focus is on change in the industry towards
no till vegetable production, high density apple production and the
implementation of lean principles on farms.
Zack Hayden
Assistant Professor of Horticulture,
Michigan State University
Department of Horticulture
Hayden's research and Extension program
focuses on soil and nutrient management for vegetable cropping
systems. His team investigates strategies to help growers both
manage nutrients profitably in the short term and improve the health
and fertility of their soils over the long term. Focus areas include
nitrogen management, organic and integrated fertility management,
cover crop integration, soil health impacts and remote sensing-based
decision support. He lives in East Lansing, Michigan, with his wife
and three children.
Shannon Higginbotham
Owner, Cheyenne's Road
Market & Farm
Shannon Higginbotham owns and operates
Cheyenne's Market with her husband in
Marlton, New Jersey, a suburb 15 minutes outside of Philadelphia.
Together they farm 900 acres over seven different municipalities,
growing over 50 different crops. Growing fruits, vegetables, flowers,
herbs and field crops from hay to popcorn, soybeans and more. This
proud farmer and mother spends countless hours teaching at local
schools, advocating for farmers, serving on various boards and giving
back to the community.
Benjamin Keim
Field Operations Manager,
Keim Orchards
Keim is a fifth-generation grower in Berks
County, Pennsylvania, focusing on fresh market
apples and peaches. Upon completing his degree in horticulture from
Penn State University, he returned to the farm in 2010. His focus on the
farm is coordinating field operations and food safety. He also serves as
president of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania.
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farming industry. Her role on the farm is geared toward keeping up to
date with all aspects of the industry's regulations, especially food safety,
continued education on crop inputs and labor programs. She realized
realized early on that in order to be successful in this business you have to
wear many hats and be willing to roll up your sleeves, get dirty and work
each day until the field work is done no matter what the clock shows. She
hopes to pass on her knowledge and work ethic to the next generation.
Aaron Libby
Owner, Libby & Son U-Picks
Aaron is a third-generation fruit grower. The
Libby family sells its fruit direct to customers
through pick-your-own. He finds it rewarding
to incorporate new fruit growing techniques with what he's learned from
prior generations. Aaron is a former two-term state legislator in Maine.
In 2012, Aaron sponsored a bill limiting liability for agritourism activities
and was successfully signed into Law. He's a past president of the Maine
Pomological Society and current executive committee member.
Amy Metrick
Farm Partner/4-H Extension
Educator, Metrick's Harvest
View Farm & Market/Penn State
Extension
Amy has been involved in her family farm, Metrick's Harvest View
Farm & Market, her entire life. She is responsible for the greenhouses
there, growing both flowers and vegetable plants. In addition, she helps
manage the family's year-round farm market as well as many other
seasonal responsibilities. Currently she works full-time as a Penn State
4-H Extension educator in Butler County and is a board member of the
Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association.
Kari Molter
Co-owner, Molter Produce
Molter owns and operates Molter Produce,
certified organic since 2008, with her husband,
Aaron. They manage approximately 700 acres
in southwest Michigan which includes wholesale
and retail ready vegetables, high density orchards and row crops. She
handles the sales/shipping operations on the farm, as well as manages
the greenhouse, labor and food safety program. Molter has served on the
Berrien County Farm Bureau board since 2017, was a pilot member of the
MI GroupGAP program and is involved with the Michigan Agri-Women.
Her and Aaron have two daughters, Helen and Pearl.
http://www.VegetableGrowersNews.com
October 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2020
