Lee Briese is employed by Centrol Crop Consulting and works as an independent crop consultant in central North Dakota. He works directly with farmers to provide agronomic advice to help improve their systems to grow and manage crops profitably. He specializes in helping farmers adopt practices to protect and improve their soil and local environment and economics, including reduced till, no-till, cover crops, crop rotation, and increased plant diversity. Lee is also involved in projects to help build adviser networks to share knowledge and experiences on how to help farmers implement sustainability practices. Lee earned his B.S. and M.S. from North Dakota State University and his Doctor of Plant Health from the University of Nebraska.

Chris Huffman is a crop consultant with Centrol Crop Consulting. He is a Certified Crop Advisor, a member of the NAICC, and has B.S. degrees in Agronomy and Ag Business from the University of Minnesota. He lives in Hillsboro, North Dakota with his wife and daughter. He works with sugar beets, wheat, barley, corn, soybeans, and edible beans, and focuses on implementing cover crops and reduced tillage to control soil erosion.

Drew is an independent crop consultant who got his B.S. in Agronomy from the University of MN Crookston. He lives in rural Cavalier ND and provides unbiased recommendations to growers on fertility, weed control, IPM, and all other aspects of farming. He works with growers who have implemented long term soil health practices that include no-till, cover crops, and VRT and is helping others transition into more sustainable practices that work on their farm and operation. His main goal is to help his growers be as profitable as possible and keep the soil where it needs to be, so that we can continue farming this ground generations down the road.

Jean has over 25 years of program evaluation experience in agriculture, education and natural resources. Her evaluation expertise includes working on integrated pest management and soil health programs, multi-stakeholder collaborations, social network analysis, and adult training. Jean received her M.S. in Forest Resources from the University of Idaho, where she specialized in policy analysis and natural resource conflict management. She also holds an M.A. in French Literature from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is an active member of the American Evaluation Association, the Indiana Evaluation Association, and founder of the Chicagoland Evaluation Association.

Brady’s expertise lies at the confluence of soil fertility, soil health, and farmer outreach. As an Assistant Professor of Extension Soil Science, he collaborates with researchers, Extension personnel, and stakeholders to conduct research and outreach to help North Dakota farmers implement soil conservation practices and improve fertility management. He received his PhD in Soil Science from North Dakota State University following his B.S. in Crop & Soil Science from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Elli Ressler farms with her husband near Hillsboro, ND, where they raise a diverse range of crops and cattle. They focus heavily on soil health and utilize cover crops to limit wind and water erosion as well as for grazing. She has a B.S. in Agricultural Economics from North Dakota State University.

Shawna has spent the past two decades working in the media as a meteorologist and ag director. Living near Fargo, ND, her work has been in television and radio. She has a passion for telling real stories that can benefit humanity and enjoys supporting TAP’s communication initiatives.

Dr. Rachel K. Owen is a distinguished consultant, educator, and policy expert specializing in sustainable agriculture and science policy. As the Principal Consultant and Owner of RKO Consulting, she leverages her extensive experience to advise on federal agriculture policy, facilitate strategic planning for nonprofits, and support emerging sustainability programs, like TAP.

With a Ph.D. in Natural Resources focusing on Soil Biogeochemistry and Ecology from the University of Missouri, Dr. Owen brings a wealth of knowledge to the intersection of science, policy, and agriculture.

Erin Gundy is a consultant with RKO Consulting specializing in agriculture and conservation. She previously worked as a Soil Health Educator at the Soil Health Institute, working in corn and soybean systems across the Midwest. Before SHI, she served as Resource Conservationist, then Operations Manager of STAR, for the Champaign County Soil & Water Conservation District in Illinois, where she provided technical assistance to farmers and educators and worked with partners to develop and execute programs through grant management and community engagement.

Erin, an Indiana native, received her B.S. and M.S. in Agronomy from Kansas State University. Her research focused on developing a commodity crop productivity index for Kansas based on inherent soil properties.

Dr. Abbey Wick is a soil scientist and global upskilling and outreach program lead at the Syngenta Group. She is tasked with developing innovative programs and information on soil health and regenerative agriculture for employees and customers. She is also the founder of Wick Consulting LLC, which has resulted in the development of professional relationships with global value chain companies and other non-governmental organizations.

She is committed to her happiness and freedom, focused on raising her ten-year-old son with profound dyslexia along with her ambitious goals of influencing agriculture sustainably on a global scale.

Prior to joining Syngenta, she was an Associate Professor at North Dakota State University.  She is an elected member of the US National Committee for Soil Sciences within the National Academy of Sciences. She is also a board member for Hayley’s Hope Dyslexia Learning Center.