EPN Breakfast Event - Tuesday, November 12, 2024: Inaugural Ohio Soil Health Week: Celebrating healthy soils for environmental and human health

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Program Overview

Ready to dig in? It’s the first ever Ohio Soil Health Week, and the Environmental Professionals Network (EPN) is thrilled to host our November breakfast program in partnership with the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) as we come together to celebrate healthy soils for environmental and human health!  

Soil health is a growing topic of concern because it is increasingly recognized that healthy soils provide multiple benefits, including for water quality, carbon sequestration, and erosion reduction¹. Strategies to improve the health of soils will continue to be important to implement and share, especially as changes to climate, such as extreme weather events, threaten to exacerbate soil erosion and the leaching and runoff of fertilizers^2,3. Here in Ohio, we are lucky to have a multitude of soil health experts – ranging from farmers to researchers and even to policy-makers – who have banded together to create the inaugural Ohio Soil Health Week (OSHW). The OSHW was developed to honor the legacy of David (Dave) Brandt, a leader in Ohio’s soil health space. OSHW includes a range of soil health-focused events across the Buckeye state aimed to improve on-farm resilience and soil conservation⁴.  

Join this EPN program, in partnership with OEFFA, to dig in with soil health experts and practitioners on advancements and perspectives in soil health related to agriculture fields, gardens, livestock grazing paddocks, prairies and grasslands, and landscaped areas. 

 

References

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Agenda

7:15 a.m. Doors open at Ohio State 4-H Center; Coffee served for in-person attendees. 

7:40 a.m. Breakfast buffet served for in-person attendees. 

8:00 a.m. Livestreaming service begins for virtual attendees.  

Welcome video from the 2024 American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America International Annual Meeting featuring Jim Ippolito, PhD, Rattan Lal Endowed Professor of Soil Health and Soil Fertility, The Ohio State Univeristy, and Sakthi Kumaran Subburayalu, PhD, associate professor, Central State University.

8:10 a.m. Tim Haab, PhD, director, Ohio State’s School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) provides welcome remarks.

8:15 a.m. Gary Pierzynski, PhD, associate dean for research and graduate education and director of the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at Ohio State, connects the Land Grant Mission to soil health.  

8:25 a.m. Randall Reeder, executive director of the Ohio No-Till Council, presents A tribute to the legacy of Dave Brandt.

8:30 a.m. Manbir Rakkar, PhD, assistant professor of soil fertility and nutrient management, SENR, reviews the mechanics of healthy soils.

8:40 a.m. Amalie Lipstreu, conservation regional hub director, California Climate and Agriculture Network, moderates a panel dialogue on the Ohio Soil Health Initiative with soil health advocates, including:

• Amanda Hernandez, grassroots local food system advocate.
• Jim Linne, White Clover Farm in Highland County, Ohio.
• Bridget Burgess, Hirzel Farms in Wood County, Ohio.
• Chris Brandt, Brandt Family Farm in Fairfield County, Ohio.
• Milo Petruziello, policy director, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA).

9:10 a.m. Audience in-person and virtual question and answer session.

9:25 a.m. Lauren Hirtle, grassroots policy organizer, OEFFA, reviews forthcoming soil health events.

9:30 a.m. Dr. Haab concludes the EPN Breakfast program component. Livestreaming service concludes for virtual attendees. Networking session for in-person guests.

10:00 a.m. Mary Turocy, director of policy and government relations for The Nature Conservancy Ohio, addresses the policy implications for soil health following the 2024 federal and state election cycle. This session is for in-person audience only. 

 

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Speakers

Gary Pierzynski, PhD, associate dean for research and graduate education, The Ohio State University College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Science (CFAES)

Dr. Gary Pierzynski is the associate dean for research and graduate education at The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). Dr. Pierzynski is also the director of the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, which is part of CFAES. He also holds the rank of Professor in the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) within CFAES. He received his PhD in soil chemistry from The Ohio State University, and his MS and BS in crop and soil sciences from Michigan State University. Dr. Pierzynski was previously a University Distinguished Professor at Kansas State University, and he is the author of nearly one hundred peer-reviewed articles and several books, including the textbook Soils and Environmental Quality.

Randall Reeder, executive director, Ohio No-Till Council

Randall Reeder is a retired agriculture engineer from Ohio State and currently serves as the executive director of the Ohio No-Till Council. Mr. Reeder coordinates the annual Ohio No-Till Conference and Ohio’s annual late winter Conservation Tillage Conference. Further, Mr. Reeder routinely consults on projects related to no-till, cover crops, soil amendments and soil quality improvements for increasing crop yields, and even agricultural photography! Originally from West Virginia, Mr. Reeder received his Master of Science in Agricultural Engineering from West Virginia University.

Manbir Rakkar, PhD, assistant professor, Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR)

Dr. Manbir Rakkar is an assistant professor of soil fertility and nutrient management in the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) at Ohio State. Dr. Rakkar studies soil ecosystem services in integrated crop-livestock systems, soil health in annual and perennial cropping systems, and soil acidification in semi-arid environments. Dr. Rakkar also regularly engages in extension activities and collaborates on farmer-oriented research projects to contribute to sustainable agriculture systems. Originally from Punjab, India, Dr. Rakkar completed her PhD in agronomy with a specialization in soil and water sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Amalie Lipstrieu, agriculture conservation director, California Climate & Agriculture Network (CalCAN)

Amalie Lipstrieu is the agriculture conservation director of the California Climate & Agriculture Network (CalCAN). She previously was the policy director for the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA). In her nine years at OEFFA, Ms. Lipstreu grew OEFFA’s policy program to increase the prevalence of sustainable agricultural systems policies in the Ohio Statehouse. She has expertise and experience in climate-friendly agricultural systems and received her Master of Liberal Studies (LSM) in Environmental Policy from Kent State University and her BA in Social Science from Hiram College. Ms. Lipstrieu is based in Newark, Ohio, and continues to be active in the Ohio sustainable agriculture policy space.

Amanda Hernandez, grassroots local food system advocate

Amanda Duprey Hernandez, originally from Puerto Rico, moved to Yellow Springs from Philadelphia. She graduated from Temple University with a bachelor’s in Global Security specializing in human security. Formerly the production farmer at Agraria, her journey in food justice began after she authored different papers on food insecurity- including one on food sovereignty movements in Puerto Rico post-hurricane Maria. Amanda was an AmeriCorps Vista who worked to increase food security in the Miami Valley region and continues her support for food justice through her work with the Hall Hunger Initiative. Amanda has also studied food and agricultural cooperatives in Cuba, is a founding member of the BIPOC Food and Farm Network, and has interned with the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association's policy team as a grassroots agricultural policy organizer.

Milo Petruziello, policy director, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA)

Milo Petruziello is the policy director for the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA). He brings over ten years of experience in the local and organic food movement to this role as a key strategist for Ohio’s food and farm policy. He has a diverse background as a grassroots organizer, educator, and event planner within sustainable agriculture and arts spaces. Before his current role, Mr. Petuziello was OEFFA’s events director where he organized 11 OEFFA annual conferences and led the development of educational and fundraising programs alongside farmers across Ohio. He has a BA from The Ohio State University and an MS from the University of Oregon.

Jim Linne, owner and steward, White Clover Farm

James (Jim) Linne is the owner and steward of White Clover Farm in Highland County, Ohio. After 35 years practicing as a Gastroenterologist, Dr. Linne recognized the connection between good nutrition and human health and decided to purchase 300 acres to farm upon. Dr. Linne’s White Clover Farm is a grass-fed beef farm that emphasizes land stewardship, sustainability, and the regeneration of soil fertility and biodiversity.

 

Chris Brandt, co-owner, Brandt Family Farms

Chris Brandt is a co-owner of Brandt Family Farms in Carroll, Ohio and serves as production manager of Walnut Creek Seeds. He has nearly 20 years of experience in small-scale agriculture operations, and another ten years in the seed production business. He has a degree in Business Administration and Management from Columbus State Community College. The Brandt Family Farm, owned and operated by David Brandt for over five decades, and now run by members of the Brandt family, has been well-known for its engagement with regenerative agriculture through methods such as no-till, crop rotation, and growing cover crops.

Lauren Hirtle, grassroots policy organizer, OEFFA

At OEFFA, Lauren Hirtle primarly focuses on the intersection of soil health and state policy. Ms. Hirtle has worked as a community organizer and educator in farms and non-profits across New York and Central Ohio. Prior to her current role, she founded the Central Ohio Chapter of the National Youth Farmers Coalition where she held leadership roles as vice president and president. More recently, Ms. Hirtle worked as a food justice and organic certification specialist in OEFFA’s Organic Certification Program. She is an active participant in the National Healthy Soils Policy Network.

Mary Turocy, director of policy and government relations, The Nature Conservancy Ohio

Mary Turocy is director of policy and government relations for The Nature Conservancy Ohio. She has more than 16 years of experience in policy, including more than eight years in civil rights advocacy, including several years of experience as director of served as the director of public affairs for the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. At The Nature Conservancy, Ms. Turocy is at the forefront of shaping and influencing conservation and public policy outcomes related to waters, lands, and climate change. Ms. Turocy received her MS from the London School of Economics and Political Science and her BA from Denison University.  

 

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Additional Information 

We strive to host events that are inclusive and accessible to everyone. If you have a disability and require accommodations to fully participate in this activity, please reach out to Hallie Stelzle, EPN Program Assistant (stelzle.2@osu.edu). Requests made five business days in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access. However, we will make every effort to meet requests made after this time frame. You will be contacted by someone from our staff to discuss your specific needs. 

Masks are optional for all event attendees at this event, in accordance with Ohio State’s Safe and Healthy Protocols as of this date. In-person attendees will be expected to follow Ohio State protocols regarding the prevention of COVID-19 transmission. More health and safety information available on this Personal Safety Practices page.