March 2025
Spotlight on Karla Melgar Velis
Small Acreage Management Specialist, Front Range
Karla has worked as the small acreage specialist since 2023, focusing on providing private landowners the tools and resources to become good stewards of their land by preserving their natural resources and implementing conservation practices. Karla is passionate about meeting landowners where they are and helping them create management plans for their properties. She is also passionate about local food systems and helping beginning farmers and ranchers get started. Karla has experience in nutrient management and utilizing animal waste as a means to supply nutrients to the soil and prevent water pollution.
Sabina is a first-year PhD student in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. Originally from Nepal, Sabina earned her undergraduate degree in Agriculture from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. She holds a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from Mississippi State University, where her thesis employed meta-analysis to investigate consumer willingness to pay for broadband in the United States. Sabina also engaged in extension projects on broadband adoption in Mississippi, focusing on disparities between urban and rural areas and across income groups. Building on her master’s studies and work experience in rural agricultural development in Nepal, her current research interests lie in regional economics, rural development, and community economic development.
Jayna is a master’s student in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Colorado State University. Prior to joining CSU, she studied Economics and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. After graduating, she completed an AmeriCorps service term with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, where she worked on a USDA 2501 grant project which aimed to support beginner and underinvested farmers and ranchers. Jayna helps with the evaluation and reporting of the Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center in her role as a Graduate Research Assistant at CSU. Jayna plans to focus her master’s research on regional food systems and development, with an emphasis on supporting small and mid-sized agriculture, seeking to foster equitable growth and advance sustainable practices.
Coryn Davidson is a second-year MS student in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. She grew up in western Wisconsin and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Her primary research focus is on the economic impact of the Colorado potato sector. Coryn just finished a service term with AmeriCorps. While an AmeriCorps member, her most valued accomplishment was researching tools that producers could use to make more climate conscious decisions on their operations. From this research she created a suite of the tools and recorded tutorials for 11 of the most useful tools. This video was featured in an online class forum presented by Farmer Campus. She looks forward to diving deeper into the Colorado potato sector, its impacts on the local economy, and how specialized products add value to the sector.
Sal McCollum is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics. She completed her BA in Economics while minoring in business analytics and history at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her undergraduate research was in financial education and literacy related to pyramid schemes.
Ravinder is a researcher with a diverse experience in the field of agriculture and food sciences. He is an active farmer, experienced in growing wheat, rice, sugarcane, fodder, and vegetable crops. Ravinder was raised on a rural family farm and became a first-generation graduate for higher studies in Canada. He has adapted to different cultural and professional environments and worked with diverse research teams, implementing new technologies for food and agriculture issues. In his current Extension role, he has organized extension events, workshops, and field trips to inform farmers about new technologies and their adaptation, as well as connected diverse teams to provide professional research training.
Maggie has a Masters in Public Health from Emory University in Atlanta, GA and she has previous experience in different areas of food systems, including food access, farmers markets, nutrition education, food waste and local sustainable agriculture. In her current role she is focused on managing the Larimer County Farmers’ Market, as well as addressing barriers faced by local producers related to commercial markets. Maggie also is an advocate for food access, especially local and healthy food purchasing.
Jess has a Masters in Soil and Crop Science from Colorado State University where her graduate research focused on soil health in ecosystems across Colorado. In her current role she focuses on addressing the challenges of local producers by working with CSU, the county, and local organizations to create events and resources. She is the champion of the soil health action for Larimer County’s Climate Smart Future Ready Initiative where her main goal is to help producers increase their soil health practices across the county.
Charlene Van Buiten is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Colorado State University. Her research program combines basic and applied food chemistry with nutritional biochemistry to understand how food processing and nutrient interactions can be used to sustainably improve food quality with respect to nutrition, safety and consumer appeal. Her interest in nutrition and health centers specifically around gut health, leading to investigation of how interactions between proteins and phytochemicals affect the bioavailability and (anti-)inflammatory capacity of each. She is also studying the potential utility of sourdough fermentation in the production of celiac-safe bread products based on degradation of gluten protein by wild bacteria and yeasts found in sourdough starter cultures. Alongside this aim, she is studying how these microorganisms can improve the nutritional quality of bread and prevent microbial and chemical spoilage, with the overarching aim of understanding how sourdough fermentation can be tuned to specific industrial and consumer desires, thus preventing overproduction and reducing food waste. Dr. Van Buiten completed a B.S. in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Connecticut and a Ph.D. in Food Science from Pennsylvania State University. Prior to joining CSU in 2019, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Plant Biology at Rutgers University.
Jordyn Gottlieb is the newest member of the Food Systems team at CSU as the new Communications Director and Marketing Specialist. She will work with the Food Systems Institute and the Regional Food Business Center. Jordyn has spent 15 years in the marketing, communications, and PR spaces, providing strategic and tactical counseling to top executives across CPGs, academic institutions, nonprofits, and agricultural companies. Her scientific knowledge in agriculture and nutrition uniquely positions her to contextualize and amplify information into an authentic, digestible, and compelling narrative for broad audiences. She has worked on some of the world’s largest brands and has extensive experience in product launches, building value-added content, sustainability messaging, gaining brand awareness, systems communications, and thought leadership strategy. In her spare time, she’s deeply involved in her agricultural community as a farmer, an educator, and health equity advocate.
Audrey is the new Evaluation Coordinator at CSU DARE for the Northwest and Rocky Mountain USDA Regional Food Business Center. Her primary responsibility will be to support and coordinate the collection of reporting data to capture the performance of Center’s outreach and technical assistance. Audrey is deeply invested in supporting small and mid-tier producers and ranchers and hopes to continue this support through her work with the Center. Audrey earned her MBA in Global, Social, and Sustainable Enterprises from Colorado State University’s College of Business and has launched two local food systems businesses. She seeks to continue to advocate for the unique needs of small businesses through bridging funding opportunities and technical assistance programs.
Lauren Chenarides is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Colorado State University. Her research background is in food economics, studying the nexus between food choice, retailer competition, and public policy. Specifically, her research interests focus on understanding barriers to accessing affordable, healthy foods and the consequences of poor food access on consumer spending, diet, and health; analyzing trends and developments in food retailer competition, market concentration, and marketing strategies; and, examining the impact of entry by non-traditional food retailers on local competition. She also conducts research in food supply chains, sustainable food systems, and the impact of COVID-19 on food and agricultural markets. Dr. Chenarides holds an undergraduate degree from the College of the Holy Cross, where she majored in Mathematics, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural, Environmental, and Regional Economics from Pennsylvania State University, where she graduated in 2017. Prior to joining CSU, she was an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University.
Sarah Rhodes serves as an Entrepreneurship Business Resident and is responsible for supporting an Economic Development Administration grant and the launch of the Beverage Business Institute.
Martha Calvert is the new Sensory Manager at CSU Spur in the Food Innovation Center, where she will lead sensory testing services to support regional food producers as well as sensory research projects to support CSU researchers. Martha is passionate about teaching small- and medium-size agricultural producers about how sensory testing can support their business goals and be leveraged as a marketing tool. Martha recently earned her Ph.D. in Food Science at Virginia Tech, and previously earned degrees from North Carolina State University in both Food Science and Nutrition Science. After having worked in the hard cider, apple agriculture, and alcoholic beverage space throughout her Ph.D., she hopes to continue investing in value-added and artisan agricultural systems and to continue her work in understanding the consumer-producer interface from a sensory science angle.
Mike leads the Food Innovation Center at CSU Spur in Denver with the goal of supporting food innovators through value-added services, kitchen and processing facilities and creating a space where ideas can prosper. Mike is a second-generation CSU grad in Food Science and Human Nutrition. After a master’s in food engineering from UC Davis he started his 20+ year career with roles in product development, quality systems, and strategy and portfolio management. He has led innovation teams at Windsor Foods, ConAgra Foods and recently at Barilla, where he spent 5 years at their headquarters in Parma, Italy.
Emma is the CSU Extension Community Health Specialist in Boulder 
Jess Diehl is wrapping up her undergraduate degree in Animal Science with a minor in Agricultural Business at Colorado State University. She graduated from Northeastern Junior College with associate degrees in animal science and agricultural business. This summer, Jess will be working to support a feasibility study looking at market opportunities for regional and localized meat supply chains in Northwestern Colorado in partnership with the Community Agriculture Alliance, Colorado Northwestern Community College, the Northwest Community Development Council, and CSU Extension. Jess hopes to pursue a career as a a ruminant nutritionist for feedlot or dairy cattle to help feed livestock in a sustainable way while providing the growing human population with the vital nutrition they need.
My name is Beth De Lair, and I am the Pueblo County Agriculture & Natural Resource Coordinator. Pueblo is a unique mix of traditional and urban agriculture that spans from portions of the mountains, to desert areas and then onto the plains as our county moves east. I specialize in putting on programs that focus on agriculture on a local scale, assisting in plant identification, range management, community animal response team (C.A.R.T.) education and hands-on small acreage livestock classes. I work closely with the Pueblo County Beekeepers Association and the Pueblo County Stockmen’s Association. I strive to reach people in all ages and stages of their lives to help them understand the benefits of keeping agriculture alive in my community.
Michaela is the agronomy Extension agent for the Southeast Area of Colorado. Her office is in Lamar, CO. Michaela has a Master’s in Soil Science from New Mexico State University and a Master’s in Extension Education from CSU. The majority of her work includes wheat variety trials, sunflowers, and corn sorghum, as well as some vegetables grown in a greenhouse. She is also part of a research project looking into cowpeas grown for forage and hay.
My name is Abby Weber, and I am the Southeast Area Family and Consumer Science Specialist for 7 counties in the Southeast Region. Agriculture is the major commodity in our small rural communities here on the plains, and with that comes the need for local community sustainability in our food systems. Programs like Cottage Foods Certification, Master Food Safety Advisor, food preservation workshops, and Cooking with Commodities are just a few of the things we do to help make this possible. Participants of all ages learn about food systems from production to consumption through these programming efforts.
Sionegael Ikeme is a half-French, half-Japanese, first-year Ph.D. student in the department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. She completed a bachelor’s and a master’s in Agricultural Engineering at L’institut Agro in France (also known as Agrocampus Ouest). Additionally, she received a MS in Applied Economics from Korea University, where her masters thesis analyzed the effect of EU membership on the agricultural sector of Baltic countries. She previously worked on price discovery as a research intern in the Economic Department of the French National Research Institute for Agriculture and Environment. Her current research interests involve food systems, industrial organization, market access, agribusiness, and marketing.
John Ritten is an agricultural economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and a member of the AgNext team at CSU. AgNext is a leader in research on animal and ecosystem health while enhancing profitability of the supply chain. Prior to joining CSU, John served as the University of Wyoming’s state Agricultural Systems Extension specialist for 14 years where he worked across livestock and cropping systems. His research interests include the intersection of agricultural production and natural resource management, especially in relation to sustainability and system resiliency. He received a BS in Marketing from Arizona State University, an MBA from New Mexico State University, and a PhD in Natural Resource Economics from Colorado State University.
Stephen Lauer is one of the newly hired specialists for the CSU Extension Rural Initiative supporting thriving communities and food and agriculture production in Colorado’s southern region, which includes 15 counties stretching from Mineral County in the west to the eastern border of the state. Stephen is excited to work with county and regional extension educators on community engagement, relationship building, and expanded programming in southern Colorado.
Derek is one of the newly hired specialists for the CSU Extension “Expanding Rural Engagement” (ERE) initiative focusing on how to foster thriving communities and support food and agriculture production in Colorado’s mountain region, which includes 13 counties stretching from Jackson County in the north to Custer County in the south. Derek is excited to be back in Colorado where his interests in food, natural resource management, and human well-being first developed. He looks forward to helping agricultural producers (and consumers!) in the mountain region access the information they need to be most successful.
Nicole’s work is based on rural economic well-being with an emphasis on agriculture and food. She works in the Western Region and lives in Delta County. Nicole’s background is in small-scale agricultural production, natural resources, and local/regional food systems development. She loves to get to support on topics around moving produce from the farm/ranch to the consumer, marketing, community economic development, building community, and produce safety. She also loves learning, teaching, and socializing in Spanish. Having grown up in rural communities throughout the US West, Nicole is especially excited to dive in and help support rural voices in Colorado.
Hello! My name is Jorge and I’m a first-year master’s student in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at CSU. I’m originally from Santa Maria, California which is known for its strawberry growing operations and an indigenous farm labor force. My parents are originally from Oaxaca, Mexico and have been working as strawberry harvesters in Santa Maria, which is where I got my start in agriculture. My current research interests lie in farm labor, farmworker welfare and human capital. My research interests explore the determinants of socioeconomic mobility among farm laborers and how economic developments among the farm labor force continue to affect the agriculture sector. Additionally, I’m interested in identifying the educational, career, and economic outcomes of U.S. farmworker families.
Rebecca Hill is a Research Scientist with the Regional Economic Development Institute and the Co-Director of the Colorado AgrAbility Project, housed in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
Rebecca Wasserman-Olin is a first year PhD student in the Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics. She received her B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed her M.S. at Cornell University where she investigated consumer purchasing habits of local produce. In between her studies, she worked as a community organizer and economic researcher in Minnesota helping farmers assess the economic impact of incorporating conservation practices into their crop rotations. She also worked as a researcher at Cornell University supporting regional food systems in New York State. Throughout her career she has worked on vegetable farms ranging from 1 to 25 acres and she finds herself happiest in a pack shed. She looks forward to learning about agricultural systems in Colorado and supporting the great work of the Food Systems Institute.
Dr. Franklyn Garry grew up on a dairy farm in upstate New York. He received his B.S. and DVM from Cornell University and MS from The Ohio State University. He worked in a dairy practice in upstate New York, and then did advanced clinical training at the Maximillian University in Munich, Germany and at The Ohio State University. He is currently a Professor at Colorado State University, where he has been in the Department of Clinical Sciences since 1987. Since 1996 he has been the coordinator of the 
Yue is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology, who concentrates on rural sociology, development, food industry clusters, and East Asian studies. Yue grew up in a small town in northwest China. She received her BA in General Sociology from Colorado State University and China Agricultural University and her MA in Sociology at Colorado State University. In her Master’s thesis, Yue utilized in-depth qualitative methods to examine how social inequalities were created and reproduced through the seafood industry in the Zhoushan Islands of China, and how this development has affected local rural communities in terms of uneven development, social networks, and community embeddedness. Her study was recognized by the Rural Sociological Society for its 2020 Master’s Thesis and Dissertation Research Award and the 2021 RSS 4 Minute Flash Talk award. Her current research involves conducting a comparative
Robin Young has served CSUE for 12 years as a county director and natural resources/ag agent. Robin provides learning opportunities to ranchers with programs such as the San Juan Basin Beef Symposium and Ranching for Women. When the pandemic hit, Young responded along with the Archuleta County Food Coalition to assure residents had access to fresh food. She also provided programming on safe food practices. Currently, she is working with local residents to help them expand their knowledge in growing food in the mountains and co-teaches cottage food courses. Robin offers the Colorado Master Gardener program and also helps facilitate the Colorado Building Farmers Program. She has been a passionate mountain gardener for over 25 years. “Every year teaches us something new,” says Young about the challenges that the high country environment offers.
Siwen is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at CSU. She completed her undergraduate studies at Henan University of Economics and Law with a B.A. in Public Management and obtained her M.S in Labor Economics from Shaanxi Normal University in China. Her past research contributed to understanding how China’s rural poor were affected by current issues, particularly as they relate to children’s health and education. Her current research at CSU focuses on the determinants and consequences of health disparities and social inequality among US immigrants relative to their native counterparts. Her research interests lie at the intersection of food policy, health economics, immigrant welfare, and labor economics. The overarching theme uniting all her research is to improve the well-being of vulnerable groups through evidence-based analysis of policy impacts on those groups.
Eric McPhail has served as the County Director and the 4-H Youth and Agricultural Agent in Gunnison County, Colorado for the past 16 years. Bed bugs to cattle marketing, his position takes many forms of educational outreach. His principal responsibilities include program management focused on community development, agriculture, livestock, 4-H youth, Master Gardener, and family and consumer science education. Eric prides himself on building his small county office’s 52 formal organizational and committee partnerships. He believes the balance of knowledge transfer and diverse service is where Extension can make the most impact in a community. Also, surrounding oneself with great teammates is a plus too. He loves the job, the people, and the mission of providing a helping resource, or hand, to anyone.
Taís is a visiting research scholar in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. She is funded by Fulbright and will join the program as a PhD student in Fall 2022.
Dr. Lily Edwards-Callaway is an Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University focusing on livestock behavior and welfare. Originally from the Northeast, with a Bachelor of Arts in French from Amherst College, Edwards-Callaway earned a Master of Science from the University of Rhode Island. She received her Ph.D. at Colorado State University under the advisement of Dr. Temple Grandin. Edwards-Callaway has held various roles in academia, the packing industry, and cattle production primarily focusing on improving animal welfare. She is involved in industry groups and associations including the NCBA BQA Advisory Board and the Darden Animal Welfare Advisory Council to promote and advance the beef industry.
Jenna is a Master’s Student in Food Science and Human Nutrition with a Nutrition concentration. She grew up in Connecticut and graduated from Cornell University in 2019 with a B.S. in Nutritional Sciences. After graduation, Jenna moved to Boston and worked as a Nutritionist at the Boston Living Center, an HIV resource center. She came to CSU to pursue her interests in the link between diet and planetary health. Jenna is currently working on several projects in Dr. Megan Mueller’s lab, which focus on the influence that the restaurant industry has on consumer ordering behavior. She plans to analyze restaurant nutrition and sustainability practices across the US and understand how that might impact menu offerings. In the future, Jenna hopes to contribute to the growing field of sustainable nutrition. Outside of the lab, she competes for the Fort Collins running team, Front Range Elite, in both the marathon and ultra distances.
Andrew Jones is a Senior Research Scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) at CSU. He holds a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from CSU. He works on measuring atmospheric and soil moisture properties using networks of weather satellites and, most recently, has created a new way to improve sensor performance despite 5G cellphone interference. His data fusion methods are used for National Weather Service operations. He specializes in the application of weather and climate data analytics to the integration needs of integrated food systems, wildfire impacts, phytobiome interactions, and infectious disease propagation. He serves as a ssenior editor of the Phytobiomes Journal and is a member of the CSU Soil Carbon Solutions Center. CIRA continues to serve as an environmental resource to understand issues impacting food systems production, transportation, and related complex supply chain issues.
India Luxton is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Sociology. India received her BA in Sociology from Western New England University in 2015 and her Master’s degree in Sociology from Colorado State University in 2017. Her dissertation research investigates key factors that led to high rates of COVID-19 transmission in meat processing facilities. Her prior food system research experience has revolved around food justice, urban agriculture, meatpacking, and assessing conservation practice adoption among farmers. In these projects, she utilizes qualitative research methods and social network analysis. One of India’s key pursuits is translating science into practice and helping individuals and organizations work towards environmental and social justice.
Amanda Countryman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Colorado State University. Her research examines the economic implications of international trade, focusing specifically on the impacts of trade reform on agriculture. Dr. Countryman investigates issues related to trade policy, bilateral and multilateral trade partnerships, nontariff barriers to trade, trade issues related to the livestock and meat sectors, as well as trade and the environment. She teaches undergraduate, graduate, and professional courses in international trade, agribusiness, and agricultural economics, and serves as the CSU Collegiate Farm Bureau advisor. Dr. Countryman completed her B.S. in Agricultural and Resource Economics and B.A. in Spanish at the University of Arizona, M.S. degree in Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University, and Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. Prior to joining the faculty at CSU, she was an Agricultural Economist at the USDA Economic Research Service. Dr. Countryman grew up on a cotton, cattle, and alfalfa farm in Buckeye, Arizona.
Ana is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Systems Thinking for Obesity Prevention (STOP) lab in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. She received her MS in Nutrition at CSU in 2018 and is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Her master’s thesis investigated the use of community-based participatory research among youth to promote food access in a low-income neighborhood. Ana’s current research focuses on food insecurity, primarily among households above poverty in high cost-of-living regions. Ana is enthusiastic about building food environments that make nutritious foods accessible for all. As a dietitian, Ana works with clients to promote a positive relationship with food and use it as fuel for daily activities and chronic disease prevention. She enjoys spending time outside for all 300 days of Colorado sunshine, cooking, and hanging out with her dogs.
Rebecca Cleary is an Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics at CSU. She holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Wisconsin. Her work focuses on health economics, consumer behavior, and food policy. She is interested in understanding what drives consumers’ food-purchase decisions, why households do not fully adhere to nutrition recommendations, and how we can design effective policies to increase nutrition quality, particularly for households most at-risk for diet-related diseases. Dr. Cleary is also committed to undergraduate instruction and teaches the introductory course on agricultural and resource economics as well as a course on agricultural commodity marketing. As a proponent of undergraduate engagement, she has served as a judge for Celebrate Undergraduate Research and Creativity, a contributor for Rams Read and the Signature Works program, and loves being (safely) back on campus in person.
Annika is a second-year Ph.D. student in Food Science and Human Nutrition. After graduating from California Lutheran University with a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, she went on to complete an MSc. in Human Nutrition from The University of Sheffield. Annika’s master’s research project explored potential toxic exposure through the consumption of crops grown on contaminated soils. Here at CSU, Annika currently is part of the NSF’s Interdisciplinary Training, Education, and Research in the Food-Energy-Water Systems Program working on the development of rice bran as a nutritious food ingredient. Annika is also part of Dr. Elizabeth Ryan’s research group where she is studying the gut microbiota and metabolome changes associated with rice bran in the prevention and treatment of malnutrition. Annika grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and in her free time, loves yoga, reading in the sun, and exploring the bike paths around Fort Collins.
Karen has been with CSU Extension since 2006 and with Larimer County Extension since 2009 as the Extension Agent in Ag/Natural Resources. One of the main focuses of her position is working with the many new landowners in Larimer County on best management practices for their small acreages. This includes pasture and grazing management, weed identification and management, and native plant identification. Three major natural disasters have occurred in Larimer County in the past 8 years and Karen has provided educational programming and resources to homeowners affected by these disasters, and conducted programs on emergency preparedness. Karen coordinates the Native Plant Master Program and Colorado Building Farmer/Ranchers program and brings radon awareness to homeowners by providing valuable information on radon and its health effects and distributing free radon test kits.
Skyler is a first-year master’s student in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. He grew up in Oregon and completed his undergraduate studies at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA with a BA in Economics and BS in Computer Information Systems. Through Skyler’s studies and experience as an IT Technician at Cal Lutheran, he discovered his passion for using data systems to provide equitable solutions. At CSU he has been able to apply this passion to real-world problems as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Regional Economic Development Institute (REDI). His current research involves conducting impact analysis for the best utilization for equitable and inclusive outcomes of Colorado’s newest State Park, Fishers Peak State Park, in Trinidad, CO. He greatly enjoys his new life in Fort Collins exploring Old Town, hiking, mountain biking, and visiting extended family.
Darrin Parmenter is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent with CSU Extension in La Plata County. He is a Durango native and moved back in 2007 to work with CSU, with previous Extension experience at the University of Florida and Cornell University. His interests and outreach lie in gardening, food production, farming, and local food awareness and food insecurity issues. On any given day, you could probably find him at a school garden, walking a farm, or working with community members and organizations. One of his goals is to find pathways of success for beginning farmers in southwest Colorado.
Ming is a third-year doctoral student in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at CSU. Ming obtained a BA in Agricultural and Forest Economics Management and an MA in Agricultural Economics and Management from China Agricultural University. Her previous research focused on the supply chain efficiency of the vegetable industry in China. Now she focuses on soil carbon sequestration in agricultural production under agricultural conservation policies. She also conducts research on hemp production. During her free time, she likes hiking, being outdoors, and enjoying the landscape in Colorado. She also likes practicing yoga and cooking. In the future, she hopes to continue to engage in environmental research at the university and help solve environmental and natural resource problems.
Matthew Wallenstein is a Professor and Department Head of Soil and Crop Sciences at Colorado State University. He is a soil microbial ecologist who studies how microbes drive nutrient cycling, soil formation, and decomposition, and affect crop health and productivity. His group has elucidated novel mechanisms by which plants control the assembly of the microbiome in their rooting zone, and has shown how this affects plant fitness. After working primarily in natural systems for many years, he shifted his attention to agricultural systems with the aim of applying his expertise in soil microbiomes, nutrient cycling, and plant-microbe interactions to sustainable agriculture. He led the development and commercialization of microbial biostimulants that increase nutrient availability as the Chairman and co-founder of Growcentia, Inc.
James is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Sociology, who specializes in studying the socio-cultural, community, and governance dimensions of food, agriculture, and environmental improvement efforts. He has spent time in both practitioner and research settings including working as a Peace Corps agroforestry agent in Malawi, helping spearhead alternative food projects in Colorado, and leading related research projects at Colorado State University and the Colorado School of Public Health. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Sustainability at the University of Otago where he studied social sustainability and governance in New Zealand agriculture. More recently, he has been contributing to the social dimensions of food system modeling, deploying social network analysis to study food and agriculture networks, and working on the conceptualization and operationalization of cultural capital in community development. In his free time, James enjoys hiking, cooking, camping, and music.
Becca Jablonski is an Associate Professor and Food Systems Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. Dr. Jablonski’s research and extension program comprise two primary areas: 1) evaluating the farm and ranch profitability impacts of sales through non-commodity markets (e.g. local food markets, farm to school programs); and, 2) assessing the community economic impacts of food system policies, investments, and programs, including strategies focused on strengthening rural-urban linkages. As part of her position she co-leads 
Ben is a Master’s Student in Food Science and Human Nutrition with a Food Science Specialization. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Ben graduated from Colorado State University in 2017 with a B.S in Fermentation Science and Technology. Since graduating he has worked in the distilled spirits industry as an operator, product developer, and packaging manager for various distilleries in Colorado and as far as Western Australia. He is returning to CSU to assist Dr. Charlene Van Buiten on her research into gliadin sequestration and its potential as a therapy for those with Celiac Disease. In the future, he hopes to work on food product development focused on plant-based and sustainable foods. In his spare time, Ben is an avid mountaineer, skier, and river runner.
