Resources

Pat Rogers of Blenheim, South Carolina, farms with his family and grows cotton, peanuts, corn, soybeans, and wheat. He utilizes cover crops and reduced tillage in a systems-based approach to his farm for conservation and yield enhancement. Precision farming technology and conservation are the components he enjoys most about farming. A graduate of Clemson University, he enjoys cheering on their football team each fall.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems for Pat, you can contact him through our Soil Health Educator Jared Conner at jconner@soilhealthinstitute.org.

Barry Evans of Swisher County, Texas, is a fourth-generation farmer who is committed to making his land better for future generations. He grows cotton and grain sorghum in rotation on his 4,500 acres, using no-till practices to help capture rainfall in the arid Texas climate. Sometimes in place of grain sorghum, Barry has planted wheat and other cover crops to help build soil health. Barry utilizes low-energy precision application technology for irrigation, which efficiently delivers water directly between the furrows, achieving 95 percent efficiency rate. Each year his family reviews seed variety test results from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to ensure they select the best varieties suited to their growing environment. 

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems for Barry, you can contact him through our Soil Health Educator Emily Ball at eball@soilhealthinstitute.org. 

Dr. Srabani Das is an Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension and Assistant Specialist for Regenerative Agriculture at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources and UC Merced. Her research centers on sustainable soil health practices and agricultural carbon management, with the goal of developing inexpensive tools to track soil carbon buildup from various regenerative agriculture methods. Dr. Das is passionate about integrating perennial and native vegetation, exploring alternative cropping systems, and building climate-resilient food systems in California. She advocates for making regenerative agriculture tools and resources equitable for all grower communities, including marginalized, women, and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities. Dr. Das received her master’s degree in Environmental Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and her doctorate in Biological and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University.  

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems, you can contact her at srabanidas@ucmerced.edu or sradas@ucanr.edu. 

Ricky O. Dollison Sr. of Poulan, Georgia, is a fourth-generation farmer renowned for his indomitable spirit and unmatched expertise in agriculture. With over two decades of hands-on experience, Ricky has navigated from the fields to boardrooms, showcasing dedication, innovation, and leadership. Coming from a rich farming legacy, Ricky excels in livestock management and crop rotations, ensuring efficient farming operations. As the visionary behind AgFirst Community Cooperative, he pioneers collaborative farming and sustainable practices, ensuring the profitability of family farms.

Ricky’s impact extends through community education and advocacy, supporting local farming communities with his expertise in Farm Service Agency and U.S. Department of Agriculture loan products. His diverse background includes working as a technician for South Georgia Natural Gas, where he honed technical skills and gained valuable industry experience, as well as biomedical technology and service in the Georgia Army National Guard. A leader in agricultural advancement, Ricky bridges traditional farming with modern practices through roles with AgFirst and the Farm Journal Foundation. His commitment to knowledge and communication shines through initiatives like Natural Resource Conservation Service agent training and Toastmasters.

Ricky O. Dollison Sr. is not just a farmer; he’s an agricultural visionary and community leader whose transformative journey inspires innovation and collaboration in agriculture worldwide.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems for Ricky, you can contact him through our Soil Health Educator Jared Conner at jconner@soilhealthinstitute.org. 

Shane Isbell of Cherokee, Alabama, is a fifth-generation farmer who defines soil health as fields with no erosion, that are high in organic matter, and have plenty of earthworms. No-till farming and crop rotation have made his soil very healthy. Working with his father, he’s learned to not just focus on this year’s crop, but to figure out ways to help his son and future generations.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems for Shane, you can contact him through our Soil Health Educator Jessica Kelton at jkelton@soilhealthinstitute.org.

Donny Lassiter of Conway, North Carolina, is a third-generation farmer. On his family's farm they grow peanuts, corn, non-GMO soybeans, wheat, barley, and pumpkins—but what he’s most passionate about is producing cotton. For the past 20 years, cotton is what his family has been able to rely on. Donny plants cover crops, such as wheat, rye and oats, in the fall and winter, which have helped conserve soil nutrients, suppress weeds, and control erosion. He has transitioned from strip-till to no-till practices in his fields in an effort to reduce fuel and improve efficiency. Additionally, Donny uses a diverse crop mix to increase soil health.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems for Donny, you can contact him through our Soil Health Educator Emily Ball at eball@soilhealthinstitute.org.

Wes Kirkpatrick of Dumas, Arkansas, uses no-till on his operation and cereal grains as his primary cover crop as part of his soil health management system (SHMS). While using SHMS, he has seen improved water infiltration and reduced weed pressure.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems for Wes, you can contact him through our Soil Health Educator Emily Ball at eball@soilhealthinstitute.org.

Annie Dee is a part owner of Dee River Ranch, a 10,000 acre farm near Aliceville, Alabama. This family-operated farm in the Black Belt region consists of row crops and timber. Dee River Ranch utilizes precision agriculture and energy conservation. All row crops are planted on 30-inch beds or hips using no-till. Fields are hipped in the fall and then a single or a mixture of cover crop species are planted. Their systems are constantly being modified to improve soil quality and productivity by building soil organic matter. The farm also engages in collaborations with several universities in irrigation research projects, and crop variety and fungicide trials.

Annie earned her bachelor’s degree in Animal Industries from Clemson University. Annie has been involved with a large variety of organizations including the Alabama Soybean and Corn Association, Pickens County Farmers Federation, West Alabama Food Bank, Soybean Innovation Lab Advisory Board administered through University of Illinois, USDA Cover Crop Advisory Board, National Association of Conservation Districts, Farm Journal Foundation, United Soybean Board, and the Alabama Soybean Producers. She currently serves on the NRCS State Advisory Board, the Simplot Grower Solutions Grower Council, and the Agriculture Advisory Council of the Birmingham branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Annie has worked with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation on “Invest an Acre” and “Harvesting the Potential” programs.

Zeb Winslow of Scotland Neck, North Carolina, is a fifth-generation farmer. His venture into soil health started under the guidance of his father, particularly after he began to cultivate cotton using a strip till system, a technique he adopted after working with the Fishing Creek Soil and Water Conservation District in the late 1990s. This method involved the use of a cereal grain as a cover crop, which was terminated early to prevent excessive growth. On Zeb’s 900 acre farm, he employs a varied crop rotation strategy including corn, soybean (both full season and double crop), wheat, and cotton. He combines no-till planting methods with a variety of cover crops to enhance soil health.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems for Zeb, you can contact him through our Soil Health Educator Emily Ball at eball@soilhealthinstitute.org.

Noah Goza of Oklahoma leads the FarmComp department at Heartland Soil Services. This department focuses on helping farmers with conservation practices such as precision nutrient management, cover crops, no-till, and conservation crop rotation. The department works closely with SHI, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and other partners in conservation to provide education and assist farmers implementing new practices. Before he was a FarmComp Account Manager, he worked as a precision agronomist at a cooperative and at a private ag retailer. He began focusing on conservation in 2019 when he became an NRCS Technical Service Provider. Noah received his B.S. in Soil and Crop Science from Colorado State University. He holds several Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) certificates and is on the Kansas CCA Board of Directors. 

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems for Noah, you can contact him through our Soil Health Educator Jessica Kelton at jkelton@soilhealthinstitute.org. 

Tamara Daniel of Texas serves as the Executive Director for the Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts (ATSWCD). Before her current position, she worked at both the ATSWCD and the National Association of Conservation Districts for more than 20 years. Before her time in conservation, Tamara worked for Congressman Henry Bonilla on agriculture and natural resource issues. She is a graduate of Texas Tech University, where she received a degree in Agriculture Communications. 

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems for Tamara, you can contact her through our Soil Health Educator Jessica Kelton at jkelton@soilhealthinstitute.org. 

Brandon Dillard of Hartford, Alabama, is with the Alabama Crop Improvement Association (ACIA). Brandon earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Auburn University in Agronomics and Weed Science. For over 10 years, Brandon served as the Regional Extension Agent in row crops with Alabama Cooperative Extension. During his time with Extension, he worked with cotton and peanut production while also developing an irrigation management research and outreach program. In his current role with ACIA, Brandon has been involved in seed increase efforts for several cover crop varieties including species such as sunn hemp, clovers, vetches, and lupins. Brandon farms with his wife, Nicole, and two children, Cora Lee and Judd.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems for Brandon, you can contact him through our Soil Health Educator Jessica Kelton at jkelton@soilhealthinstitute.org.

Doug Newton of Clio, South Carolina, is a Cover Crop Specialist at Scout Seed Co. and an advisor at Carolina Agronomy. Doug has 49 years of farming experience and describes himself as a long-time cover crop advocate. In 1976 he began farming full-time in partnership with his dad on their conventionally tilled farm, but Doug believed there was a more efficient way of farming. In 1993 he had the opportunity to test if no-till could be used on his farm. Doug travelled to Tennessee to participate in a two-day seminar on no-till, where he saw fields that had been in continuous no-till for 14 years. One of the most thought-provoking things he witnessed during the seminar was the side-by-side display of a conventional field and a no-till field. Seeing that, he decided to start with a five-acre test field. Doug’s initial experiment yielded positive results, prompting him to adopt no-till practices and incorporate cover crops into his farming operation.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems, you can contact Doug at 843.992.3593, or read his blogs discussing cover crops.

Will Mann of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, has been an agronomist for several farming operations in Halifax County, North Carolina, for the past four years. His career began with a local agricultural retailer selling fertilizer, seed, and pesticides. Will then began working for the Fishing Creek Soil and Water Conservation District in Halifax County for 21 years. His whole career has been centered on regenerative practices including cover crops, conservation tillage, and high-density grazing practices. Will says that the success he has achieved in his career is due to his faith and having great farmers to work with.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems, you can contact Will at wmann@hotmail.com.

Jesse Flye of Jonesboro, Arkansas, is a fourth-generation farmer. Jesse farms with his father and brother on White Flye Farms where they grow cotton, row rice, soybeans, corn, and peanuts. They worked closely with Dr. Bill Robertson, former cotton agronomist with the University of Arkansas (UARK), to try various approaches to production practices that included adjusting plant populations and growing cover crops on about one-fourth of their cotton acres. Part of his acreage is located on the Judd Hill Foundation farm, where he works with the UARK Extension, Arkansas State University researchers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and others to evaluate production practices, new varieties, new technology, and soil health practices. He understands the value of preserving the soil, where healthy soil practices equate to healthy crops, and will lead to an increase in profitability through reduced inputs. Jesse enjoys trying new rotations and techniques every year to see what works best for their operation. He was recently named the “2024 Conservation Systems Cotton Farmer of the Year” at the 27th Annual National Conservation Systems Cotton & Rice Conference, Southern Soybean & Corn Conference, Delta States Irrigation Conference, and the Southern Precision Ag Conference.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems for Jesse, you can contact him through our Soil Health Educator Emily Ball at eball@soilhealthinstitute.org.

Myron Johnson of Headland, Alabama, is a fourth-generation row crop farmer. Myron knows good soil health plays a vital role in a farmer’s economic bottom line. Myron grows cotton, wheat, rye, oats, and peanuts on 1,800 acres. He also manages hay ground and pasture for his cow/calf operation. By using rye as a cover crop, he’s noticed that more crop residue on the soil’s surface has helped him improve his yields during droughts, increased water infiltration and beneficial soil microorganisms, and lowered soil erosion, evaporation rates, and weed pressure. While learning to use cover crops and plant row crops in them, Myron invented a cover crop roller and secured a patent for it. He licensed Kelley Manufacturing Company to put it on their strip tills. He also designed his own machine called a coupling plow to manage cotton stalks without having to do heavy tillage.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems for Myron, you can contact him through our Soil Health Educator Jessica Kelton at jkelton@soilhealthinstitute.org.

Riley Davis of Parrott, Georgia, is a fourth-generation farmer who grows cotton, peanuts, corn, soybeans, pecans, and wheat. Riley utilizes innovative techniques, such as 72-inch row spacing on cotton, and heavy cover crops as part of his soil health management system, to improve yields and soil health. He understands the importance of keeping up with the latest research and developments to allow his operation to be more efficient and to ensure their soil will be able to grow many more years’ worth of crops. While raising three sons alongside his wife, Jessie, Riley makes sustainability, longevity of the farm, and planning for future generations a top priority. Riley says that if you don’t look after the soil, you can’t expect it to look after you.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems for Riley, you can contact him through our Soil Health Educator Jessica Kelton at jkelton@soilhealthinstitute.org.

Lars Ely of Sunflower, Mississippi, manages Ely Properties, a 1,660-acre family farm that has maintained and created bird habitat for decades. Their property was once a cotton and cattle operation that was converted into a 100% no-till row crop farm and has remained this way for many years.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems for Lars, you can contact him through our Soil Health Educator Jessica Kelton at jkelton@soilhealthinstitute.org.

We are fortunate to have three University of Georgia Extension Foundation Agents serving as SHI Technical Specialists. If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems in Georgia, feel free to reach out to Peyton at psapp@uga.edu.

Peyton Sapp has been a Jefferson County Extension Coordinator for the University of Georgia (UGA) Extension since 2008 and began his Extension career in 1994. He graduated from the Animal and Dairy Science Department and obtained his master’s degree in Extension Education from the UGA. With 30 years of Extension work, Peyton’s had the opportunity to serve in various counties where he has developed an appreciation for helping growers improve their on-farm management to better their production systems. Peyton says that he has always worked extremely hard to develop a solid, one on one working relationship with growers. He enjoys attending conferences to network with other educators and growers to learn more about techniques that have made them successful. Through his local programming, Peyton developed a replicated cover crop study to evaluate the long-term impacts of cover crops in a corn, cotton, and peanut rotation. There are four treatments: rye, rye/clover, six species mix, and no cover. Peyton is attempting to monitor the changes over time in soil organic matter, moisture holding capacity of the soil, crop yields, nematodes, production input costs, etc. This study is in the third year and has already highlighted how dynamic cover crop systems can be.

Pamela Sapp is also a Jefferson County Extension Coordinator for the UGA Extension. She has been working with cover crop trials since 2013 both on-farm and at the Southeast Georgia Research and Education Center (SEREC). Pamela’s work in cover crops includes a series of demonstration trials comparing various types of cover crops as monoculture and in various mixes. She also co-hosts an annual cover crop field day each year at the SEREC highlighting these trials, planter setup, economics, soil health, and grower panels. Pamela currently works with the Soil Health Institute in conducting field days, grower education, and research efforts.

Jason Mallard is the Southeast District Area Water Agent for the UGA Extension where he promotes agricultural water irrigation management. Jason started his career in conservation in 2005 when he served in the position of Irrigation Specialist followed by Resource Specialist with the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission in Statesboro, Georgia. He is a certified irrigation designer through the Irrigation Association. In 2015, he began working for the UGA Extension as a County Extension Agent where he has developed programming on irrigation water management through soil moisture sensors and grazing lands pasture health. The impact of the projects Jason has led in water management has saved an estimated 376 million gallons of water. He and his family spend their extra time raising cattle on their family farm.

Dr. Lindsey Slaughter of Lubbock, Texas, is an Associate Professor of Soil Microbial Ecology and Biochemistry in the Department of Plant & Soil Science at Texas Tech University. As a professor, she teaches an introductory soil science course for undergraduate students, and both graduate and undergraduate courses in soil microbial ecology. Dr. Slaughter received her bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Management from the University of Tennessee-Martin, and her master’s degree in Plant and Soil Sciences is from the University of Kentucky. Her doctorate in Soil Science is from the University of Kentucky. A primary goal of Dr. Slaughter’s research is to inform management decisions in semi-arid systems that lead to greater soil health and ecosystem function.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems, you can contact Lindsey at lindsey.slaughter@ttu.edu.

Parker Frew of Greenville, Mississippi, is a Program Manager/Field Conservationist at Delta F.A.R.M. and a Wildlife Biologist with Delta Wildlife. As Program Manager, he focuses on engaging farmers to increase adoption of practices that advance cover crops, soil health, water quality, and irrigation efficiency. Parker received a degree in Environmental Science from Delta State University. Before joining the Delta F.A.R.M. and Delta Wildlife, he worked for the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems, you can contact Parker at 662.931.0561 or parker@deltawildlife.org.

Dr. Bill Robertson of Bradford, Arkansas, focused on sustainable cotton production that emphasized soil health which included cover crops, reduced tillage, and crop rotation over the course of his Extension appointment at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, before retiring in January 2023. Over his years in Extension, he paved the way for improved recommendations and sustainable fiber production in Arkansas. He possesses a great understanding of soil health and its connection to sustainability, which allowed his research to have positive impacts across the cotton industry. Upon retirement, Dr. Robertson is looking forward to spending time with his wife, Carey, and continuing to improve the soil health and overall productivity at his own farm. Dr. Robertson serves as a Technical Specialist for USRCF in Arkansas.

If you have any questions regarding soil health and cotton systems, you can contact Bill at 501.425.0549.

Dr. Katherine East is a Soil Health Educator and Modeling Specialist for the Climate-Smart Potatoes in the Pacific Northwest project. Prior to joining SHI, she was most recently a Research Associate with the USDA Viticulture Soils Lab in Prosser, Washington, where she conducted research examining the relationship between soil characteristics and nematode reproduction in vineyard soils. She also previously served as the Viticulture Extension Specialist for Michigan State University. Dr. East obtained a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Washington State University, where she studied the biology and management of nematode pests in vineyards, and a B.S. in Biology from the University of British Columbia.

Ann Marie Calabro is a Soil Health Educator and Project Manager supporting SHI’s engagement with the Farmers for Soil Health Climate-Smart Commodity Partnership. Ann Marie has over a decade of experience serving as an Agronomist, Soil Health Specialist, and Agricultural Environmental Management Coordinator for the Suffolk County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in New York. During her time with the Suffolk County SWCD, Ann Marie fostered cooperative partnerships to protect and enhance water quality, soil health, and the environment for the region and provided technical assistance and education to Long Island producers focused on soil health systems and natural resource management. In addition to her technical and administrative duties, she provided leadership for several state and regional organizations, serving as a board member for the New York State Conservation Districts Employees’ Association and the Peconic Land Trust Farms for the Future Initiative.

Ann Marie holds a B.A. in Biological Science and a B.A. in Education from the State University of NY at Old Westbury, and a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Food and Farming from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at UMass.

Erin Gundy is a Soil Health Educator working in corn and soybean systems across the Midwest in support of the Farmers for Soil Health Climate-Smart Commodities Partnership. Prior to SHI, she served as Resource Conservationist, then STAR Operations Manager, for the Champaign County Soil & Water Conservation District in Illinois where she provided technical assistance to farmers and educators, worked with partners to develop and execute programs through grant management and community engagement, and upheld the district’s mission: Clean Water, Healthy Soils. She received her B.S. in Agronomy with a minor in Natural Resource and Environmental Science and her 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.

Shannon Moeller is a Soil Health Educator located in the Midwest. She received her Bachelor of Science degrees in Agronomy (Soils and Environmental Sciences option) and International Agriculture, and a minor in Agricultural Education from Iowa State University in 2013.

Prior to joining the Institute, Shannon worked on various conservation projects, most notably she served as Project Coordinator for the Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative from 2016 to 2022. In this role, she promoted cover crops in seed corn production systems throughout Iowa. Under her guidance, the cover crop adoption rate increased from 5% to more than 40% coverage on Iowa’s vulnerable seed corn production acres.

Shannon is very passionate about soil health and regenerative agriculture. She is deeply committed to learning from farmers and keeping up with the latest developments in soil health knowledge and the implementation of soil health practices on farms.

Emily Ball is a Soil Health Educator working with the U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund. Prior to SHI, she was a Soil Conservationist with USDA-NRCS in Maryland. She received her B.S. in Environmental Science from Delaware Valley University and her M.S. in Soil Science with a minor in Biogeochemistry from Penn State. Her research focused on soil properties and management decisions and their effect on nitrous oxide emissions in dairy cropping systems.

Jessica Kelton is a Soil Health Educator working with the U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund. Prior to this role, she served as a Farm and Agribusiness Agent with Auburn University’s Extension System, providing row crop producers with resources for economic sustainability and niche crops. She received her B.S. degree in Biology from Troy University and her M.S. in Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences from Auburn University, where she studied weed suppression with cover crops and herbicide resistance management in reduced tillage systems.

Cameron Ogilvie, M.S., is a Soil Health Educator for SHI, where he is leading a soil health education program for farmers and agronomists in Canada. He previously served as the Knowledge Mobilization Coordinator for Soils at Guelph, which is a University of Guelph initiative to mobilize the results of soil health research and bridge gaps among farmers, researchers, and the public. He received a B.S. in Agricultural Science and an M.S. in Cropping Systems & Agronomy from the University of Guelph, where he studied the on-farm impacts of cover crops (he prefers to call them “service crops”) on water and nutrient cycling.

Before retiring from SHI in June 2024, Mr. David Lamm conducted soil health education programs for farmers, their advisers, and other practitioners across the United States, building from his 40+ years of experience in working directly with farmers to improve the health of their soils and associated natural resources. He served in various positions within the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), rising to National Team Leader of the inaugural National Soil Health and Sustainability Team.

Prior to that national position he served as the Assistant State Conservationist for Programs for the state of Georgia and a District Conservationist in Indiana. He assisted with implementing the USDA-NRCS Organic Agriculture and Sustainable Agriculture program and the USDA-NRCS Conservation Security Program. Mr. Lamm earned his B.S. in Natural Resources from Ball State University.