Outreach
Outreach
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Photo by Liz Schultheis
I believe that researchers and farmers are most successful when we share knowledge, concerns, and resources with one another.
I believe that researchers and farmers are most successful when we share knowledge, concerns, and resources with one another.
In my graduate work and previous roles, I collaborate with farmers, outreach specialists, scientists, and others to contribute to agricultural outreach efforts:
Presenting my research at field days and grower meetings
Creating outreach materials including bulletins and articles
Visiting farms to build relationships and provide soil health consultations
Sharing agricultural science with the broader public
Agricultural outreach
Agricultural outreach
Prairie strip partial budget
Prairie strip partial budget
One major gap in promoting conservation practices is understanding their economic costs and benefits. I partnered with MiSTRIPS (Michigan Prairie Strips) to publish an Extension bulletin, “Budgeting for Prairie Strips,” which estimates the costs of prairie strip conversion. This bulletin includes an interactive budget calculator to let farmers estimate when prairie conversion would profit more than producing a crop.
Potato field day
Potato field day
Field days and agricultural events are foundational to outreach within the agricultural community. As part of my field talk at the MSU Potato Field Day (2024) I created a handout summarizing the pros and cons of different conservation practices in potato systems. Growing potatoes is especially destructive to soil health and little research has been done to find better ways to produce them, despite Michigan being the #1 producer of chipping potatoes.
On-farm research
On-farm research
Most agronomic research is conducted on university experimental sites, which do not accurately reflect working farm conditions. To understand how different farm conditions alter soil health benefits, I conducted a large on-farm experiment sampling established prairie strips in Michigan to test their potential soil health gains. I worked with six farmers and provided them individual soil health reports to share results in a meaningful way.
What else have I been up to?
What else have I been up to?
October 2025. I wrote a blog post, The functional groups of prairie strip people, as part of the LTER’s Short Stories About Long-Term Research (SSALTER) Blog.
July 2025. I had a booth at the Prairie Strips that Pay field day, hosted by Shady Side Farm and the Ottawa Conservation District.
March 2025. I visited farmer collaborators from my on-farm research project and shared results in individual soil health reports.
January 2025. I was a facilitator for soil health breakout discussions at the KBS-LTAR Winter Summit.
October 2024. I gave a field talk to the Soil Health Institute's Farmers for Soil Health program.
September 2024. I co-wrote a trifold handout for the MSU Blueberry Field Day. I also gave a field talk at the KBS-LTER All-Scientist's Meeting.
August 2024. I gave a field talk at the MSU Potato Field Day and created a handout, "Soil health considerations in potato cropping systems."
July 2024. I gave a field talk at the NC-SARE Administrative Council Field Day.
June 2024. I published an MSU Extension bulletin in partnership with MiSTRIPS, "Budgeting for prairie strips."
May 2024. I worked with MSU Extension and the Van Buren Conservation District to recruit farmer collaborators and conduct research site visits as part of my on-farm research project.
February 2024. I presented my work creating the prairie strip partial budget at the 2024 Prairie Strip All-Hands Meeting.
January 2024. I was a facilitator for a cover crops breakout session at the KBS-LTAR Winter Summit.
July 2023. I wrote an MSU Extension article as a Field Crops Team Assistant, "Soil health gains from manure." I also created posters and handouts for multiple Michigan field days.
August 2021. I published an MSU Extension report created during my internship, "2017-2021 Winter Barley Variety Trials."
July 2021. I co-wrote a summary from the 2021 Small Grains for Brewing and Distilling Field Day, which I co-organized.
Public outreach
Public outreach
Soil painting booth at MSU SciFest
Soil painting booth at MSU SciFest
As part of the 2025 MSU SciFest STEAM Expo, I co-ran a soil painting booth with MSU graduate students Stephen Stresow and Grace Sidberry. We invited over 500 visitors to create artwork using soil paints. Who knew soil could be so colorful!?
Dirty little worms & other science talks
Dirty little worms & other science talks
There is so much about soil that we do not know, and I love to share the fascinating world of agroecology when I can! I have given a Biology on Tap talk about soil nematodes to the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy and guest lectured for the Michigan Garden Club's Environmental School.
What else have I been up to?
What else have I been up to?
November 2025. I gave a lecture as part of the Michigan Garden Club's Environmental School.
June 2025. I was a volunteer photographer at the KBS BioBlitz (bee team!). I also gave a field talk to teachers attending the K-12 Partnership Summer Workshop.
May 2025. I was a guest speaker at the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy's Biology on Tap series & I started Dirty Little Worms (AKA social media for nematodes)!
April 2025. I co-ran a booth at the 2025 MSU SciFest STEAM Expo, Soil: A medium for life and art. We had over 500 visitors!
August 2021. I co-produced a video series highlighting research at KBS, as part of the North Central Climate Collaborative (NC3).
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