The Pasture Project’s core team engages with farmers, grazing experts, partner organizations, and funders on work throughout the Upper Midwest River Basin.
Pete Huff is an Associate Director at the Wallace Center where he oversees the Resilient Agriculture & Ecosystems Initiative and the Pasture Project. His background is in regenerative agriculture and food system program design and implementation in the U.S. and Australia, including farm management. He holds degrees in Environmental Management and History from Indiana University and a Masters of Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota. He’s based in western Wisconsin.
Kelsey’s passion for agriculture and local food systems grew out of her upbringing in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where she worked as a farm hand on several diversified farming operations. After earning her dual B.A. in Environmental Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies from Guilford College, Kelsey spent 3 years on the management team for a specialty food store in Charlottesville, VA, where she coordinated with farmers and regional purveyors to market locally sourced food. Her interests eventually brought her to the Wallace Center where she works as a Senior Program Associate, helping to support the regenerative grazing efforts of the Pasture Project.
Elisabeth is a Senior Program Associate with the Wallace Center who helps support the Pasture Project. She first became interested in regenerative agriculture while taking animal science classes at the University of Tennessee and later working as dairy manager for an 80-cow grass-fed dairy and processing plant in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Elisabeth specializes in understanding and documenting the environmental and economic impacts of regenerative practices. She holds an M.S. in Agriculture, Food, and Environment with a specialization in spatial analysis from Tufts University and a B.A. in Animal Agriculture and Food Security, a self-designed major, from the University of Tennessee.
Jane is a Program Associate on the Pasture Project team at the Wallace Center. Before landing at the Pasture Project, Jane worked on ecological research and restoration projects in Iowa tallgrass prairies and Florida scrub. Her interest in resilient, regenerative farming systems comes from a love of food and community and a deep interest in agroecology. Jane has a background in community ecology and grassland ecosystems and holds a B.A. in Biology from Grinnell College.
Mallory Krieger is a contractor serving as the lead Illinois organizer for the Pasture Project. She has extensive experience developing and facilitating educational events, networking opportunities, and risk management resources for regenerative farmers in Illinois. Mallory is a member of the planning committee for Illinois’ largest farmer-to-farmer network, the Idea Farm Network, and is the National Program Director for the Organic Agronomy Training Service, an organization working to bring robust access to technical assistance for certified and transitional organic farmers. In addition to this work, Mallory owns and manages an 85 acre farm in western Illinois.
Allen Williams is a 6th generation family farmer and founding partner of Understanding Ag, LLC and the Soil Health Academy. He is also a partner in Joyce Farms, Inc. He has consulted with more than 4000 farmers and ranchers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and other countries, on operations ranging from a few acres to over 1 million acres. Allen pioneered many of the early regenerative grazing protocols and forage finishing techniques and now teaches them to farmers globally. He is a “recovering academic”, having served 15 years on the faculty at Louisiana Tech University and Mississippi State University. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Animal Science from Clemson University and a Ph.D. in Livestock Genetics from LSU.
Rod Ofte is a fourth generation rancher who operates a rotational grazing operation on 400 acres near Coon Valley, WI. He has around 30 cow calf pairs and grass finishes approximately 100 hd per year that he sells direct to consumers and to the Wisconsin Grass-fed Beef Cooperative. He also raises pastured pork and range free layers. He holds a BS from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY and an MBA from Boston University. Mr. Ofte has over 25 years of experience in the food industry including time working in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He is President of Norse Group Consulting, and has been the General Manager of the Wisconsin Grass-fed Beef Cooperative since its inception in 2008.
Valley Stewardship Network works to protect our land and waters through research, education, and community empowerment.
Understanding Ag is a regenerative agricultural consulting company that provides the support and confidence to help clients reduce input costs, generate actual profits and ensure family farming futures. They accomplish this by educating and mentoring farmers, ranchers, landowners, businesses, and communities in the principles and practices needed to restore, repair, rebuild, regenerate their farming and ranching ecosystems.
