2024 Speakers
Keynote Speaker
Ron Rabou, Rabou Farms
Ron Rabou is a Wyoming native, whose roots run deep in American agriculture. He is passionate about his own farm as well as working with farm families in transition and succession planning. Rabou’s farm was featured as one of three national finalists by Farm Journal for Top Producer of the Year. He is co-host of the AgInspo Podcast, a columnist, and a nationally known author and speaker. His newest book “Make Your OWN Way” shares his personal story of breaking the mold and creating independence in American agriculture. He is a member of the Cheyenne Rotary Club, on the National Board of Directors for the American Society of Agriculture Consultants, a board member of the University of Wyoming’s College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, and is a graduate of the University of Wyoming with a BS in Agricultural Business. He resides on his farm near Albin, Wyoming with his wife and 3 sons.
Conference Speakers
Dr. Mary Miles, Professor & Associate Dean of Research, Montana State University
Dr. Mary Miles is a Professor in the Department of Food Systems, Nutrition, and Kinesiology, and Associate Dean of Research in the College of Education, Health, and Human Development at Montana State University in Bozeman. Dr. Miles research focuses on interactions between metabolism and health, with the goal of developing therapeutic strategies to reduce the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and CVD.
Jane H. Smith, M.D., Co-owner, Aspen Island, LLC
It is an honor to once again speak at the MOA conference. I am an overcomer who refuses to accept that pain and suffering are the best life has to offer, which is one of the big reasons my husband, Mark, and I started raising grass-fed organic beef eighteen years ago in Montana. As a retired Integrative medical doctor and former bed-ridden patient, I have seen plenty of suffering and understand that organic food is the key to health, while ultra-processed food destroys it. The world is changing; organic food will be the mainstay of our country’s food supply in the not-too-distant future. The sooner we help those around us understand this, the sooner we all heal. At this year’s MOA conference, I invite you to come talk with me about the nutritional superiority of organic food, the need to produce as well as eat it, and the ethics of clean food production.
Mihail Kennedy, Production Manager, B Bar Ranch
From a young age Mihail was interested in where food came from and spent a great deal of time with a local ranch family that sold beef to his parents’ restaurant in Billings, Montana. In college he worked at ZooMontana while completing his degree in environmental studies and this is where he fell in love with ecology. After graduation he went on to work as the environmental restoration manager for Montana Audubon, charged with restoring an old gravel mine to various native ecosystems. At some point it became clear to him that the best use of his restaurant and ecology backgrounds was in raising food and when the opportunity to work at B Bar arose, he jumped at the chance. Mihail approaches agriculture with his ecology background and believes that without a healthy functioning ecosystem, you can’t raise high quality food. Throughout the last ten years he’s been able to learn a great deal about regenerative agriculture and see the results of these processes as he manages the day to day and beef production of the ranch. Ecosystems are in a constant state of flux and therefore one needs to be able to adapt their management to the present and future conditions.
Nancy Beech, Owner/Operator, Mountain Spring Farms, LLC
2014 -2024 Owner/Operator – Mountain Spring Farms, LLC. A Montana Certified Organic farm specializing in Montana Certified Seed Potatoes, Seed Garlic and Blueberry fruit production. 2000 -2014 Business Owner – Horseshoe Grove Nursery and Landscaping installing residential and commercial landscape plantings, hardscapes, water features and ponds. 1993 -2002 Paradise and Somers, MT Superfund toxic waste site subcontractor installing and maintaining large area vegetative plantings. 1984 -2000 Business Owner – Horseshoe Grove Nursery wholesale grower providing conifers, native plant species transplants and grafted fruit trees to nurseries across Montana and the upper NW. 1998-2002 Montana Nursery and Landscape Association Board of Director Member and Association President. 1982 -2020 Elected, appointed and volunteer positions including school boards, refuse district board, community development board, 4H leader/superintendent, NW Regional RC&D member, Regional Carbon Offset Coalition member.
Brandon Tillett, Graduate Research Assistant Montana State University
Brandon is a PhD candidate in genetics and plant bioscience. Research focus is on flowering time, dormancy, tillering and head metric genes in common and durum wheat.
Len Wunderly, Plant Manager, Bay State Milling of Montana
Len has a degree in Milling Science from Kansas State University. He started working for Bay State after graduating and this June will mark 25 years in the industry. He worked at 5 out of our 6 wheat flour mills and was the Corporate Milling Technical resource before accepting the Plant Manager position in Belgrade 2 years ago to help grow Sow Naked gluten free oat business.
Participating on the Montana Processor Introductions panel.
Caleb Hale, PhD Student, Montana State University
Caleb is a plant breeding and genetics researcher focused on breeding new wheat varieties for Montana. Currently pursuing a PhD, Caleb has led research projects in the Montana State University durum breeding program, specifically targeting tillering potential, seed size, height, and fusarium head blight resistance. Additionally, he is working with the spring wheat and winter wheat breeding programs to improve tillering potential across the various types of wheat (and triticale) grown in Montana. Caleb has a background in organic agriculture, having worked summers on his uncle’s organic dairy farm in Skagit County, WA, while growing up. When not working, Caleb enjoys outdoor activities like skiing, biking, and camping.
Jan Tusick, Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center Director, Mission West Community Development Partners
Jan Tusick is the co-founder and Director of Lake County Community Development Corporation’s Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center- a Food, Agriculture and Cooperative Development Center- www.mmfec.org. The center provides a unique opportunity for area agricultural producers and food entrepreneurs in their business development by providing a USDA and FDA inspected shared- use processing facility with technical expertise and support. During the last 20 years Jan has effectively assisted food businesses, cooperative groups and value added agricultural ventures in their business development, providing business and market planning, capitalization development, feasibility analysis, and navigating the food regulatory world. Her agricultural background of 35 years gives her a solid foundation of understanding the agricultural economy and the challenges it faces. She lives on an eighty acre sheep farm with her husband, Will, and their main production is natural lamb, which they direct market. As a committed agriculturist in Montana, Jan understands the challenges facing the small farmer today and is proactive in working hard to bring opportunities to Montana farmers and ranchers.
Sandy Sands, Foreign Labor Program Manager, Montana Dept. of Labor and Industry
Sandy Sands is the Foreign Labor Certification Program Manager and State Monitor Advocate for the State of Montana and DLI. He has been with the State of Montana for 20 years, spending 10 years at DPHHS working in Emergency Preparedness, as the Tribal Liaison and Special Populations Coordinator and in the HIV Prevention Program. At DLI, he has worked in Registered Apprenticeship and his current role since 2018. He is an avid cribbage player and enjoys traveling and playing competitively around the US and abroad, as well as hosting and directing tournaments in Montana.
Dr. Zach Miller, Montana State University
Dr. Zach Miller is an associate professor and superintendent of the Montana State University-Western Ag Research Center (WARC). WARC, located in Corvallis, Montana, is one of seven centers that make up the M.S.U.-Department of Research Centers. WARC’s focus is on high-value, specialty crops including fruits and vegetables. Dr. Miller’s expertise is in plant and pest ecology and integrated pest management. He’s conducted research around the globe, from the rain forests of Central and South America to the high plains of Utah and Montana. He received his doctorate from the University of Michigan. At Montana State University, Dr. Miller has used this ecological approach to address a variety of challenges facing farmers in the region. Dr. Miller’s research includes vegetable varieties suited for organic production, maximizing yields and returns for high tunnels, cold-hardy fruit production, including berries, grapes, and apples. More information about Dr. Miller and the research conducted at WARC can be found on their website (http://agresearch.montana.edu/warc/).
Jed Eberly, Associate Professor, Montana State University
Dr. Jed Eberly is an Assistant Professor in Agronomy & Soil Microbiology at the Montana State University Central Agricultural Research Center. Dr. Eberly graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2004 from Montana State University – Billings with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He graduated from Oregon State University in 2010 with a Ph.D. in Biological and Ecological Engineering. His research is focused on plant-microbe interactions and understanding the role of microorganisms in improving soil health and crop performance.
Clain Jones, Professor and MSU Extension Soil Fertility Specialist, Montana State University
Dr. Jones has worked in the area of nutrient management at MSU since 1999, and has been the Extension Soil Fertility Specialist since 2004. His research has focused on nutrient management in both conventional and organic systems, and currently he is studying soil acidification, sulfur fertility, and the effects of long-term cropping systems on soil health. His Extension work uses a range of delivery methods to reach as wide an audience as possible.
Ruth Smith, Foreign Labor Contractor, Peak Season Ag, LLC
Ruth has worked the the H-2A business for the past 7 years first as a Foreign Labor Contractor Employee and for the past 4 years as the owner and Foreign Labor Contractor for Peak Season Agriculture LLC. Peak Season Agriculture as a Certified Farm Labor Contractor established to recruit seasonal, temporary H-2A agricultural workers for farmers and ranchers in the Western United States. They work with several foreign recruiters who have a variety of experienced foreign labor ready to go to work as livestock workers, irrigators, or farm equipment operators. They specialize in english speaking workers mainly from South Africa. They recruit workers and help them attain their work visas to make them legal to work in the U.S. for up to 304 days at a time. They process all the necessary applications to “certify” you to bring workers and guide you through the compliance process.
Andrew Long, General Manager, Timeless Seeds
Participating on the Montana Processor Introductions panel.
Sam Schmidt, Procurement, Montana Milling, Inc.
Grain Buyer, Participating on the Montana Processor Introductions panel.