Extension
It Starts With Us
Agriculture and Natural Resources
community development
Maple Syrup
Trail Development
Beekeeping
Non-Timber Forest Products
Wildlife Habitat Management
Adventure Tourism
Blueberry Production
Professionally: I graduated from the University of Kentucky with a BS in Agronomy in 1997. I graduated from Western Kentucky University with an MA in Organizational Leadership in 2021.
Programs: Most of my career has been directed towards small-scale horticulture, non-timber forest products and community development. The small-scale horticulture has primarily been Farmers Market crops, small fruits (brambles and blueberries) and fruit trees. The Non-timber forest products have focused on maple syrup (in which I have served as a primary facilitator for the state), ginseng, goldenseal and mushrooms. On community development, I have been heavily involved in several adventure tourism projects including the Pine Mountain Trail, Great Eastern Trail, East Kentucky Heritage Foundation, and the Letcher Co. Tourism Trails Committee.
I have served on the Kentucky Farm Bureau Board in my county since 1997, and was previously on the Young Farmers Committee. I currently serve on the KFB Natural Resources Committee.
Personally: I have been married to my wife Melanie since 1998. We have a daughter, Alyssa, who was born in 2006. I have been active at church, where I serve as a deacon, as a supply preacher, and on several committees. I completed a 26-year section hike of the 2,192-mile long Appalachian Trail in 2019. That same year, I also summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
