Department of Plant & Soil Sciences

Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Local Grains

Local Grains

Speakers & Workshop Leaders

Rachel Laudan

Rachel Laudan — Expert on how food and culture have evolved in tandem.

Sam Halcomb

General Manager of Walnut Grove Farms in Southeastern Kentucky

Erica Fields

Erica Fields — President and majority owner of Brooks Grain, LLC., Louisville, KY

Harold Wilken

Harold Wilken — Farmer and Operator of Janie's Farm Organic (Danforth, Illinois)

Greg Johnsman

Greg Johnsman — Geechie Boy Mill in Edisto Island, SC

Bill Samuels, Jr.

Bill Samuels, Jr. — Chairman Emeritus of Maker's Mark Distillery.

Andy Brown

Andy Brown — Baker at Bluegrass Baking Company.

Michelle Klein

Michelle Klein — Working on opening a new retail location with the team at Bellegarde.

Stephen Jones

Stephen Jones — Wheat breeder and Director of The Bread Lab at Washington State University.

Todd Barker

Todd Barker — Senior Partner and Practice Director at Meridian

Jane Bowie

Jane Bowie — Master of Maturation, Director of Advocacy, Heritage and Private Select at Maker's Mark Distillery

Brent Manning

Brent Manning — Co-founder of Riverbend Malt House in Asheville, NC

Aaron Reding

Aaron Reding — Homestead Family Farms in Howardstown, Kentucky

Chad Lee

Chad Lee — UK Grain and Forage Center of Excellence

Billy Van Pelt

Billy Van Pelt — Director of External Relations for the Southeast at American Farmland Trust

Justin Dean

Justin Dean — Chef, Amateur Butcher, Farmer, Acid Alchemist, Educator, Consultant, & Dad

Mindy Merrell & R.B. Quinn

Mindy Merrell & R.B. Quinn — RBandMindy.com

Galen Saturley

Galen Saturley — Vice President at Breadtopia

Andrew Heyn

Andrew Heyn — Elmore Mountain Bread & New American Stone Mills

Tom Edwards

Tom Edwards — Founder and owner of LouisMill and MozzaPi in Louisville, KY

David Shields

David Shields — Carolina Distinguished Professor at the University of South Carolina.

Amy Halloran

Amy Halloran — Food Security Manager at Unity House in upstate New York

Chris Paumi

Chris Paumi — Co-Owner, CEO, and Head Brewer of Fusion Brewing, Lexington, KY

Robert and Lara Swan

Robert and Lara Swan — Owners of Great Bagel & Bakery in Lexington, KY

Ryan Morgan

Ryan Morgan — Owner and head baker at Sixteen Bricks Artisan Bakehouse

Morgan Angelle

Morgan Angelle — Head baker at Bellegarde in New Orleans.

Jim Betts

Jim Betts — Bluegrass Baking Company in Lexington, KY

Glenn Roberts

Glenn Roberts — Founder of Anson Mills

R.T. Case

R.T. Case — Owner South Fork Malthouse, Cynthiana, KY

Aaron MacLeod

Aaron MacLeod — Director of the Hartwick College Center for Craft Food and Beverage

Lisa Marie White

Lisa Marie White — Lisa Marie White is an award-winning pastry chef

Elizabeth McCall

Elizabeth McCall — Certified Specialist of Spirits and Woodford Reserve Assistant Master Distiller.

© 2025 University of Kentucky, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

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Dave Van Sanford, Ph.D.
Professor, Plant & Soil Sciences

327 Plant Science Building Lexington, KY 40506-0312