Ken is Associate Professor of Soil and Crop Science in the Department of Agricultural Sciences.  His research areas are regenerative agriculture, soil health, and entomology, and climate and water resources. He oversees several projects with graduate students; regenerative grazing, biological seed coating for enhanced germination in crops and grassland species, and social aspects of agriculture that create barriers and bridges to regenerative agriculture practices and achieving soil health metrics. He is PI for several USDA grants, all of them associated with SPI.  He is co-owner of SKM Homestead, a 50 acre mixed livestock, apiculture and produce farm.  He also had a 20 acre vegetable farm in central Indiana in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

Angela McDermott is the Grant Director for Small Producers Initiative. She is a Grenadian American and has worked for non-profit farms for 10 years in San Antonio, TX and Atlanta, GA, including the San Antonio Food Bank and Global Growers Network. She is passionate about helping people to grow food for themselves, composting, food ways and sharing that history with her kiddo. 

Hunter serves as a Project Coordinator for SPI with experience facilitating a wide-range of professional development activities in organic and regenerative agriculture. He received his M.S. in Agriculture with a specialization in Soil Science from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where he served as a lecturer and helped to establish and direct the Center for Sustainability in the College of Agriculture. Early in his career, he worked in the natural foods industry, and he has enjoyed a life-long passion for good food and the great outdoors.

With a background in development, event management, and creative marketing across nonprofit and small business sectors, Loren leads fundraising efforts and fosters community connections to advance SPI’s mission and strategic goals. Her expertise in coordinating events, outreach initiatives, and strategic communications, combined with a deep passion for food, nature and the environment, fuels her commitment to building resilient food systems and promoting regenerative practices.

Hannah supports outreach, media, and grant/loan technical assistance for the Small Producers Initiative. Raised on a small dairy farm in Michigan, she developed a deep passion for agriculture, which inspired her to pursue a degree in Agribusiness Management at Texas State University. Her diverse experience spans working with cattle operations, farmers markets, and financial services at Capital Farm Credit. Hannah is enthusiastic about connecting with producers and is dedicated to assisting them in any way she can!

Kyle obtained an MS in Aquatic Resources from Texas State in 2022 where he focused on methylmercury accumulation in ducks and sharks. He has undergraduate experience in soil microbiology and ecology and brings with him extensive knowledge of technology coupled with a passion for environmental awareness and conservation. Kyle manages the Soil, Plant, Animal Health Research Continuum (SPAHRC) Laboratory.