Dan Nagengast's Letter to KRC Constituents

Read Dan Nagengast's departure letter to KRC Constituents here.

Julie Mettenburg is the Executive Director of the Kansas Rural Center.  Julie was raised on a small farm near Princeton, Kansas, in Franklin County, where she is still active in the day-to-day operations of grass-finishing and direct marketing beef and other meats with her parents and siblings. She brings to KRC a background in small business and nonprofit marketing communications and management, plus time spent in ag journalism. She began working with KRC as Kaw River Valley coordinator for Our Local Food in April 2011, taking on the role of KRC executive director December 1.

Julie has a master of arts degree in politics from the City University of New York with a specialty in public policy, and a bachelor of science degree in journalism from the University of Kansas. She lives in Lawrence with her husband, Peter Burns, and their two children, who are already involved in projects as fifth-generation farmers.

Julie Mettenburg - Executive Director - Lawrence
785-393-9996, juliemettenburg@gmail.com

Mary Fund - Communications Director/
Clean Water Farms Project Coordinator, Whiting
Work: 785-873-3431 or Home: 785-939-2032
ksrc@rainbowtel.net

Mary Fund is the Project Director for KRC's Clean Water Farm-River Friendly Farm Project, which provides planning assistance and limited cost-share to farmers and ranchers wanting to improve water quality on their farms. She also is the editor of KRC's newsletter, Rural Papers, and handles KRC's communications about farm and rural policy issues.

Mary represents KRC on the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and monitors federal farm policy for KRC. She is one of two staff in the Whiting office, and therefore answers general questions and inquiries to KRC and points callers to the right "expert" on or off staff. She and her husband, Ed Reznicek, and their two children, own and operate a 400 acre certified organic farm in Nemaha County as 4th generation family farmers. Mary's personal interests include vegetable gardening, as well as raising flowers, and reading and writing.

As Administrator, Diane Dysart manages KRC’s financial resources, budgets and bookkeeping files. She also tracks mailing lists and contribution records. Diane and her husband, Fred have three children, eight horses, and three dogs and live in rural Netawaka.

Diane Dysart - Administrator - Whiting
Work: 785-873-3431
ddysart@rainbowtel.net

Dale Kirkham - Clean Water Farms Field Organizer
Eureka
Work/Home: 620-583-5247 or Cell: 620-344-0202
dalekirkham@msn.com

Dale Kirkham assists farmers and ranchers in SE and SC Kansas with the Clean Water Farm-River Friendly Farm Project self-assessment and projects that improve water quality and related natural resources on their land. His special interests include livestock and grazing management, protection of native prairies, and wildflower identification. He and his wife Nancy operate a small ranch in the southern Flint Hills where they raise registered Brangus cattle.

Natalie Fullerton grew up in northeast Nebraska where h r work in the family garden was a great influence on her interests in food and agriculture today. After obtaining a B.S. in Horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, she jumped into the Master’s program where she worked as a graduate assistant through the Nebraska Rural Initiative. Her graduate project focused on the use of high tunnels and the economics of being able to produce profitably while selling locally. Natalie received her MS in Public Horticulture Administration in May 2010. Natalie joined KRC’s Our Local Food Program in early 2011 after moving to Wichita, Ks. with her husband. She is excited to be a part of the local food movement in Kansas.

Natalie Fullerton, South Central OLF Regional coordinator
Southcentral.olf@gmail.com or 402-310-0177