Staff Category: FARM Workforce Development Leadership

Lindsay Reames

Lindsay Reames leads Maola’s industry-leading sustainability initiatives, driving real, measurable change on dairy farms and across the supply chain. Under her leadership, Maola has become a recognized pioneer in on-farm sustainability, forging groundbreaking partnerships that put actionable, science-based sustainability practices in place at the farm level. Through her work, Maola was among the first dairy cooperatives to collaborate with customers and industry leaders to implement programs that directly reduce environmental impact while improving farm profitability.

In 2017, Lindsay was appointed by Governor McAuliffe to serve in his administration as the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In this role she led several significant, high-profile policy and programmatic initiatives within the Secretariat focusing on new crop development, environmental challenges and economic incentives. Prior to this position she served as the Assistant Director of Governmental Relations for the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.

Lindsay holds a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and applied economics from Virginia Tech. She is among the tenth generation to grow up on her family’s farm in Loudoun County.

Robert Hagevoort

Dr. Robert Hagevoort, a native of The Netherlands, is an Associate Professor and Extension Dairy Specialist at New Mexico State University. Prior to joining NMSU in November of 2005, Dr. Hagevoort served for over 10 years as an independent dairy management consultant primarily in California’s southern and central Valley. As an Extension Specialist, he has been working closely with the dairy industry in New Mexico and across the West regarding many regulatory and environmental issues. In an effort to rebuild a dairy program, Hagevoort is one of the co-founders of the U.S. Dairy Education & Training Consortium, which provided the incentive for a re-establishment of a minor in dairy at NMSU. A key component of his current program is the development and implementation of a comprehensive dairy workforce training & safety program. A great deal of time is spent working individually with dairies and collectively with producer associations on implementing and evaluating comprehensive workforce training programs in dairy safety, animal handling, parlor performance, calf care, feeder performance, and hospital and maternity care. A recent direction, because of expressed producer needs, is a focus on the development of effective middle-manager training programs.

Maureen Torrey

Maureen is a member of a 12th generation family farm located in Western New York which encompasses fresh market and processing vegetables, grain farm and dairy operations. She also operates a trucking company with her husband Paul Marshall.

She has served and participates in numerous organizations. She is past chairperson of United Fresh, past director of the Produce Marketing Association, First chairperson of the USDA Fruit and Vegetable Advisory Committee, former seven year Director of NY Federal Reserve – Buffalo. Currently she is a trustee at Genesee Community College. She serves as Director on the Board of National Council Agricultural Employees, Erie Niagara Insurance, Summit Insurance, NYS Vegetable Growers, Ag Affiliates, and NYS Agri Business Child Care Board; and numerous other community organizations. She participates in many local, state and national conferences as a speaker and informational education source every year.

Rick Naerebout

Rick Naerebout grew up on his family’s dairy farm in McBain, Michigan, where he learned the value of hard work, integrity, and an appreciation for agriculture that can only be learned on the farm. He moved west with his family after the family dairy was sold in the late 90s and shortly thereafter began a family and his schooling at the College of Southern Idaho and Idaho State University. Naerebout has been married to his wife, Angi, for 17 years, and together they have three daughters.

Rick has been with the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, Inc. for over 15 years, assisting with the Association’s environmental, legal, economic, legislative and stewardship efforts. The IDA is a progressive Association that represents all of Idaho’s nearly 500 dairy farms. Recently named CEO of the Association, he manages the day-to- day operations of the organization, which includes IDA Consulting Services, a new division within IDA that provides on-farm services, through its highly skilled staff, ranging from nutrient management planning to dairy worker training and safety programs.