| President Jay Schwinn, Walter's Pumpkin Patch In 2014 Schwinn Produce Farm LLC was honored to host the NAFDMA conference at their fourth generation family farm. Jay was immediately struck with the organization and more importantly its members. From that conference forward the desire to promote Agritourism has driven Jay to get involved. NAFDMA has proven time and time again that Agri-entrepreneurs of any size can benefit from this amazing group of forward-thinking individuals. Jay is currently a farm manager at Walters' Pumpkin Patch in Burns , Kansas (Reader's Digest Best Pumpkin Patch in Kansas 2021). Jay is involved in many state and local agritourism organizations and enjoys promoting all aspects of agritourism. |
| Vice President White House Fruit Farm is a fourth generation farm. Kim is from the third generation and began working on the farm as a young child. Her first job was folding baskets, which all farm children know leads to field work and beyond. After leaving the farm to get an education and raise a family, Kim returned to serve in various positions before choosing to grow the fall gift market. She presently manages the gift market and is busy developing yearly events on the farm. Kim was first introduced to NAFDMA by Debbie Pifer, the farm market manager/owner. The energy, ideas, support, and openness of all the members, who are leaders in the industry, challenged her and set the course of growth for the fall gift market, as well as other areas on the farm. She believes we all benefit when we take an active role in the areas that enrich us personally and professionally. Serving as a board member allows her to give back to the association that has spurred that growth. |
| Vice President Scott DeBuck is the manager and owner of DeBuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch, Belleville, Michigan. He is a third generation sod farmer and first generation in the agri-entertainment. The 550-acre farm includes 425 acres of sod farm and the sod business operates from March until December. Their agri-entertainment utilizes 125 acres which offers a 25 acre u-pick pumpkin patch , 13 acre u-pick sunflower patch, 5 acres of U-Pick Lavender, 13 acres of mazes, 17 acres of fun activities, donut bakery, and full kitchen. He is a graduate of Michigan State University. Scott has two young children and enjoys learning about the agri-entertainment business as well as teaching his own life experiences with others. |
 | Secretary Adventure Yogini~Thrive Activist~BucketList Catalyst Providing the tools and motivation to live your inspired life through wellness, yoga and the great outdoors. Deanna began her fitness career in 1985 instructing dance aerobics and continues to teach throughout the Midwest, Bahamas, Mexico, Costa Rica and India. She has since expanded her menu of services to include massage therapy, yoga, Pilates, indoor cycling, kettlebell, Zumba, and stand up paddle boarding. Her classes and coaching sessions take a holistic approach integrating the sciences of exercise physiology, Blue Mind and positive psychology. Deanna is based out of Cleveland, Ohio and spends the fall harvest season as Director of Fun at her family's farm, Center Grove Orchard in Cambridge, Iowa. |
| Treasurer Doug is the 4th generation farmer at Waldoch Farm that celebrated its centennial in 2016. Waldoch Farm is a diverse organization with a Garden Center, U-Pick Produce Farm, Educational Barnyard, Sunflower Event as well as a Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze. He started working full time at the family farm in 2008 after getting his higher education at University of Minnesota. There are many roles Doug has done and continues to do on the farm including assistant greenhouse grower, produce manager, beekeeper, marketing coordinator, and general manager. His first NAFDMA convention was in 2012 at Williamsburg, Virginia. This was the year after he started Waldoch Farm’s corn maze and he has not missed convention since. |
 | Tammi Packer, Packer Orchards, Bakery & Farm Place Tammi Packer is a wife, mother, farmer, and business owner. She describe herself in this order because it is essentially the order everything has occurred over the past few decades. She is part of an amazing family business that has grown leaps and bounds over the years. The relationships and knowledge gained with NAFDMA membership has taken them to the next level. Her passion for this business was family driven and now has a much more defined description, agri-tourism. She is passionate about the business not only within their family but also the community. She loves meeting new people every day and sharing what they love in a fun, educational, and challenging atmosphere. |
| Brad Gritt, Gritt's Farm |
| Laura Skelly, Skelly's Farm Market Laura manages the bakery, hiring, training, and scheduling employees, and all marketing for the farm. Before finding her spot on the farm, she graduated with a Bachelors and Masters in Meteorology from Northern Illinois University and wanted to work for the National Weather Service one day. But after meeting her now husband Scott, she fell in love with his family's farm and decided to build a life in Janesville. Laura is happily married with a silly young daughter named Sarah and absolutely loves her life on the farm and with her family at NAFDMA. |
| Will Culler, Ph.D., Clemson University Extension Will Culler is part of the Clemson Extension Agribusiness team where he serves as the Midlands Area Agent, Director of the SC AG + Art Tour, and Lexington County Extension Coordinator. He is responsible for supporting the expansion and growth of the agribusiness and natural resource base sectors in the midlands region and throughout South Carolina through development and implementation of programs targeted at agribusiness management and local foods systems development. He lives with his family in Chapin, South Carolina. |
| Olivia Telschow, Helene's Hilltop Orchard Some could say, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." The love for agriculture runs deep at Helene's Hilltop Orchard. Initially established as a dairy farm in 1919, Olivia's parents, a couple of city kids, transitioned the small family dairy farm into an apple orchard in 1979. Over time, various aspects of the family farm may have changed, but the passion and dedication to agriculture has remained the same. Olivia purchased the farm in 2017 and has learned how to respect the family's legacy, yet make the farm a reflection of her own vision and values. Olivia walked away from her first NAFDMA convention in 2016 knowing that she had met her "people." She takes great pride in sharing not only her successes but also her failures in this crazy lifestyle we call agritourism! |
| Amir Maan, Maan Farms Market and Estate Winery Amir's love of farming started at a young age, as he remembers helping his father grow strawberries by learning how to operate machinery and apply pesticides in grade school. He continued to foster his passion by completing his BBA in Agriculture Management which provided the opportunity to participate in a 6-month long internship in Holland. As he studied agriculture, at the same time he heavily invested himself into nurturing his love for entrepreneurship. Now as an aspiring agritourism entrepreneur, he believes in leadership, empathy and innovation. These are the three core principles which he uses throughout his day and which help him plan his future. He enjoys traveling and meeting new people and often mixes traveling with work by visiting farms all around the world. He is always on the hunt for the next big agritourism experience. He is fortunate enough to love what he does and to share his love of agriculture with communities by creating experiences.
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| Andrea DeJesus, A & H Farm When Andrea says that farming is in her blood, she has four generations behind her inspiring change. Growing her business in the same soil where she grew up playing, Andrea and her husband Hugo have planted roots in Manhattan, KS. A & H Farm has grown over the past 12 years, going from 4 weekends a year pumpkin patch to a full year retail store and more! Andrea joined NAFDMA years ago, and has been an active community member focusing on not only sharing knowledge gained and applying knowledge learned, but developing welcoming and lifelong relationships in the Agritourism community. She currently sits as the president of her local farmers market, as well as many community-centric programs focusing on hunger and youth. Growth and passion are two words often accredited to the farm, and Andrea herself. The operation equally balances both commercial farming and agritourism, but spread equally over almost 300 acres, and a handful of dedicated employees. |
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Interested in becoming a NAFDMA board member? Duties include, generally:
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Address:
P.O. Box 30481 Indianapolis, IN 46220 |