Soil Health and Climate Smart Ag Presentation Biographies
Anna Cates
Soil Health Specialist, Minnesota Office for Soil Health
Dr Cates is the State Soil Health Specialist for the University of Minnesota Extension. She studied soil science, agroecology, and agronomy at UW-Madison, receiving an MSc and PhD. Dr. Cates' research focuses on soil organic matter storage and cycling and developing soil health systems for upper Midwest cropping systems. Dr. Cates leads the MN Office for Soil Health, a collaboration between the MN Board of Water and Soil Resources and the MN Water Resources Center.
Ariel Kagan
Climate and Working Lands Program Director, Minnesota Farmers Union
Ariel Kagan joined the MFU team as the Climate and Working Lands Program Director in February 2023. Her background is in agricultural economics and policy and she has worked across sectors to support farmers, climate resilience, and policy development.
At Farmers Union, she works on topics related to climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, market development, and environmental policy. She holds an undergraduate degree in economics from Mount Holyoke College and a graduate degree in agricultural economics from University of British Columbia.
Jared House
Soils Programming Coordinator, MN Board of Soil and Water Resources
Jared is a seasoned conservation professional with a decade of experience in natural resource management. He has a proven track record of working collaboratively with landowners to assess, design, and implement effective conservation practices. His expertise extends to facilitating soil health events, promoting farmer-to-farmer networking, and fostering partnerships with universities, local governments, private organizations, and individuals dedicated to environmental conservation.
Currently, Jared is coordinating multiple state and federally funded soil health programs. In this role, he provides support to Soil and Water Conservation Districts and other key stakeholders in implementing these initiatives.
Andrew Lambert
Technology Services Manager, Centra Sota Cooperative
Born in 1990 and raised on a dairy farm, Andrew Lambert developed a deep connection to agriculture from an early age, a passion that continues to drive his career today. After earning a degree in Crop Production, Andrew joined Centra Sota Cooperative, where he has built a distinguished career since graduating from college. As the Technology Services Manager, Andrew oversees the cooperatives non-traditional agronomy services, including precision agriculture, conservation agriculture, and specialized customer farm equipment sales and service. His expertise in these areas is vital to advancing modern farming practices, and he is committed to ensuring these innovative approaches are integral to farming operations in the future.
With extensive experience in modern farming techniques and a commitment to sustainable agriculture, Andrew brings a unique blend of practical knowledge and academic training to his role. His dedication to the industry is reflected in his long-term service with Centra Sota Cooperative, where he has played a key role in enhancing the company’s agricultural services. Outside of work, Andrew remains active with the family farm, greatly enjoys spending time with his family and when possible strives to make it to the lake or the woods to spend time hunting and fishing.
TJ Kartes
Regional Sales Representative, Saddle Butte Ag
TJ Kartes attended the University of Minnesota Waseca and studied sales and finance. While going to school TJ worked for Festal Farms, which was a privately owned canning company in Owatonna MN, where he learned about production agriculture. Later on, TJ worked at a local feed mill and helped his uncle on the family farm. When they started using cover crops on the farm and saw the difference, TJ knew he was hooked.
The southern Minnesota native is now a Cover Crop Specialist for Saddle Butte Ag, selling cover crop and forage seeds in the Dakotas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Missouri, and his home state. TJ is a tireless advocate of soil health, and his vast personal and professional experience – successes and setbacks – earned him a featured spot speaking at the 2023 National Cover Crop Summit.
Peter Mead
Agriculture Project Manager, The Nature Conservancy MN/SD/ND
Peter Mead joined The Nature Conservancy in 2020 in a new role as the chapter’s agriculture project manager, where he works to steward, facilitate, and leverage new and existing relationships with farmer networks, crop retailers, public agencies, and supply chain partners to strategically implement programs to accelerate adoption of regenerative practices with a focus soil health, nutrient management, and emerging ecosystem market opportunities.
Peter has over two decades of experience in federal, local and non-profit conservation delivery, family roots in production ag, and has long been an advocate for collective partnerships that offer farmer-friendly, practical, and profitable land management solutions that foster healthy soils, improve water quality, and build resiliency across the agricultural sector.