Staff & Board of Directors | The Dry Farming Institute

We are a group of farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and educators in the Pacific Northwest who are deeply motivated to find solutions to growing food in a hotter, drier climate. We have multiple decades of experience in sustainable agriculture research and small-scale farming. We believe farmers are the ultimate knowledge-keepers and innovators that keep our food system strong and resilient.

DFI Staff

We are so excited to announce that we are growing from a staff of one to a team of three starting in February 2026!

Gabrielle Roesch-McNally

Executive Director

Gabrielle returns to the dry farming community as our Executive Director. Dr. Roesch-McNally brings two decades of work in agriculture, at a national and local scale. Gabrielle first worked with the dry farming community as a Fellow with the USDA Climate Hubs where she engaged in social science research on the power of participatory research. She left the Hubs to lead the Women for the Land program at American Farmland Trust and built their nascent Social Science Research program. Gabrielle brings extensive leadership, program development, fundraising and research experience to the agriculture and climate sector. She lives in Albany Oregon with her partner, daughter, dog and bountiful chickens.

“I am incredibly excited to bring my work full circle with dry farming as I 100% believe in the critical importance of working at the nexus of water and climate while seeking solutions that support farmers to thrive in uncertain and challenging times. I am excited to build and strengthen partnerships in the region and beyond.” – Gabrielle Roesch-McNally

Amy Garrett

Program Director

Amy as the founder and current Director of the Dry Farming Institute (DFI) is very excited to be moving into a Program Director role (February 2026) and working with this amazing team to build capacity at DFI. Previously she worked with OSU Extension Small Farms Program in the Southern Willamette Valley 2011-2022, where she initiated the OSU Dry Farming Project in 2014, the Dry Farming Collaborative in 2016, founded DFI in 2019, and was hired as the Director in 2023. As Program Director, Amy is looking forward to investigating and exploring the potential for dry farming through land-based demonstrations and research partnerships.

“I am so grateful to have an opportunity to expand DFI’s program work and spend more time doing what I’m good at in the field and in our community with this incredible team. -Amy Garrett

Cassandra Waterman

Communications Director

Cassandra returns to the dry farming community as Communications Director, bringing experience in dry farming research, small-scale agriculture, and non-formal and formal community-based education.
She previously supported the OSU Dry Farming Project by co-hosting virtual field tours, launching the YouTube channel, and organizing stakeholder workshops. A former instructor at OSU, she holds an M.S. in Agricultural Education and training in facilitation and conflict resolution. Originally from the Bahamas, Cassandra is passionate about connection, resilience, and amplifying community voices.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the DFI team and reconnecting with our vibrant community of practice. Some may remember me from the early days of virtual field tours during the pandemic, and I can’t wait to breathe new life into those conversations, amplify grower voices, and keep learning alongside all of you.” -Cassandra Waterman

DFI Board Members

Lucas Nebert

President

Lucas Nebert, PhD, is a sustainable agriculture researcher who specializes in soil health (M.S. Wageningen University, Netherlands) and plant and soil microbial ecology (Ph.D. University of Oregon Environmental Studies), and most recently dry farming. He has worked with the Dry Farming Collaborative since 2017, as a hobby farmer, field technician, data analyst and the DFI Resilient Seed Stewardship Program coordinator. He is passionate about dry farming with staple crops, such as corn, beans and squash, and his latest work focuses on breeding culinary field corn varieties to thrive in the Pacific Northwest under dry farmed conditions.

Eliza Mason

Secretary

Eliza farms in Monroe, Oregon at Lilliputopia, which she founded in 2017 and is named after the little people in Gulliver’s Travels. Lilliputopia was created to serve as a model for sustainability and community, and specializes in dry-farmed fruits and vegetables. Eliza holds a BS in molecular biology, a doctorate in microbiology and works as a contract editor of scientific manuscripts. She currently serves as a director on the board of the Benton County Soil and Water Conservation District. She hunts for wild mushrooms in her free time.

John Miedema

Board Member

John Miedema is an internationally recognized leader, researcher, and developer of biochar technology. He is founder and CEO at BioLogical Carbon, LLC (BLC) in Philomath Oregon. BLC’s mission is determining pathways for underutilized waste streams to become valued resources. BLC’s primary focus is applied research and production of high-quality biochar products for the remediation of environmental toxins and building soil fertility. These “designer” chars are being used in research at a number of universities, government and private industrial and agricultural projects. In addition to long stints as a fisherman in Alaska and an electrical contractor, John has spent over two decades studying and designing sustainable energy systems integrated with resource management, food production and environmental remediation.

Cathy McQueeney

Board Member

Cathy McQueeney is an Education and Outreach Specialist with the Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District in Oregon. She has been involved with organizing Small Farms School, is on the board for Oregon Conservation Education and Assistance Network, and has been on the steering committee for the Oregon Farm to School and School Garden Network (OFSSGN). She (has been an educator in academia for 20 years and) has a small farm in Colton, OR. where she has been experimenting with dry farming for four years.

Lance Young

Treasurer

Lance grew up in Washington and received his undergraduate degree in accounting from Washington State University. Upon leaving WSU, he worked for Price Waterhouse for several years doing auditing and corporate turnaround consulting. Lance received his MBA from the Foster School and his PhD in finance from the Simon School at the University of Rochester. He has been at the Foster School for 20 years. His research interests include asset pricing, market microstructure, and behavioral finance. Lance teaches Entrepreneurial Finance, Core Finance, Advanced Corporate Finance and Mergers and Acquisitions primarily to MBAs and Executive MBAs. In 2009 he vwas awarded the prestigious Fama/DFA prize for the best asset pricing paper in the Journal of Financial Economics and has also received dozens of teaching awards, including the PACCAR prize for teaching excellence.

Thank you to our former board members: Kristin Trippe, Melissa Parks, Matt Delaney, Ron Oberg and former Co-Director, Ashley Rood!