My name is Rachel Drobnak (she/her) and I am an agroecologist and budding agricultural outreach specialist. I am currently a Ph.D. candidate at Michigan State University, pursuing my doctorate in Crop & Soil Sciences in the Soil Health & Ecosystem Ecology lab based at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. My research focuses on how agricultural conservation practices can benefit soil health & farm finances: two critical components of farm well-being and sustainability. I previously received my B.S. in Crop & Soil Sciences from MSU (2023) and worked in multiple roles at MSU Extension. I care deeply about supporting changes to agriculture which benefit farmers and ecosystems.

I grew up in suburban Cleveland, OH, and my grandparents inspired my interest in agriculture. They were raised on farmland along the Maumee River in Northwest Ohio, in an watershed known to eutrophy Lake Erie. Inspired to restore former sheep pasture into forest, my late Grandpa Doug spent his life planting trees around his 13-acre homestead. My grandpa's call to conservation motivates me to work with Midwest farmers & landowners to take care of the ground that supports us all.

One of my first transformational experiences in college was working at Hallstedt Homestead Cherries and Omena Cut Flowers. I lived a Tom Lake summer, experienced farming up close, saw its impact on local communities, and reckoned with its constant challenges. Farmers like Phil & Sarah Hallstedt and Carolyn Faught make Michigan agriculture thrive, but their efforts are fruitless without consumers who support local food systems and conservation-minded agriculture.

My first experience with agricultural outreach came during a summer at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station as an MSU Extension intern. I conducted research on cereal grains (barley, rye, and oats); in particular, which varieties perform the best in Michigan and could be used to support the growing statewide brewing & distilling industry. Here, I co-ran my first field day, made my first research poster, and learned how important university research is to benefit farmers and ecological landscapes.

After graduating with my B.S. in Crop & Soil Science, I spent a summer working for MSU Extension and the Michigan Soybean Committee as an administrative assistant and technician. I collected data for on-farm soybean management trials around the central MI region, organized multiple field days, and created Extension materials, including a guide on "how to plant underwear." Witnessing agricultural outreach in motion continues to motivate my research and career goals.

I rejoined the KBS community in August 2023 as a graduate student in the Soil Health & Ecosystem Ecology Lab. Here, I study the impacts of agricultural conservation practices (especially prairie strips) on soil health, nematode communities, and farm finances. I believe taking an interdisciplinary approach to agroecology is necessary to find ecologically relevant and economically viable solutions to current agronomic challenges. I collaborate with Michigan farmers, MSU Extension, and others to connect my science with the broader public and gain expertise in agricultural outreach and science communication.