Name, Pronouns: Shelly Rothman
Organization: Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project - FoxRAP
Title: Executive Director
Where in the Great Lakes region do you work?
We are in eastern Wisconsin in the marvelous Lake Michigan watershed
What brought you to this work? What is your connection to agriculture or to the watershed?
I was born, raised, married, and currently live in the Great Lakes watersheds. The lakes are a part of my heart and soul.
While attending UW-Madison for a conservation biology degree, I was introduced to my future husband, a grass-fed beef farmer. So conservation and ag got married and now I work in regenerative agriculture. Regenerative ag is humanity’s past, and I believe, our future as well.
What is your area of expertise? In what ways do you typically work with farmers and farmland owners?
FoxRAP’s mission is to build equitable community, land access, and support for regenerative farmers to thrive. We work with current farmers and landowners to support and expand their regenerative practices. Also, we talk about land transitions, provide assistance with the process, and work together to create space and tools for beginning and underserved farmers, who face many challenges to access land these days. This involves educational resources, technical assistance, expanding local programs, and connections to larger networks of service providers.
How are you hoping to grow from your experience as a Great Lakes Farm Navigator?
Working in a rural area, resources are limited. I enjoy working with AFT to learn from the experience of a national organization, plus the Navigators I’ve met from other states, and sharing it all with our community. It’s also been so wonderful to connect with the other Wisconsin navigators. They’ve become colleagues and friends, and we regularly collaborate, such as organizing landowner and land access events together.
What is one piece of advice you have for farmers who are looking to transfer their farm to a new generation? Or do you have advice for farmers entering agriculture and seeking access to land?
For landowners: Start early, reach out for help, and try not to get overwhelmed. It’s a big, not simple process. You have many folks here ready to assist, and we are working to make available resources better all the time.
For landseekers: Same!