Board of Directors

Oregon Aglink board members represent many different sectors of agriculture and its supporting industries in the state. They are elected at the Annual Membership Meeting in January to serve two-year terms, meeting five times a year.

Officers

The following officers are elected to the 2022 Executive Committee and voluntarily serve for one year, January to January, in their respective positions:

President

Abisha Stone – SEDCOR

Abisha has been in the food industry for more than a dozen years, working to grow local businesses and support the Willamette Valley’s food and ag industries. Most recently she was a Production Manager for Oregon Cherry Growers and served as the V.P. of Operations for Marion-Polk Food Share. Now with SEDCOR, as the Yamhill County Business Retention and Expansion Manager, Abisha works with traded sector businesses, the ag industry and the local communities to create and sustain resilient communities with vibrant economies.

Abisha has lived in Marion County for 20+ years and currently resides in Salem with her husband, Chris who is also in the food industry, 3 of their 5 children (who still live at home) and their 8-year old lab, Silver (named for a silver streak on her chest). The family is active in volunteerism and can be found riding their scooters at the Riverfront or Minto Island Park on any weekend when they do not have baseball, softball, volleyball or football games…or a karate competition.

 Terry Ross – Integrated Seed Growers

Terry’s love for agriculture started in high school while working at Crocker Farms in Monroe, Oregon.  He joined Pennington Seed as a field representative following his graduation from Oregon State University. The Lebanon, Oregon, based company promoted him to production manager, and his responsibilities allowed him to work closely with producers all over Oregon and Washington.  He also has worked for the Oregon Grass Seed Bargaining Association as their general manager, fulfilling a lifelong dream to work for the farmers as their agent and advocate.

Terry remains active in volunteering his time and efforts for the betterment of agriculture. In addition to his position with the Oregon Aglink, Ross is a past chair of the Oregon Seed Trade Association Trade Rules and Ethics Committee, member of the PR committee of the Oregon Seed Council and a commissioner on the Oregon Tall Fescue Commission.

Terry resides in Sherwood with his wife Jaime and daughters, Brooklyn and Emma.

Secretary

Michelle Markesteyn – Rootopia

Michelle considers herself a “Farm to Family Specialist,” with a mission to make it easier to raise happy, healthy kids, while helping our farmers prosper. She’s a career mom with two growing boys living on a 4-acre farm in the heart of the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

As a first-generation American who struggled in school, digging in the earth and growing food grounded her and turned her toward academics.

Over the past 20 years, she has tried just about everything in the food world. She has worked on farms, in food processing, and with non-profit organizations. She has also taught in school gardens and served in state government. She has even piloted a local foodie TV show! All the while, she has been researching ways to get more local healthy foods on our plates and advocating for policy changes that would do that.

Treasurer

Kathy Hadley – Hadley Family Farms

Past President

Fred Geschwill – F & B Farms

Fred, co-owns F & B Farms with his wife Leigh, brother Billy and sister-in-law Heidi. They grow a variety of crops including grass seed, hops and nursery crop in the Woodburn area. Fred is in charge of hop sales for F & B Farms.  He is also actively involved in the public hop breeding program.

Fred graduated from Oregon State University with a BS in Agriculture. He enjoys motocross, reading, skiing, scuba diving, and travel. Fred and Leigh have a daughter named Alex.