Our Staff
Rooted Staff
To reach our staff members, call 608-240-0409
Ginny Hughes
Co-Executive Director
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Ginny joined Rooted in 2012. With a Master’s degree in Environmental Leadership from Naropa University and over a decade of experience teaching people of all ages how to grow food, Ginny brings a deep commitment to growing and eating healthy food, community well-being, and organizational sustainability. She holds a certificate in Nonprofit Accounting. Prior to stepping into her role as Co-Executive Director, Ginny served as Rooted’s Deputy Director of Operations, where she oversaw finances, human resources, and organizational operations. Ginny’s background includes developing youth garden programs, training staff and educators across the region, and leading Rooted’s education program. She continues to champion inclusive leadership, equity in the workplace, and a culture of care in all aspects of her work. When she’s not immersed in spreadsheets or soil, Ginny enjoys yoga and adventuring outdoors with her husband and their two sons.
Hedi Rudd
Co-Executive Director and Badger Rock Neighborhood Center Director
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Hedi Rudd is a former Southdale neighborhood resident who has been an active community organizer since being appointed to Mayor Bauman’s Task Force on Race Relations in 1998. In 2001, she joined Bauman’s staff as the Study Circle on Race Relations Coordinator, a program recommended by the task force. Hedi served two terms on the City of Madison Equal Opportunities Commission and was a staff member of the City of Madison Affirmative Action Department, prior to the creation of the Office of Civil Rights. After living in Las Vegas for 6 years, where she worked at Nevada Cancer Institute in various Executive Administrative positions, she returned to Madison and community organizing. An avid photographer, Hedi is often seen at community events telling the story of communities of color through her lens. She is the 2019 recipient of Forward Community Investments Nan Cheney March for Justice Award. Hedi serves on the Madison Food Policy Council, is a member of the Community Shares of Wisconsin Board, and serves as the Membership Committee Chair and on the Executive Committee.
Laura Bettenhausen
Troy Kids' Garden Manager
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Laura Bettenhausen graduated from UW-Madison with degrees Sociology and Environmental Studies, along with a certificate in food systems. They discovered their love for plants and farming through volunteering at The Peoples’ Farm on campus, participating in a Horticulture internship at Allen Centennial Garden, and working as an Urban Farm Assistant at Promega. This passion was transferred to a drive for community building and social justice through community relations work at the UW South Madison Partnership and housing case management at Community Action Coalition. They are excited to combine these skills and get to spend time with both plants and people, fostering relationships rooted in the land as well as each other. Laura can’t wait to share the joy being outside and growing food brings them with the kids who participate in their programs! In their free time, Laura enjoys hiking & climbing trees, crafting, and spending time with friends & family.
Kaylin Brennan
Badger Rock Farm & Education Assistant Manager
Kaylin grew up in Wisconsin and attended UW Madison where she received her degree in Zoology and Environmental Studies. Before graduating UW Madison, she was selected for an interpretation internship at Glacier National Park, which led to 12 years of work as a seasonal park ranger in Montana. Additionally, she has lived and worked in Massachusetts and Southern California for various outdoor science schools. Kaylin has a passion for building community and connecting kids and adults alike to nature. In 2020, Kaylin moved back to Wisconsin to nanny for her first niece (and now has two nieces!), and also to explore teaching at a local Montessori school. She discovered her love for gardening, nutrition education, and cooking while working at this school. She also started the schools’ first farm to table program, managed the garden, and taught preschool students all the way up to elementary age. Kaylin is very excited to be a part of the Rooted community!
Brian Emerson
Director of Urban Agriculture Education - Madison North
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Brian, who is a native of Cedar Rapids, IA, is a Northside Madison resident. After graduating from the University of Iowa he worked with the USDA-NRCS on various mapping and watershed projects. Since 2004 he has been with the UW Madison trialing fruits, flowers, and veggies. Most recently, he served as Trial Manager for the Seed to Kitchen Collaborative in the Urban and Regional Food Systems program. In his free time, Brian works in his community coaching, teaching horticulture, and running a small urban farm.
Cass Hanson
Development Director
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Cass’ professional background blends small business management with digital fundraising. She believes deeply in the power of community and the value of spending time outdoors. A lifelong Madison resident, Cass is excited to devote her work to supporting Rooted’s community initiatives to help people of all ages connect to the land and eat locally grown food. At home, Cass enjoys growing hot peppers, making flower arrangements, teaching yoga, and riding bikes.
Casey Hart
Volunteer and Administrative Coordinator
Casey is originally from Texas, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. He is now pursuing a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he blends his passion for equitable resource access and sustainable development. Casey’s love for nourishing and engaging with people originates from his years of experience in the food service industry. He plans to design communities with urban amenities of green space, reliable food sources and transit, and overall walkability. His plant-based lifestyle and consideration of climate change influences the work he does with urban farms.
Paul Huber
Troy Farm Director
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Paul Huber is the Farm Director at Troy Farm. He is passionate about small-scale intensive agriculture and teaching others the craft. Since 2005, Paul has worked as a farm volunteer, laborer, manager and a farm owner. He and his wife Sara ran Shared Seasons LLC from 2013 to 2019.
Sarah Karlson
Director of Urban Agriculture Education - Madison South
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Sarah comes to her work at Rooted from Oakland, CA where she began her work in food justice and urban agriculture in 2005. She continues this work at Badger Rock, managing the 2-acre Badger Rock Urban Farm and Badger Rock Community Garden and provides gardening and culinary-based education opportunities. Sarah is passionate about gardens as a tool for education, food access, joy, connection, and building community resilience at the intersection of food, racial, environmental, and educational justice.
Erica Krug
Farm to School Director
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Before joining the Rooted team in 2020, Erica worked as an elementary school teacher on Madison’s Northside where she helped to create a curriculum for the school’s outdoor classroom and garden. She holds a strong belief that children deserve the opportunity to spend lots of time learning–and playing–outside and is excited to share her love of doing research and creating curricula. Erica has also worked on farm crews, as a kayak guide in Yellowstone, and as a freelance writer. Erica enjoys hot yoga, cross-country skiing, gardening, and eating homemade pizza.
Nicholas Leete
Community Gardens Network Director
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Originally from Minnesota, Nicholas has spent time in Iowa studying soil, water, and sustainable agriculture, has worked in middle-income housing in New York, and has researched perennial crops at the University of Wisconsin. He spent several years working with community-focused food and gardening projects before joining Rooted as the Gardens Network Manager. Nicholas serves as Chair of the Madison Food Policy Council. When not working on his own community garden plot, Nicholas enjoys cooking, biking, and the Madison lakes.
Emily Scott
Gardener in Residence Manager
Emily is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and has been in the Madison area since 2021. She is a previous Farm to School Member with Rooted through the AmeriCorps Farm to School program, and provided hands-on garden and cooking lessons to 5 different schools within MMSD. Emily is passionate about the intersection of sustainable food systems, urban agriculture, public health, and utilizing food as medicine. She is Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition, and loves spending her time immersed in nature, cooking, farming, and traveling.
Federica Ranelli
Troy Farm Manager
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Federica Ranelli is a curious farmer, educator, and environmental naturalist. She holds an undergraduate degree in Food Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a master’s certificate in Environmental Education from Antioch University New England. Her life’s work is at the nexus of food production, education, and ecological stewardship, and she has practiced it in a variety of ways: environmental educator, interdisciplinary middle school science teacher, school farm coordinator, and production farmer. It’s an honor to steward the land at Troy alongside other curious farmers. When she isn’t growing vegetables at Troy, she enjoys fermenting and canning the harvest, playing outside, and exposing her cat, Parsnip, to the wide, wide world.
Forrest Smart
Badger Rock Farm & Education Assistant Manager
Originally from Wausau, WI, Forrest attended UW-Stevens Point where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Health Promotion and Wellness. Looking for his next opportunity, he moved to Madison WI to seek out more experience and got his start as a Garden Educator and volunteer worker at multiple sites within Rooted, and recently joined the team at Badger Rock. Working with Rooted, he has gained a new passion for educating and working with youth of all ages, especially around topics such as healthy habits, wellness, nutrition, and food sovereignty. Forrest is Native American belonging to the Bad River Band of Ojibwe, Ho-Chunk Nation, and Forest County Potawatomi tribes of Wisconsin. His culture and traditional ways are very important to him, along with this identity. He has many hobbies and loves the outdoors, but his biggest passion is snowboarding in the winter. When it’s not winter, you’ll find him hiking, traveling, going to traditional ceremonies, seeing live music, or visiting with friends and family all around WI.
Chuekao Thao
Community Gardens Network Manager
My full name is Chuekao Thao but normally I go by KO. I have lived in Madison for almost my entire life, starting my elementary education at Lakeview Elementary and finishing up with a BA from UW-Madison. While young, I was very active in sports like soccer, volleyball, and weightlifting. I’ve been married for over 30 years and raised 4 children all enrolled in college. While attending UW-Madison in the early 90s, about eight or nine of us early Hmong students found our first mutual assistant student association at UW-Madison (HASA). Since I graduated, I’ve taken various job from working as Teaching Assistant for Madison Metro School District to starting various self-employed businesses. Southern Wisconsin Hmong Association (SWHA) was one major association I joined in the Hmong community during the late 90s. I served in various capacities from being a board member to being treasurer of the association. Currently I’m an avid gardener with the Troy Garden and enjoy taken hiking trips with family and fellow trackers.
Kipp Thomas
Badger Rock Culinary Arts Manager
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Kipp is the Culinary Arts Director and founder of Kipp’s Kitchen. Kipp has found his sweet spot working closely with the community and students in the Madison and Sun Prairie School Districts. His food can be found at community events such as the Badger Rock Community Market, Dane Dances, and the Urban League’s Unity Picnic. Kipp places a high value on helping others and being able to share his talent and resources with the community. His culinary talent is being used to feed families facing food insecurity. Kipp’s service to his community was recognized when he was honored as a 2019 Community Shares Backyard Hero.
Laura Whitt
Marketing and Communications Manager
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Laura grew up in Madison, and graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in Environmental Studies and History. She is interested in the intersection of people and the environment, and the systems that bind both ecological and human communities together. Laura got her start with the Aldo Leopold Nature Center’s Nature Net, and is now continuing her journey in local environmental education organizations as Rooted’s Marketing and Communications Manager.
Seasonal STAFF
Maddy Belter
Troy Farm Crew
Hi, my name is Maddy. I graduated from UW Stevens Point with a BFA in Interior Architecture in 2021. During post grad I found a love for urban agriculture and sustainability through working at a local CSA farm. I am excited to continue this passion at Troy Farm and explore the intersectionality of community and sustainability. In my spare time I sing/play guitar in a band, garden with my family, do pottery and cook.
Julia Coelho
Troy Farm Crew
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Julia is ecstatic about returning for another season at Troy Farm in 2025! She recently graduated from Macalester College with an BA in Applied Mathematics and Statistics with a minor in Educational Studies. Post-grad, she worked at a small scale organic farm where she fell in love with farming! Outside of work, she loves singing, playing guitar, dancing, walking, and listening to music (especially Big Thief).
Alexis Cox
Leopold Elementary Gardener in Residence
Bio coming soon.
Amy Ford
Van Hise Elementary Gardener in Residence
My name is Amy Ford and I am excited to rejoin Rooted (2021-2022 AmeriCorps Farm to School and 2022-2023 WECA ECE Farm to School Pilot Project) working as a garden educator again this school year. I have a twenty-plus year history working within both school and garden communities on the Westside of Madison. I am passionate about the outdoors and all the many ways development of the whole child can be enhanced through learning in formal and informal outdoor classrooms/gardens. Van Hise Elementary is our family’s neighborhood school. It is a unique gift to work with your neighbors and family to strengthen our elementary school’s learning community. Having recently retired from the UW Waisman Center with over 30 years of pediatric clinical nutrition experience, it is simply an abundant pleasure to support the academic growth and well-being of healthy children outside!
Jacob Handel
Garden Educator
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Jacob is excited to have joined the education team as the Full Season Garden Educator at the Troy Kid’s Garden and the Madison School Farm. Jacob graduated from Iowa State University with a double major in Environmental Science and Biology and a minor in Agronomy. This background, paired with several years in sustainable agriculture research in Kansas, has built towards his interests in food sovereignty and agroecology. Having just moved to Madison, Jacob is excited for the new experiences and friendships that this job has to offer!
McKayla Kratowicz
Schenk Elementary Gardener in Residence
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I have a background working in farm-to-table restaurants and recently spent three seasons with Lovefood Farm. I love food because whether cooking, eating or growing it, the process teaches us so much and in turn we can take what we learn and give back. Maybe most importantly, it provides the opportunity to create and connect with community. I believe food and cooking should be accessible to everyone because they are an integral part of life and what makes it beautiful. What I hope to bring to my work is a passionate commitment to sustainable systems change, empowerment and helping individuals find their voice. I love reading, animals, cooking, photography, and being outside. This Fall I am starting on the path to become an Art Therapist and constantly amazed by the intersection of art and the natural world.
Brenna Marsicek
Elvehjem Elementary Gardener In Residence
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Brenna has been a gardener for her whole life, growing up in a family who gardened, feasted on, canned, and froze food as a major part of family culture. As an adult, Brenna carries on that tradition in her own yard with her children. She has volunteered in the Elvehjem school garden since 2021, and enjoys encouraging and enhancing kids’ natural curiosity and wonder in the garden. Brenna is also the director of outreach for Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance.
Grace Martin
Troy Farm Crew
Grace is excited to join Troy Farm and Gardens for another season as a Crew Member! Grace is from Central Wisconsin and has lived in Madison since attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In school, Grace studied Political Science, Environmental Studies, and attained minors in Public Policy and Sustainability. Grace is finding that their academic background, along with their interest in varying types of community organizing, intersect nicely with urban agriculture and the goals of Troy Farm/Rooted. In their free time, Grace enjoys birding, roller skating, and being outside any chance they get.
Celia Puleo
La Follette High School Gardener In Residence
Celia Puleo grew up in New York City and Madison where her passions for urban ecology and local food sparked through playing in parks and school gardens. She achieved a bachelor’s in Soil Science and Land Management at UW-Stevens Point where she enjoyed soil judging, working at the Pedology Lab, and learning about resilient natural resource management. Additionally, Celia has professional experiences in producing diverse community events and crafting gourmet food and beverages. As a Gardener-in-Residence, she loves to grow and share her expansive experiences and passion with youth by leading La Follette High School’s gardening and cooking clubs. Empowering impactful education, food accessibility and sustainable urban agriculture, with Rooted’s and La Follette’s team and community members is the mission of this all-inclusive work.
Dave Ropa
Gardener in Residence
Bio coming soon.
Rooted in Urban Agriculture Youth Employees
Henry Forehand
Samy Garcia Sierra
Nicolas Garza Munoz
Dahjenae Lavell
Diego Miranda-Naxi
Sir Zion Montgomery-Cross
Carlos Rodriguez
Jacobo Rodriguez
Deandre Smith
Elina van Driel
Dieter Wiedenhoeft
Special Project Staff
Marcia Caton Campbell
Realizing the Promise of Urban Agriculture Project
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Marcia, Rooted’s retired Executive Director, is a city and regional planner who has worked on community and regional food systems planning, policy, and development for over twenty years. Marcia is co-author of Urban Agriculture: Growing Healthy, Sustainable Places (American Planning Association, 2011) with Kimberley Hodgson and Martin Bailkey. She was the 2020 recipient of the Community Shares of Wisconsin Sally Sunde Family Advocate Award. Marcia serves on the Dane County Food Council and the City of Madison Task Force on Farmland Preservation.
