Staff Directory

Amy Bacigalupo

Amy has over 20 years of experience with LSP in both programmatic and management roles. As a Master’s Internationalist graduate student, Amy learned from Paraguayan farmers about effective farmer-to-farmer training and research. She brought this ground-up approach into developing and evaluating LSP programs, including Farm Beginnings, a farmer-led and community-based beginning farmer training model. As…  Read More

Heather Benson

Heather Benson joined LSP’s staff in July 2024 as a communications specialist. She brings with her over two decades of marketing, communications, and public relations experience within both the agricultural and nonprofit spheres, and most recently was the digital strategy manager for SDPB, South Dakota’s NPR and PBS member station.  A recent transplant to Minnesota, she…  Read More

Kathryn Rowe

Kathryn Rowe joined LSP’s staff in January 2025. Kathryn has several years of experience working on farms in New England and the Midwest. Most recently, she worked as an evaluation manager and greenhouse coordinator at Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa. Kathryn is based out of LSP’s office in Lewiston, Minn.

Madeline Reid

Madeline Reid joined the Land Stewardship Project in January 2025 as the organization’s first grants specialist. Based in the Minneapolis office, she collaborates with development, program, and finance teams to craft persuasive grant applications and enhance the clarity and efficiency of LSP’s grant stewardship practices. Before joining LSP, Madeline worked with Good Works Grant Writing where she…  Read More

Olivia Blanchflower

In her role as deputy executive director, Olivia advances LSP’s mission by serving as a strategic thought leader, leading fundraising strategy and activities, and collaborating with staff, member-leaders, and partners on a range of initiatives that serve our community and the land. Olivia first joined LSP as its development director in November 2021, and through…  Read More

Pam Hartwell

Pam Hartwell joined LSP in October 2023, but has been a member since 2013, when she finished the organization’s Farm Beginnings class. She has a long history of working with a wide variety of nonprofits in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and California. Having served as a mayor and city council member in Fairfax, Calif., Pam brings the…  Read More

Sarah Wescott

Sarah Wescott was raised on a commercial apple orchard outside of Elgin and Plainview, in southeastern Minnesota. From a young age, she gained an appreciation for rural community and agriculture. This guided her studies at Macalester College where she earned a degree in environmental studies, a food systems emphasis, a minor in Latin American studies,…  Read More

Scott Elkins

Scott Elkins joined LSP as executive director in 2023. The son and grandson of Texas cattle ranchers, Scott moved to Minnesota more than 30 years ago and lives in the Twin Cities.  Starting with his earliest work as a grassroots organizer, he has focused on movement building through a career that spans state and national…  Read More

Seth Kuhl-Stennes

Seth Kuhl-Stennes joined LSP’s staff as an operations specialist in May 2024. In this position, he supports LSP’s day-to-day needs in the areas of facilities, technology, finance, and administration. Seth is the organization’s lead on IT and facilities project coordination. Prior to joining LSP’s team, he had worked for 15+ years in customer/client service and…  Read More

Shea-Lynn Ramthun

Shea-Lynn Ramthun is a 6th generation farmer in Cannon Falls, Minn. Her family has a herd of rotationally-grazed Black Angus cattle that they raise from start to finish. Additionally, they farm a variety of crops using no-till and cover cropping methods. Shea-Lynn has been involved with LSP for the past couple of years, attending workshops,…  Read More