Tim is a 5th generation farmer, educator, and agvocate. His family operates Deer Run Farm – a 30 acre “truck” farm on Long Island, New York – where they grow leafy greens, root crops, and herbs. Though conventional, the farm fashions itself "reconciliation" ag, using Integrated Pest Management (IPM), naturally-derived biorationals, and organic amendments. Fractional monoculture is also a focus: small-scale, intensive cropping punctuated by rotations and cover crops. As a result, Deer Run Farm was hailed as a “national model” by the New York State Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) program for its stewardship. As one of a handful of farms outside of New York City, it faces unique challenges, especially those associated with urban-edge agriculture. As a result, Tim has a keen interest in the interplay between science, sustainability, and policymaking. A 2001 Cornell University graduate (B.S. in Plant Science), he continued his studies in 2004 at Lincoln University, New Zealand via a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship. In 2005, he enrolled in the University of Florida’s Plant Medicine Program – an interdisciplinary “plant doctor” degree that parallels an M.D. or D.V.M. Due to his professed interests in pest and disease management, the Department of Homeland Security awarded Tim a graduate fellowship in 2005. In the summer of 2006, he was a Visiting Fellow at Los Alamos National Lab, working in crop biosecurity. A 2014 Salzburg Global Seminar Fellow, he’s also a graduate of Virginia Tech’s VALOR (ag leadership) program. In the offseason, he’s an Associate Professor of Crop Science at Ferrum College, VA, where he teaches courses in agronomy, biology, ag/environmental issues, and pest management. Frequently referenced by the media, he’s a regulator AgDaily contributor as the “Plant M.D.”.