Dr. Rachel Rudolph is the new Extension Vegetable Specialist at UK. Her start date was March 1 and she is located in Lexington. Rachel received her B.S. degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, M.S. at New Mexico State University, and recently completed her Ph.D. at Washington State University. Rachel's vegetable crop production experience began when she was a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay. She worked with farm families and schools to build and sustain gardens and taught various sustainable production methods. Upon returning to the U.S., Rachel worked for private growers, assisting them with high tunnel construction and vegetable and ornamental production. Rachel's research in New Mexico focused on cover cropping in a chile pepper production system. Also while in New Mexico, Rachel assisted in the vegetable production lab and taught students how to construct small high tunnels and grow vegetables. She recently taught Advanced Practices in Local Food Production at Linn-Benton Community College in Corvallis, OR where she worked with students on all aspects of vegetable and fruit production, both in high tunnels and open field. Rachel's Ph.D. research took place in commercial growers' fields where she evaluated soil quality and alternative management practices in red raspberry. She is proficient in both Spanish and Guarani from her time in Paraguay. Rachel can be reached at rachel.rudolph@uky.edu or 859-257-3374. Welcome, Rachel!