Our Team
The Center for Crop Diversification is managed through a collaboration between the Department of Agricultural Economics and the Department of Horticulture at the University of Kentucky. We also partner with a wide variety of regional and national individuals and organizations.
Christy Cassady Extension Specialist, Horticulture
Christy writes, edits and designs Center publications, handles administrative duties, and fields questions from extension agents and growers about a variety of specialty crops. She is focused on expanding the Center's regional presence, developing new specialty crop resources, and coordinating revision of the Center's existing resources. She holds B.S. degrees in Agriculture and Plant and Soil Science from the University of Kentucky, a B.A. in Journalism from Western Kentucky University, and an M.A. in Journalism from Indiana University.
Contact Christy via email at cgcass0@uky.edu or by phone at 859-257-5635.
Joshua Knight Senior Extension Associate, Horticulture
Joshua Knight Senior Extension Associate, Horticulture
Joshua Knight graduated in the Spring of 2013 with a B.S. in Sustainable Agriculture from the Horticulture Department at the University of Kentucky. In the years before, during and after his undergraduate coursework, Josh worked on farms using agro-ecological practices to supply direct markets in central Florida, northern and southern Georgia, western New Mexico, southern Japan, in addition to farms across central and eastern Kentucky. Prior to his agricultural career, Josh worked in the Information Technology sector of central Florida for six years, acquiring skills in web development, graphic design, and communication technologies. In Fall 2018, Josh finished an M.S. in Integrated Plant and Soil Science focused on Carbon and Water Footprint Analysis and was awarded a graduate certificate in Digital Mapping.
Contact Josh via email at joshua.knight@uky.edu or by phone at 859-257-1273
Brett Wolff Extension Specialist, Agricultural Economics
Brett aggregates Farmers Market Price Reports for Kentucky, manages the new website as well as the CCD facebook page. He is focused on facilitation and communication, and he hopes to grow and strengthen regional ties and to continue building timely and useful resources for growers and extension professionals in the region. He holds degrees (B.A. & M.A.) in Sociology of Agriculture and Food from the University of Kentucky. He also has recent specialty crop production experience after working the last 3 years growing vegetables for field and high tunnel research at the University of Kentucky Horticulture Research farm. You can find his full professional profile here.
Contact Brett via email at brett.wolff@uky.edu or by phone at 859-218-4384.
Dr. Tim Woods Extension Professor, Agricultural Economics
Dr. Woods specializes in agribusiness management and marketing with special emphasis on horticulture, food business development, consumer and direct markets, and farm entrepreneurship. He leads the MarketReady: a training program designed to educate specialty crop producers on best business practices associated with selling to grocery, restaurant, wholesale, and other institutional markets. He is also a member of the UK Food Systems Innovation Center, and is currently working on a project entitled Going to the Farm-acy: The Effect of CSA-Backed Produce Prescriptions on Eating Behaviors and Health Outcomes in Rural Kentucky. You can find his full professional profile here.
Contact Tim via email at tim.woods@uky.edu or by phone at 859-257-7270.
Savannah Columbia, Extenson Associate Agricultural Economics
Savannah Columbia is interested in Agribusiness Management and Marketing, as well as Horticultural Enterprises with a specific emphasis on Community Supported Agriculture and Local Food Supply Chains. Before joining the Agricultural Economics Department, Savannah was the Assistant Director of Farm Services for AgTech Scientific LLC, a 38-acre automated greenhouse which specialized in hemp and annual flower production in Paris, Kentucky. Savannah has also spent multiple years working with community supported agriculture operations and local food production systems. She specializes in direct to consumer marketing, crop production operations, and on-farm efficiency. Savannah joined the University in July of 2020 and is currently working on updating the MarketReady resources and creating materials to support Kentucky's producers.
Contact Information: savannah.columbia@uky.edu or (859) 218-4383