This event will focus on how the farm-to-table process has changed due to COVID. This panel discussion will feature Gary McDonald, Drew Parker, and Todd Martin.
Garry McDonald, Ph.D teaches the landscape horticulture curriculum in addition to plant propagation and special topics. His background includes owning and operating a landscape installation company. McDonald has served as chair of the Bumpers College AFLS Curriculum Committee in addition to chairing the Department of Horticulture's Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. His research focuses on the development and use of resource efficient landscape plants, native plant development, storm water runoff control and treatment, and the history of the relationship between man and plants. In 2019, he earned a National Role Model Award from Minority Access after being nominated by a student. He has also earned Faculty Gold Medal and Outstanding Mentor awards from the U of A’s Office of Nationally Competitive Awards, and the Teaching Award of Merit from Gamma Sigma Delta, the honor society of agriculture.
Drew Parker is a board-certified veterinarian that currently works as a senior technical service veterinarian for Phibro Animal Health. In addition to his work in animal pharmaceuticals, he has served on the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association since 2015 and is a member of the board certification committee of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians. Drew earned his Poultry Science degree from the U of A in 2005.
Todd Martin grew up on his family’s dairy farm in south Arkansas, he was no stranger to what it took to be involved in Ag –long hours, hard work, innovation and a love for the land. Since 1990, Todd has been involved in both domestic and global roles encompassing seeds, traits and crop protection areas of the agriculture sector. He has founded several companies, including Earth Optics, a soil sensing company using Ground Penetrating Radar to analyze soil compaction in production agriculture. In 2020, Todd founded South by Northwest Hospitality and acquired 3 Northwest Arkansas restaurants: Southern Food Company, Theo’s, and East Side Grill. Todd continues to serve as Chief Executive Officer for the Independent Professional Seed Association and as a Commissioner on the Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission. Todd remains passionate in support of the Bumpers College and the University of Arkansas, where he earned a degree in Agricultural Economics in 1986.