ILRC Expert Matrix
The growth of the modern agricultural industry and more people moving into rural Indiana has led to new land-use challenges in our state. Agricultural producers, rural residents, and local officials increasingly recognize the need for improved planning and zoning in rural areas to effectively address land-use concerns. The Indiana Land Resources Council has developed the following matrix of technical experts in rural and agricultural land-use issues to assist Indiana communities.
Experts listed here are members of academia or private consultants. The Indiana Land Resources Council does not list industry sponsored experts or advocacy groups. The services and viewpoints of those listed below are not necessarily the opinions of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture or the Indiana Land Resources Council.
A list of Purdue CAFO Extension contacts is available here.
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Brad Buening, Land Use Consultant | ||
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Knowledge Base |
I was born and raised on a grain farm. I worked for a swine producer for many years. I worked for Indiana Farm Bureau as the Land Use Specialist, where I was exposed to the local, state and national policies of livestock production. While with IFB, I worked closely with ISDA to coordinate efforts in assisting agricultural production. My primary objective was to bridge the gap between elected officials and livestock efforts. This meant researching and understanding the newer technologies and studies that had been conducted. I am comfortable testifying to local elected officials to explain animal production technology. | |
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Experience Working with Local Communities |
I have a planning degree from Ball State University. I worked in Indiana for 15 years with 12 of those as a planning director. All employment was with rural areas. I am completely familiar with the local process of county government. I also understand the economic and land use impact of animal agriculture. I drafted the new zoning ordinance for Rush County that incorporates several of the ILRC Model Zoning Ordinance concepts. | |
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Fee Information |
No Fee: I meet with a small community group to get a sense of the situation; this may take two meetings. Then I offer written alternatives to pursue that would address the situation. These alternatives are presented in person with timelines and fees. | |
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Bob McCormick, Land Use Consultant | ||
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Knowledge Base |
I grew up working on our family farm in Benton County and on several others in southern Indiana. I spent 20 years as a Purdue Agricultural and Natural Resource Educator in four different counties: Jay, Adams, Benton, and Howard. I also served as a voting member of two County Plan Commissions for 14 years. My BS and MS degrees are both in Agriculture from Purdue University. | |
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Experience Working with Local Communities |
The 20 years of local Extension work in the field put me in close contact with local, municipal, and county government. The last 7 years I have served as The Planning With POWER Project Leader at Purdue University which has worked on land use issues in 46 counties in Indiana, numerous municipalities, and several local communities in other states including Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Connecticut, and Hawaii. I also was Chair of the Purdue Land Use Team in 2001 and 2004 and continue to provide input and resources to that group on land use and natural resource issues. | |
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Fee Information |
As a state Extension Land Use Specialist I cannot charge any fees for educational visits or programs. My work with the Indiana Land Resources Council is considered part of the Planning With POWER educational efforts, programming, and outreach to the citizens of the state. I would consider these efforts to be a very positive cooperation and collaborative effort with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and Purdue University with mutual benefits to both institutions and the public. | |
| Michael E. Hershmann, AICP, Land Use Consultant view curriculum vitae | ||
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Knowledge Base |
I have participated in the writing of confined feeding regulations. I have also guided the approval of several confined feeding operations. I guided an ethanol plant through the approval process through building permits and inspections. I have worked on agritourism issues in both Indiana and Kentucky. I have done the initial research on a bio-industry park. I work in a county where one-third to one-half of the economy is agricultural in nature. | |
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Experience Working with Local Communities |
I have worked in small/agricultural areas, serving as zoning administrator/planning director. I have written zoning ordinances/amendments and subdivision regulations and started the update of the comprehensive plan in several of the communities. I am also a person that the smaller communities call for advice on zoning issues. I serve as co-editor of the newsletter for the small town and rural division of the American Planning Association. I write a column for the newsletter that addresses small town and rural planning issues. I have conducted training for new members of both the planning commission and the board of zoning appeals. | |
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Fee Information |
No Fee: I will review both existing and proposed zoning ordinances/subdivision regulations/comprehensive plans. I will answer any questions via phone and/or email. Fee-based: I will write zoning ordinances and subdivision regulations, as well as amendments to the comprehensive plan, the zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations. This includes meeting the elected officials, planning commission and members of the board of zoning appeals. | |
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Jamie Palmer, AICP, Center for Urban Policy and the Environment, Land Use Consultant | ||
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Knowledge Base |
I am a professional land-use planner and state leader within the planning profession on a number of planning issues, including those associated with agriculture. | |
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Experience Working with Local Communities |
I have worked with a number of communities on various planning issues, some as formal projects and others as limited technical assistance, including Kendallville, Benton County, Fowler, Montgomery County, Putnam County, and Elkhart County. | |
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Fee Information |
No Fee: I and my organization are interested primarily in helping communities think through approaches to issues, up to perhaps a half day visit to the community. Fee-based: We are able to do fee-based work, but typically do not do entire comprehensive plans or ordinances because those services are provided by private sector firms. We are more interested in helping communities do some initial strategic thinking and problem solving. | |
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James Rybarczyk, PhD, Ball State University, Air & Water Quality Consultant | ||
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Knowledge Base |
I worked over the past 20 years in the analytical monitoring of both air and water quality from rural agricultural sites. I worked to educate and bring science into agricultural production, specifically with CAFOs and ethanol bio-refineries. I have worked with local communities and Responder Teams on agricultural chemical issues, application, and runoff. I have an intimate knowledge of an agricultural crop and hog operation, as a family farm. | |
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Experience Working with Local Communities |
Landfill monitoring for League of Women Voters project. Acid rain research with local citizen groups across the state. Testimony on acid rain before Congress. Energy Advisor and technical expert for 10 Indiana counties, in addition to 12 states, from California to Florida. Helped draft state legislation. Countless public meetings and hearings with citizens, government bodies, and regulatory commissions. Significant experience in organizing citizen participation in local communities at all levels. | |
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Fee Information |
No fee charged. | |
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Richard A. Roeper, PhD, Alma College, Water Quality Consultant | ||
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Knowledge Base |
I have over 34 years of experience in water quality testing and issues involving agricultural production. I developed water quality management plans from regional to watershed to communities to individual agricultural facilities. I provide suggestions and understandings to the issue of agricultural production to water quality and quality of life. | |
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Experience Working with Local Communities |
I served as Technical Advisor to IDEM/EPA 319 Grant on the Middle Fork of the East Fork of the Whitewater River Watershed for the last six years. I gathered data to develop a water management plan for the watershed. I developed a cost/share plan to farmers for improvements to protect water quality. I served on Well-Head Protection Committee for the City of Richmond. This committee developed an ordinance to protect the well-head which was approved by the city government. Agricultural, home, and industrial uses were involved. I participated in the recent ISDA Agricultural Economic Development Initiative at both the regional and county level. I can provide understanding of issues involved in increasing livestock production related to potential environmental regulatory problems. In Michigan, I provided consulting aid to communities involved in a $100 Million EPA Superfund site. I represented Gratiot County in Regional Saginaw Bay Watershed Plan mainly dealing with nonpoint agricultural pollution. | |
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Fee Information |
Fee for my participation is open for negotiation. Depends on the project and ability of requestor to pay. Last year working for the 319 Grant I provided more than $6,000 of my time which was used as a matching component to the grant. Certainly not more than $10 per hour, mileage and overnight costs would be fine. I can provide water quality assessment testing ( E. coli, phosphate, nitrate, etc. ) for cost of supplies. Water management plans and watershed assessment are services I would be most interested in providing. I could provide an environmental viewpoint to a wide variety of issues. | |
Features
- Disaster Relief Information
- Governor Daniels' Property Tax Plan and Agriculture
- Indiana's Vision for Conservation
- Indiana Land Resources Council Model Ordinances
- We All Live Downstream Event Schedule
- Conservation Photo Contest
