Who we are
Ann Wilkinson
Ann Wilkinson provides business planning and business development expertise to the food industry. She specializes in working with emerging food and beverage companies, and has extensive experience consulting with producer owned organizations. Industry competencies include natural and functional foods, meat, cheese, and specialty food products. Ann has degrees from Colorado State University and the University of Missouri, Columbia.
Jessica Ratcliff
Jessica joined Origin Farms in 2013 to assist with grant writing, business planning, and industry research. Jessica has a background in environmental sustainability from her B.A. in sustainable agriculture from Carleton College and spending four years living in off-the-grid housing in New Mexico. Jessica’s firsthand agricultural experiences range from working on a 60-acre organic produce farm to coordinating school gardens. She is also the founder and manager of a neighborhood Farmers' Market and an organizer of the Kansas City Urban Farm and Garden Tour.
Beth Maggard
Beth Maggard is a grantwriting professional with over 10 years of experience in nonprofit writing and communication. She has managed the grants portfolios for Chicago Public Media (WBEZ) and Charlotte Street Foundation, and she managed communications for the six-state regional arts organization Mid-America Arts Alliance. She has an MA in writing from DePaul University and a BA from Truman State University, and she enjoys volunteering with Lead to Read, a local literacy organization in her hometown of Kansas City.
ED Wilkinson
Ed Wilkinson is the most recent addition to the Origin Farms team. In 2024, he received a Ph.D. in Biology from Duke University. His research focused on understanding how plants respond to elevated temperatures. Before his Ph.D., he graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a dual major in Economics and Botany. He is excited to continue to meld his interests in agriculture and economic strategy by working with producer-owned companies.
Wondering if you would qualify for a VAPG or Dairy Business Innovator grant? Looking to expand your family farm?
See how we can
help you grow.
