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Contact

General Contact

Media Contact

Meet Our Team

Ashley McCarty

Ashley McCarty

Executive Director

ashley@mofarmerscare.com

As executive director of Missouri Farmers Care (MFC), Ashley leads the collaborative effort of Missouri’s agriculture community to stand together for the men and women who provide the food and jobs on which our communities depend. Missouri Farmers Care programs impact all segments of Missouri agriculture.

Through Agri-Ready County Designation, over 80 counties partner with Missouri agriculture to promote agricultural growth and opportunity. Through Agriculture Education on the Move™, one in six Missouri third graders receive ten interactive agricultural literacy lessons each year. Since 2017, the Drive to Feed Kids has raised resources for over 13.7 million meals for food-insecure children. The Missouri Agricultural Stewardship Award celebrates the stewardship ethic and legacy of farmers and ranchers. The Race to the Plate collaboration connects three million consumers with agriculture annually through a partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Previous to leading MFC, Ashley spent a decade working on behalf of farmers with the Missouri Corn Growers Association, Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, and Missouri Department of Agriculture.

She chairs the Missouri Clean Water Commission, overseeing water quality matters in the state as an agriculture, industry and mining representative. She also serves as secretary of Missouri Partnership, a public-private economic development organization focused on attracting new jobs and investment to the state and promoting Missouri’s business strengths.

Ashley is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia with a degree in Animal Science. Ashley spends much of her time with her three growing boys and, together with her husband, Patrick, raises horses and commercial Red Angus cattle as McCarty Cattle Company on their century family farm west of Kirksville, Mo. in Agri-Ready Designated Adair County.

Erin Metzler

Erin Metzler

Communications Director

erin@mofarmerscare.com

Erin leads the MFC’s communications strategy, social media presence, and brand visibility efforts. She drives strategic outreach across Missouri Farmers Care’s programs, including Agri-Ready County Designation, Drive to Feed Kids, Ag Education on the Move™, the Missouri Agriculture Stewardship Award, and the Race to the Plate partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals. She collaborates closely on program direction, planning, and execution to support the success and growth of each initiative.

Erin holds a degree in Agricultural Communications from Texas Tech University. Her passion for agriculture and communications guides her career, blending creativity with mission-driven purpose.

This Texas native now calls Missouri home. Erin resides in Huntsville, Missouri, where she owns High Caliber Creative & Consulting, offering design and photography services to livestock operations nationwide. She helps to manage Owings Genetics, a diversified livestock venture she and her boyfriend, Matthew, operate with his family, raising competitive show stock. In her free time, Erin enjoys returning to Texas to visit family and lend a hand on her parents’ Red Angus cow/calf operation.

Emma Alexander

Emma Alexander

Outreach Strategist & Administrative Specialist

emma@mofarmerscare.com

Farmer by trade. Storyteller at heart. Proudly rooted between the rocks of the Ozark Mountains in Southwest Missouri, Emma utilizes her deep agricultural network, grown from a family legacy of farming, to share stories that reflect the diversity, depth, and heart of Missouri agriculture.

Emma oversees MFC’s storytelling and strategies for sharing those stories through MFC channels as well as partnership outlets. From farmer features to program news releases to core messaging design, she collaborates with the MFC team to tie communication, education, and advocacy together with a vibrant, thread that tells the story of Missouri agriculture and promotes its future success. Her original contributions to ‘what’ MFC programs accomplish have developed into extensive knowledge of ‘why’ and ‘how’ MFC programs succeed. Emma is responsible for many hidden details that keep MFC programming on track.

Emma joined the MFC team in 2022 when she “returned to the farm” at the conclusion of an entrepreneurial career in landscape design and care. At home on the farm, she is a livestock producer and has helped diversify and expand the family’s business, CopperTop Legacy Agriculture. Emma leads brand development, marketing, and customer relations for the farm’s direct to consumer program.

Emma is an alum of Missouri State University’s College of Agriculture, Missouri Farm Bureau’s IMPACT Advanced Leadership class, University of Missouri’s Neighborhood Leadership Academy, and American Farm Bureau Women’s Communications Bootcamp. She has served Missouri 4-H as a volunteer leader for more than 20 years.

Jaron VanHouden

Jaron VanHouden

Outreach Specialist

jaron@mofarmerscare.com

Jaron VanHouden supports Missouri Farmers Care’s statewide efforts to promote and advance Missouri agriculture through strategic communication, outreach, and program engagement.

Jaron joined Missouri Farmers Care as an Ag Moves intern, then as an MFC intern before serving in his current role. He supports the full scope of MFC programs through storytelling, relationship building, and community outreach that elevates the voices and experiences of Missouri farm families.

Jaron is pursuing a master’s degree in Agricultural Leadership,Communication and Education at the University of Missouri, where he is strengthening his interest in agricultural education, literacy and rural vitality.

Jaron grew up on his family’s farm in Southwest Missouri. The family raises commercial cow–calf pairs and ranch quarter horses. Jaron developed his strong commitment to supporting Missouri farmers and the communities they sustain. Jaron remains actively involved on his family’s farm and will continue to invest in the future of Missouri agriculture.

Gentrie Davis

Gentrie Davis

Summer Outreach Specialist

Gentrie Davis is passionate about supporting Missouri agriculture creatively with a deep appreciation for the people behind it. Grounded in her family’s belief “think different, farm different,” Gentrie values meeting farmers and ranchers where they are and helping find unique opportunities for their operations. Gentrie is currently a junior at the University of Missouri–Columbia, studying Agricultural Education, Communications, and Leadership. Through her studies and experiences, she is growing her passion for agricultural advocacy, education, and sharing the stories that connect consumers to the farm. Raised in Marshall, Missouri, Gentrie comes from a fifth-generation row crop operation and is actively involved in her family’s grain elevator business, River Valley Ag Exchange. Being part of both the farm and agribusiness sides has shaped her perspective and strengthened her commitment to serving Missouri farmers. This summer, Gentrie will serve as an intern with Missouri Farmers Care, where she will support outreach and communications efforts and help facilitate workshops for Missouri FFA members at Camp Rising Sun. She is excited to return back to camp, as a past Missouri FFA State Officer, for the opportunity to connect with students and share Missouri Farmers Care initiatives. Outside of her work in agriculture, Gentrie owns and operates a small business, GMae’s Baking and Milling, where she combines her love for the family farm, baking, and entrepreneurship. She also enjoys showing her horses, Sam and Oakley, with the American Ranch Horse Association alongside her brother, Gage.