About the Ancilla Beef & Grain Farm
Ancilla Beef and Grain Farm is a ministry of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ that models rural family farming by raising grain and quality beef in an environmentally friendly and natural way. Grounded in tradition and guided by PHJC values, Ancilla Beef and Grain Farm endeavors to help sustain The Center at Donaldson. The efforts of the Farm also contribute to the food supply of the geographic community.
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Meet the Speakers
Amanda Kautz
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Indiana State Soil Health Specialist
Amanda grew up in west central Indiana learning about natural resources management through her family’s sawmill business. She holds a BS in Natural Resources and Environmental Science with a focus on soils and land use from Purdue University. During college she started her career with USDA-NRCS as an intern and then took a full-time position upon graduation. She spent 10 years of her career as a District Conservationist in offices across Indiana and has been a member of the Indiana Soil Health team for 14 years. In her current role as State Soil Health Specialist, she provides soil health training for employees of the Indiana Conservation Partnership and technical assistance and training to farmers and landowners across the state through field visits, presentations at field days and events, and collaboration with local USDA field offices.
John Hays
Understanding Ag, Consultant
John Hays has been farming for over 40 years and is a fifth generation farmer in west-central Indiana where he now farms with his wife Jenny and their three grown children and families. About 2010, John began managing a local trucking company while still managing the commercial hog operation and his family’s hay and grass-fed beef business. He made the decision to give up commercial hog production and focus on the other two businesses: trucking and hay and grass-fed beef. The trucking business has grown and been very successful under his leadership. His farming operation has taken a very different turn since 2020. Once he saw what continuous haying was doing to soil health, he began contemplating what to do to better steward the land and this is where his regenerative journey really got the momentum that he had been looking for his entire life.
Since then, John and family have converted all of their ground to perennial pasture and are now adaptively grazing cattle, pigs, laying hens and meat chickens on their farm very intentionally to advance soil health and build resiliency. The meats produced are all marketed directly to consumers in central Indiana and throughout the rest of the U.S. under Hays Family Farm.
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Geoffry Williams
Executive Director of Ecological Services for the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ
Geoffry Williams serves as Executive Director of Ecological Services for the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, where he leads initiatives spanning regenerative agriculture, ecological stewardship, sustainability, and land management across more than 1,100 acres in North Central Indiana. His current work focuses heavily on guiding the transformation of Ancilla Beef and Grain Farm from conventional agricultural systems toward regenerative farming practices that improve soil health, increase resilience, and strengthen long-term agricultural productivity.
In addition to advancing regenerative agriculture, Geoff oversees native habitat restoration, renewable energy initiatives, organic greenhouse production, and sustainability programs supporting the Congregation’s mission of environmental stewardship.
Prior to joining the Poor Handmaids, Geoff held leadership roles in the construction and technology sectors. He holds an MBA from Purdue University and a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability from Ball State University.
Dr. Neal A Knapp
Marian University Plymouth, Department Head of Agriculture and Assistant Professor
Dr. Neal A. Knapp is the Department Head of Agriculture and Assistant Professor at Marian University Plymouth. He holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from Boston University and specializes in agricultural and environmental history, food systems, animal ethics, and sustainable agriculture. His research and teaching focus on the intersection of agriculture, ecology, technology, and social justice, with particular attention to how farming systems shape both environmental outcomes and community well-being.
At Marian, Dr. Knapp leads innovative programs in regenerative agriculture, precision agriculture, and vertical farming, including partnerships with schools, industry, and community organizations to advance food security and agricultural education. He is also the author of Making Machines of Animals (Johns Hopkins University Press).
Ashley Adair
Purdue University Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Extension Organic Agriculture Specialist
Ashley Adair is Purdue University’s Extension Organic Agriculture Specialist. She specializes in organic agriculture education and outreach across all types of crops, including grain crops and specialty crops. Her extension program aims to assist organic growers in their efforts to diversify their crop rotations and improve soil health, as well as to educate ag professionals about organic practices and build their capacity to help growers across Indiana.