About REACH

Beth Baker
Associate Extension Professor
662-325-7491
beth.baker@msstate.edu

Beth is an Associate Extension Professor in the College of Forest Resources, Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture. Beth holds a B.S. in Biomedical Science, a M.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology, and received her Ph.D. in Forest Resources from Mississippi State University in 2015. She leads the REACH program and has been involved with the program since the it’s inception. The REACH program allows her to expand the focus of her research and extension activities, to assess the most effective management strategies to promote soil and water conservation, and ecosystem services while also helping Mississippi farms remain sustainable and profitable.

James Callicutt
Extension Instructor I
662.325.2478
james.callicutt@msstate.edu

Mark Hill
Extension Associate I
662.325.0681
mark.hill@msstate.edu

Mark holds a B.S. from the Mississippi State University Department of Biological Sciences, where he studied ecology, trophic interactions, and biogeography, and a M.S. from the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, where he studied nutrient transport following on-farm conservation practices. Previously he has worked on research projects examining trophic interactions in a changing climate, understanding the effect of timing of prescribed fire on the nutritional phenology of southeast loblolly pine plantations, and the use of stacked BMPs cover crop and reduced tillage to ameliorate nutrient enrichment to the Gulf of Mexico. Currently, Mark is working on delivering an Extension project that explores environmental outcomes of on-farm conservation practices, supports practices through producer incentives, re-imagines incentive structures in a pay-for-performance style path towards greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and developing a market solution for Climate-Smart grain, allowing companies to document scope 3 emission reductions within their supply chain.

Edward Entsminger
Extension Associate III
662.325.0681
edward.entsminger@msstate.edu

Edward is an Extension Associate III in the College of Forest Resources, Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture. Edward holds three A.A.S. degrees in Fish and Wildlife Management; Fish Management and Aquaculture; and Parks and Recreation and Wildlife Management, and a B.S. in Wildlife and Fish Conservation and Management. Graduated with a M.S. in Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Sciences in 2014 and a Ph.D. in Forest Resources in 2022, both from Mississippi State University. He is a wildlife and fisheries biologist and general ecologist, and his research and experience focused on prairies, reclamation sites, forested environments, wetlands, mowing on roadside right-of-ways, conservation, plant and wood identification, bio-based adhesives, plywood, wood strand-based products, and agriculture. He brings a wealth of experience in natural resources, from wildlife and fisheries to forestry and sustainable bioproducts and agriculture. He is helping with coordinating and managing our Climate-Smart Commodities project, landowner, producers, and operator outreach.