Ann grew up on Wilhelm Farm and is currently employed as a Research Analyst in the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness at the University of Connecticut. She earned her BS and MS degrees in Animal Science from Cornell and Michigan State University respectively, and an MBA from Syracuse University. Early in her career she worked for Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development and as a consultant for the Italian Livestock Association. As a part-time farmer, Ann continues to advocate for small-scale agriculture systems. She and her husband, Bill Bentley, plan to demonstrate on their farm the range of values and services that a small, New England landholding can provide.

Ann’s specific interests and skills include intensive gardening, animal husbandry, and homesteading skills. As she and Bill have developed their interests in agroforestry, she began work with mushroom cultivation and forest farming of ramps & fiddlehead ferns. Her skills in analysis will help in planning future farm and forest enterprises.