Mission and Aims
Promoting knowledge exchange continually since 1785 to further the understanding and appreciation of agriculture – historical, current, and future – is the mission of the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture, a non-profit and non-partisan organization.
In accordance with our mission, the Society aims to…
Expand membership from a primarily agricultural audience to a broader range of interested people;
Bring together leading authorities and the general public to share information;
Support the career pathways that lead young people to occupations in the agriculture and food industry through scholarships, grants, and collaboration with others;
Provide a mix of programming through in-person and virtual lectures, field trips, publications, and social media;
Promote our historical collections of books and papers through our website and social media.
Officers, Committee Chairs and At-Large Member of Executive Committees for 2026-2027
Officers
- President (Tiffany Turrentine)
- President-Elect (Robert Grenfell)
- Immediate Past President (Michael Fidanza)
- Vice-Presidents (3) (Robert Grenfell, Robert Jones, Jonathan Hoffmeier)
- Secretary (Scott Sheely)
- Treasurer (Jonathan Hoffmeier)
At-Large (Jessica McAtamney, Emory Dabney, Lizzie Bailey, Carl Brown, Michael McGrath, Joshua Humphreys, Robert Grenfell, Betsy Huber, Mark Haskins, Robert Jones)
Committees Chairs
- Membership (Arland Hotchkiss, Co-Chair; Emory Dabney, Co-Chair)
- Activities (Tiffany Turrentine, Rober Grenfell, Arland Hotchkiss)
- Education (Carl Brown and Michael Fidanza, Co-Chair)
- Historical and Library (Michael McGrath, Chair)
- Finance and Investments (Joshua Humphreys, Chair), Jonathan Hoffmaier, Scott Sheely
- Communications (Robert Grenfell, Chair; Lizzie Bailey)
- Urban Agriculture (Jessica McAtamney, Chair)
At-Large, Religious (Vacant)
At-Large, Awards (Mark Haskins)
At-Large (Lizzie Bailey)
At Large (Betsy Huber)
Committees
Activities (consults with President-Elect in putting together the program schedule for the lectures and field trips for the year to come)
- Robert Grenfell, Chair and President-Elect, PSPA
- Tiffany Turrentine, President, PSPA
- Scott Sheely, Secretary, PSPA
- Michael Fidanza, Immediate Past President, PSPA
- Arland Hotchkiss, Past President, PSPA
- Jonathan Hoffmeier, Vice-President, PSPA
Communications (assists the Secretary in defining and implementing a communications strategy for the Society. Contributes to planning on special events such as America250PA and Horticulture Symposium in collaboration with Longwood Gardens)
- Robert Grenfell, Chair, President-Elect, PSPA
- Tiffancy Turrentine, President, PSPA
- Michael Fidanza, Immediate Past President
- Jessica McAtamney, Past President, PSPA
- Scott Sheely, Secretary, PSPA
- Arland Hotchkiss, Past President, PSPA
- Lizzie Bailey, At-Large, PSPA
- Jonathan Hoffmeier, Treasurer, PSPA
Education (vets the use of Society funding for education events for ag students and teachers. Selects candidates for Winter Scholarships)
- Carl Brown, Chair, PSPA
- Michael Fidanza, Immediate Past President, PSPA
- Jessica McAtamney, Past President, PSPA
- Arland Hotchkiss, Past President, PSPA
- Scott Sheely, Secretary, PSPA
- MeeCee Baker, Member, PSPA
- Robert Leiby, Member, PSPA
- Russell Redding, Honorary Member, PSPA
- Barbara Winter, Honorary Member, PSPA
Finance and Investments (oversees financial planning, budgeting, and investing. Advises the Secretary, Treasurer, and accountant on financial matters. Reviews budget and investing decisions as needed) (some subject matter expertise is needed)
- Joshua Humphreys, Chair, PSPA
- Tiffany Turrentine, President, PSPA
- Robert Grenfell, First Vice-President/Chair Elect, PSPA
- Arland Hotchkiss, Past Chair, PSPA
- Jonathan Hoffmeier, Treasurer, PSPA
- Scott Sheely, Secretary, PSPA
Historical and Library (preserves and extends the historical legacy of the Society. Encourages historical scholarship among members and researchers. Reviews and recommends acquisitions for the PSPA archives at the University of PA library)
- Michael McGrath, Chair, PSPA
- Scott Sheely, Secretary, PSPA
- Darryl Biery, Past President, PSPA
- Lynne Farrrington, Honorary Member, PSPA
- Bruce Cooper Gill, Member, PSPA
- Penny Hunt, Past President, PSPA
- Hubert Jicha, Member, PSPA
- Bettsy Mosiman, Honorary Member, PSPA
- Tom Stokes, Member, PSPA
- Robert Jones, At-Large, PSPA
Membership (assists the Secretary in welcoming new members and maintaining communications with existing members. Monitors membership policies recommending change when needed)
- Emory Dabney, Co-Chair and Past President, PSPA
- Arland Hotchkiss, Co-Chair and Past President, PSPA
- Scott Sheely, Secretary, PSPA
Urban Agriculture (provides a linkage to the emerging Urban Agriculture community in Philadelphia by finding ways to collaborate in policy development, education, and resource generation)
- Jessica McAtamney, Chair, Immediate Past President, PSPA
- Tiffany Turrentine, President, PSPA
At-Large
- Mark Haskins, At-Large, Awards, PSPA
- Lizzie Bailey, At-Large, PSPA
- Betsy Huber, At-Large, PSPA
- Robert Jones, At-Large, PSPA
Ad Hoc Committee on America250PA Projects
- Michael McGrath, Co-Chair and Chair, Historical and Library, PSPA
- Dr. Scott Sheely, Co-Chair, Secretary, PSPA
- Robert Grenfell, Chair, Communications, PSPA
- Beverly Gruber, Member, PSPA
- Bruce Cooper Gill, Member, PSPA
- Stan Straughter, Member, PSPA
- Betsy Huber, Member, PSPA
- Rachel Roberts, Member, PSPA
- Tom Stokes, Member, PSPA
