THE STAFF

ROSS MILL & PPN

Ross Mill Farm, Inc. is a multi-functional working farm dedicated to the well-being of the Pet Pig as a household companion. The Farm provides services, products, information, education, and consultations.

Ross Mill Farm, Inc is also the primary Foster Care facility for Pig Placement Network (PPN) a non-profit organization that cares for potbellied pigs who are waiting to be adopted. The staff at Ross Mill Farm work closely with PPN to care for and find homes for the PPN foster pigs.

Susan Magidson, Owner Operator

You can read more about Susan on her bio page here.

Michelle Rich-Bonn, Director of Development and Operations

Michelle brings extensive knowledge and experience in non-profit development and fundraising, as well as corporate development.  Michelle and Susan have known each other since 1995 when she adopted her first pig, Wilbur and are so excited to team up to achieve the strategic plan. 

Michelle serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater BucksMont Chamber of Commerce.  A graduate of Archbishop Wood and Temple University, Michelle has also served as a community and school volunteer and sports coach.

Michelle lives at home in Warminster with her husband, Ed; four kids, Vanessa, Patrick, Jason and Alex; her two pigs, two dogs, hamster and a bearded dragon.  Wow!  Now we know why she fits right in here!

Jennifer Brown:  Office Staff;  Patreon Author and Photographer

Jennifer has always had an eye for photography and loves taking photos of the pigs.  Prior to working at Ross Mill Farm, she lived in the Grand Canyon National Park while she worked as an x-ray technologist at the Park’s clinic.  

In Fall 2002, Jen began volunteering at the farm and then became an employee two weeks later.  She’s been with us for over 21 years now.   

She is an avid bird-watcher, and also enjoys reading mysteries and crime fiction, sewing, and conventions.  She likes spending time in her garden, either planting flowers and herbs, relaxing with a good book, or playing with her dog.

Jen and her husband Jason have three kids… daughter Brittany, son Jack, and daughter-in-law Bobbie.  In April of 2022, Jen happily became a Mimi to grandson Jason Xavier.  She also considers her four birds and rescued lab-mix Winston a part of her family. 

Kellie Scherch, Lodge and Caretakers Manager

I have always wanted a potbellied pig; however, I did not get the chance to even meet one until later in my life.  Being married, raising 5 children, working full-time, and focusing on my career, I just did not have the time to commit to anything else.  After 25 years working in the corporate world, I was fortunate to do something I loved ~ to be able to work with the animals I have loved my whole life, the potbellied pigs.

At 50 years old, I told my husband that I wanted a pot-bellied pig so I started looking for places to adopt a pig and found Ross Mill Farm.  I volunteered at the farm upon Susan’s request. She thought that may be best to get a better understanding and knowledge of the pigs and boy was that true!  At first, I adopted my buddy Vinny, then my sweet Spencer and then my baby Franklin all within the next couple of years.

Currently, I am semi-retired working with these wonderful, amazing, loving, sweet piggy’s that have changed my life.  They have helped me through really tough times and have shown me so much love and how they are such sweet and kind animals.  This is a great opportunity for me to work with great people on a beautifully stunning farm and of course, the best animals on earth, potbellied pigs!

Kristen Mitchell, Pig Placement Network Surrender Coordinator

Kristen adores animals of all shapes & sizes and had previously volunteered for five years at Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter while getting her Environmental Science degree in California. After moving back to Pennsylvania and working in office environments for 5 years, she missed working with animals and joined PPN in November 2019 as the Surrender Coordinator.

Some of her greatest passions are animals and plants, and she gets to embrace both at Ross Mill Farm.

She currently has a dog, a cat, and a rabbit, and she also enjoys Halloween, crafting, road trips, and gardening.

Ashley Bankhead, Adoption Coordinator 

Ashley has been working with all sorts of companion animals (including cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and horses) for over a decade. After completing a degree in Animal Behavior, she spent 5 years working in an animal shelter in Maine as lead feline adoption counselor and helping people with feline behavior consultations. Now that she is back home in Pennsylvania, she’s thrilled to be working with a whole new pet – the potbellied pig! 

When she’s not match-making humans and pigs, she is mom to 2 cats and 2 guinea pigs. She enjoys listening to true crime and paranormal podcasts, teaching her cats tricks (yes, it’s possible!), cooking up a tasty dinner and playing the Sims. 

Elaine Fernandez,  Bookkeeper

Elaine has been a bookkeeper for over 20 years, with three of those years keeping Ross Mill Farm up and running.  She is everybody’s favorite because she gives us our paychecks!  

When not working, Elaine enjoys gardening, taking piano lessons, and playing handbells in her church.  Like Jen, she is an ardent bird-watcher, and is always on the lookout for that special bird visiting her birdfeeders.  At one point, she was visited by a Blue Bunting (and if you know birds, you know that is a pretty big deal!).  

She has been married to her husband Lansing for 45 years.  And if you happen to see Elaine walking around town but think you’re seeing double, that just means she’s hanging out with her twin sister.

Josep Cuce, Caretaker

Josep recently graduated from the University of Arts in Philadelphia with a Bachelor’s Degree in Illustration.  The farm is so lucky to have his artistic talent on the team!  His creative skills are being utilized for new branding designs for Pig Placement Network.  He also brings to us years of experience in the care, cleanup, handling and treatment of various animals and wildlife.  Josep works inside the Lodge taking care of the daily feeding and cleaning of approximately 70 pigs. On his free time, Josep enjoys bird watching.

Tyler Scherch, Caretaker

Tyler is currently on break from college to focus on his passions:  love of animals, carpentry and the outdoors!  At home, Tyler has 3 pet pigs, a dog, chickens and a snake.  At work, Tyler is the outdoor pig caretaker responsible for the daily feeding and cleaning of pens of 100 pigs!  Tyler also has his own landscaping business that he focuses on when not at the farm.  During his free time, Tyler enjoys woodworking and carpentry, building various tables and furniture pieces.  He also enjoys playing video games.

Angel Hall, Lodge Caretaker

Angel started working at the farm after receiving her bachelor’s degree from Delaware Valley University in 2017. After working full-time for two years she changed her career path to preclinical research and now works in a laboratory setting but still comes on days off to spend time with her beloved piggies. She also performs hoof trims and assists the veterinarians at the farm. Angel hopes to one day own her own rescue.

Janet Riley O’Connor, Lodge Caretaker

This is my third career after spending about 20 years as a registered nurse and 18 as a project manager for pharmaceutical clinical trials. I had never been around pigs before this job but I love all the personalities and mischief. My biggest wish is that people would do more research before adopting a pig so that I could be out of a job!

Michelle Worthington, Lodge Caretaker

Michelle first contacted Susan 15 years ago when she got her first pig and was unaware of how to care for, at the time, such a small creature. A year later she adopted her second pig, and shortly after moved home to Pennsylvania, boarding her pigs at Ross Mill Farm until she could once again bring them home. 

During the time of their stay, Michelle worked as a volunteer,  helping in the lodge to take care of the many PPN pigs and borders that made Ross Mill Farm their temporary home.

Eight years later she was finally in a house of her own and was able to bring her babies home. Michelle now works at the farm, has helped with multiple Piggypalooza events, and educates future pig parents on how to care for their new pet.

Rebecca De La Cruz, Caretaker

Rebecca is a lifelong animal lover, a mom of two kids and a proud member of the team at Ross Mill Farm.  Rebecca divides her time between working in healthcare and working with our pigs as a groomer and caretaker.  As a child, Rebecca spent every summer in rural Puerto Rico, where she rode her uncle’s horses, played among her grandmother’s chickens and helped them feed and care for their pigs and piglets – – her favorite!  She is a loving pig parent to Fiona and Shrek who live at Ross Mill Farm where she spends a lot of time with them.  In her free time, she enjoys cooking, meditating and reading a good book outdoors on sunny afternoons. Rebecca adores her time at Ross Mill Farm and is grateful to experience the same job working with the pigs that she experienced as a child during her summers in Puerto Rico.

Dan Kelly, Caretaker

Dan is one of our caretakers for our outdoor pigs.  He really enjoys being out in the sun and always makes sure to stop and pet every pig in every pen he cleans and feeds.  Outside of work, Dan spends his time making art on photoshop, tinkering with computers, training calisthenics and has competing in a strongman competition.  He is currently studying business administration in college and hopes to eventually buy a home with land so he can have animals of his own to take care of.

Abbie Rogers, Adoption Coordinator

Abbie is a lifelong animal lover, but pigs first stole her heart in 2008, when she took her first position at a sanctuary for farmed animals. Over the next 9 years, she had the privilege of working as Senior Caregiver and Animal Care Director at several nationally known sanctuaries, caring for potbellies, farm-type pigs, and other farmed animals. During that time, she got to know Susan and Ross Mill Farm as an incredible resource when navigating issues with sanctuary residents or her own pig.

Today, Abbie lives in Central Kentucky, where she and her husband Kevin grow vegetables and herbs on their organic farm. They share their lives with Winnie Pig (pictured here) and a cast of other wonderful, rescued animals. Abbie is thrilled to be an adoption coordinator with Pig Placement Network, where she gets to work with some wonderful adopters, talks about pigs all the time, and helps pigs in need find loving forever homes.

JP, Farm Cat/Overseer 

In his earlier years, after traveling the world by hopping cargo ships, JP spent his time living as an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Delta Phi at a school in South Carolina, where he was well known for being the only male ever to be initiated into a sorority. From there, he had a very brief stint in a family home where, unfortunately, there was not enough benadryl in the world for the residents of this household to take in order for JP to remain welcome. At that time, he heard that Ross Mill Farm was hiring and so, like the rolling stone that he is, he packed his bags and settled into life at the farm. Here he lovingly looks after the pigs and entertains them with the tales of his adventures as a sojourner and sorority sister.

The Society for Advancement of Pet Pigs

aka Pig Placement Network

501 c3 Non-Profit Organization
PO Box 498
Rushland, PA 18956
www.pigplacementnetwork.org