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.

Rich Bowers,  Pig Caretaker for the Barn & Outside Pens

Rich has dedicated his professional life to caring for pigs.  The year 2021 marks his 25th year at Ross Mill!  His compassion for all animals has made him such an asset to the farm.

Born and raised in southeastern Pennsylvania, Rich is a life-long Philadelphia sports fan, spending winters rooting for the Eagles and going to Phillies games during the summer.  

Rich met his wife Deb at the farm and the couple was married here in 2014, with his buddy Jen serving as one of the groomsmen. 

Rich and Deb are devoted to helping animals and their family is proof of that.  They have six chickens, one pig, two cats, and two dogs. 

Jen Brown, Photography & Social Media Manager, Online Store Manager

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.  

She is an avid bird-watcher, and also enjoys reading mysteries and crime fiction, summer concerts, and conventions (especially those featuring cast members of The Walking Dead).  

Jen and her husband Jason have three kids… daughter Brittany, son Jack, and daughter-in-law Bobbie… along with four birds and rescued lab-mix Winston. 

Christine Ferraro, Farm Manager

Christine is a newbie at Ross Mill Farm, joining the staff in November of 2020. Though originally from Pennsylvania, she’s lived out west for many years and in 2019 came back here to be closer to family. Having been an educator and a massage therapist among other things, she decided to shift her focus to serving animals, which led her to Ross Mill Farm. As an animal-rights advocate and proud tree-hugger, Christine is delighted to spend her time living and working among these exceptional pigs on the beautiful land of Ross Mill Farm.

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.

Patti Platia, Pig Placement Network Adoption Coordinator

In 2007, Patti was blessed with an opportunity to take early retirement from “Corporate America” which afforded her the opportunity to work in animal welfare.  In January 2008 she arrived in Kanab Utah and began working at Best Friends’ Animal Sanctuary. It is there that she was first exposed to the amazing potbellied pigs of Piggy Paradise.  Having always been an animal lover….she knew what wonderful creatures they were…but had no idea how they would wrap themselves around her heart and become such an integral part of her life.

When she returned to Pennsylvania to be closer to her family, she really missed her piggy pals.  She was fortunate enough to be introduced to Susan Magidson at Ross Mill Farm. After the first day of volunteering, she was driving home thinking what a wonderful experience it had been and was determined to become a part of the Ross Mill Farm and Pig Placement Network family.  That was in September 2012. 

Patti has been the adoption coordinator (and fill in “wherever” person) since then.

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.

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!

Katie Branson, Lodge Caretaker

I’m a recent graduate of Temple University where I studied biology in the hopes of finding a career in animal care. I have worked in the past training future police k9s at Penn Vet and taking care of tigers and other large carnivores at a sanctuary in Texas. I love all the pigs here and knowing I’m giving deserving animals a better life makes getting up early for work in the morning not so bad.

Jordyn Clerk, Lodge Caretaker

I previously worked at an art studio for about seven years but decided I wanted a different career path that involved animals. I’m currently enrolled in school for biology and planning on going for large animal studies. I’ve always had a passion for animals and love spending time with them any second I can. I love going to work and getting to see all of their happy faces!

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.

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.

Zig, Farm Dog and Pig Poop Picker-Upper

Zig followed Christine here from Colorado. He’s originally from New Mexico and spent the first year of his life on one of the Native American pueblos. Like Christine, Zig loves a good adventure and spending as much time outdoors as possible. He wholeheartedly approves of her decision for them to work at the farm. While initially freaked out by the pigs, he quickly navigated how to live harmoniously with them and, bonus, discovered that their poop is quite delicious.

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