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 also serves on the Executive Board of Directors of the Greater Bucks Mont 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 and has four children,
Vanessa, Patrick, Jason and Alex.

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.

Elaine Fernandez,  Bookkeeper

Elaine has been a bookkeeper for over 25 years, with 7 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.  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 (if you know birds, you know that is a pretty big deal!).  

She has been married to her husband Lansing for almost 50 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.

Erica Hochman, Social Media Manager

Erica is absolutely thrilled to be part of the Ross Mill Farm family as the Social Media Manager where her passions for digital storytelling and animals perfectly intersect! She brings over 10 years of social media management, content creation, and digital marketing strategy experience to the team.

When Erica isn’t capturing and editing content to creatively tell compelling company stories for local businesses, she loves spending time with her husband, two cats, and six chickens, and enjoys making music, being in nature, playing tennis, and antiquing.

Alyssa Norton, Barn and Outdoor Caretaker

Alyssa joined the Ross Mill Farm team in February 2024, shortly after relocating from North Carolina. With a lifelong passion for animals, she adores being a part of the RMF team! Her journey in animal care began at a young age, as she has always been an avid animal lover. Alyssa aspires to become a veterinarian, continuing to nurture her love for animals through both her work and future studies. In her downtime, she enjoys photography and spending quality time hiking with her rescue dog, Bolt!

Hannah Kupst, Lodge Caretaker

Hannah has been a member of the Ross Mill team since October 2024, bringing with her a passion for animals that makes her a great lodge caretaker. Before joining Ross Mill Farm, Hannah spent 16 years as a dedicated cheerleader, a role that reflects her lifelong commitment to teamwork and perseverance. Outside of work, Hannah finds joy in the little things: connecting with nature, staying active at the gym, and spending quality time with her pets at home. Hannah’s biggest dream is to one day become a mom and build a family of her own.

Emily Northington, Barn and Outdoor Caretaker

Emily Northington is a caretaker of the outdoor and barn pigs at Ross Mill Farm, with weekly stints in the Lodge to hang out with their buddies on the inside. With a deep love for animals and the outdoors, Emily spends their days making sure the farm’s pigs are cozy, clean, well-fed, healthy, and happy. Outside of farm life, you’ll find Emily hiking, traveling with their husband, John, (they recently visited their 50th state), and volunteering in the Invertebrate Paleontology department at the Academy of Natural Sciences.

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.

 Bella Asplundh, Lodge Caretaker

Bella is a Pennsylvania native whose deep love for animals led her to join the farm team in the winter of 2025. With a natural affinity for caring for animals, Bella brings warmth, dedication, and enthusiasm to her work every day. At home, she’s a proud cat mom to two playful kittens who keep her on her toes and fuel her passion for animal care. Currently pursuing a degree as a veterinary technician, Bella is committed to expanding her knowledge and skills to better support animal health and well-being. Her journey is driven by a lifelong dream of working hands-on with animals, and she’s excited to grow alongside Ross Mill Farm while gaining valuable real-world experience.

Rebecca De La Cruz, Lodge 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.

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