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!

Nicole Careri, Lodge Caretaker

Hi everyone! From being a Jersey girl to moving to Pennsylvania with my fiancé, Ryan, it’s been a wild ride so far.  I came here continuing her career as a wedding hair and makeup stylist.  I am also the mother of 2 beautiful Korat cats, Manson and Monroe.  I’ve been looking to find something that helps the animals in our community.  In my extensive online research, I stumbled upon Ross Mill Farm. Working at the farm is a dream!  I have always wanted to own a pig of my own, and now I feel like they are all part of my family.  In my free time, I enjoy doing special effects makeup, photoshoots, and having dinner with friends and family.  Since my family and friends are in New Jersey, any free time I can get, I love to spend with them.

Josep Cuce, Lodge 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.

Jackson Doyle, Barn and Outdoor Caretaker

For Jackson, working with pigs is something of a dream job.  Jackson has always been an animal lover and grew up in a household filled with animals.  He currently shares his home with one dog, three cats and a rooster named Dwayne.  At Ross Mill, Jackson is the outdoor pig caretaker responsible for the daily feeding and cleaning of 100+ pigs.  Outside of work, Jackson enjoys bodybuilding and backpacking.  During summers, he takes trips to various states to backpack and enjoy the scenery.

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 (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.

Jennifer Brown, Office Staff

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, painting with watercolors, 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, her hamster, and rescued lab-mix Winston a part of her family. 

Dan Kelly, Barn and Outdoor 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.

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.

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