Board Members
Kathy Cooley
Kathy Cooley grew up in Southeast Indiana and has spent her life passionate about good food and good health. She graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, with a degree in dietetics and spent her career as a registered dietitian. For 33 years, Kathy worked at Margaret Mary Health, helping people with weight loss, diabetes, and GI health — always with a focus on real, whole foods made from scratch. In 2003, Kathy co-founded the Food and Growers Association (FGA) and served as its first president for eight years. After retiring from Margaret Mary Health and stepping down from the FGA board in 2021, she recently rejoined the board to help revitalize the important work of supporting local food and farmers. Kathy and her husband, Ted, also run Alpine Berry Farm, a local U-pick blueberry farm where the community can enjoy fresh, homegrown berries.
Olivia Fledderman
Olivia Fledderman is a registered dietitian who owns and operates her private practice and nutrition consulting business, Sprouted in Strength, LLC, out of the Batesville, Indiana area. As a dietitian, Olivia focuses on health promotion and disease prevention. She understands that the foods which a person eats can have a huge impact on their overall health and wellness.
In her personal life and with her clients, she encourages a whole foods approach in terms of nutrition. She is also passionate about supporting our local food systems and helping to connect consumers with local farmers/producers/growers. In her free time, Olivia enjoys spending time with family and friends and spending time outdoors. A few of her favorite hobbies include gardening, preserving foods, hiking and backpacking (especially exploring our National Parks), kayaking, and camping. Olivia has been involved with the Food and Growers Association since 2017, and she is excited to continue helping to strengthen our local food systems as a member of the FGA Board of Directors.
Emily Hartman
Emily Hartman is a real estate professional and owner of a personal cooking business based in Southeast Indiana. She studied real estate at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. She joined STNL Development following a stint in general construction and has built a career managing complex projects from planning to completion, gaining experience in collaboration, problem solving and stewardship.
Alongside her work in real estate, Emily founded a personal cooking business, Emily Hartman Cooking, where she offers private dinners, cooking classes, and kitchen resets. Her style highlights multicultural flavors while prioritizing fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. Emily’s love of food and farming began in childhood, when she spent summers picking blueberries at her father’s patch, a tradition that inspired her lifelong dream of starting a farm of her own.
Today, that same sense of connection fuels her passion for building community around the table, supporting regional growers, and making high quality, thoughtful food both approachable and meaningful for families. She also enjoys traveling, time with her husband and daughter, and finding inspiration in new experiences.
Julie Helmers
Julie Helmers joined the FGA in April of 2025. Her background is in horticulture, agriculture, and education. She is currently working for the Greenacres Foundation at Michaela Farm in Oldenburg, IN where she enjoys hosting local school groups for free field trips and welcoming the community to the farm and forest for events. Julie values sustainable and regenerative agriculture, local food, and giving everyone the opportunity to enjoy the peace and beauty of the outdoors. In her free time she enjoys growing her home market garden, hiking, and spending time with her family and friends.
Cassandra Holtel
Cassandra Holtel is an International Sales Administrator for Wood-Mizer covering Chile, Peru, the Caribbean, and international U.S. based customers. She studied International Studies at IU Bloomington. While at IU, she was a chairperson on the IU Sustainability Committee and taught rock climbing through IU Outdoor Adventure. Locally, she has helped organize in Batesville Outdoor Adventure and Batesville Area Inclusion and Diversity. In 2015 and 2018 she worked at Michaela Farm where she first found an interest in farming and permaculture. She is passionate about food systems, community building, education, environmental sustainability, and getting people outside.
Tim Hunter
Tim Hunter has served the Batesville School Corporation for over 35 years and is currently the Director of Operations. A longtime Batesville resident, he grew up enjoying outdoor activities and sports, and continues to stay active through hiking and running. Tim and his wife, Trish, a healthcare professional, share a passion for farmers markets and agritourism. He brings his deep community roots and love of the outdoors to the Food and Growers Association Board, where he is committed to strengthening connections between local growers, the community, and the school system.
Denise Sowles
Denise Sowles is a retired school based occupational therapist who specialized in children with sensory based needs. She and husband Tom recently relocated to Batesville from Michigan to be closer to a few of their 10 grandchildren. Growing up in the Baby Boomer generation, eating locally grown food was just a way of life. Most of their meals came from their own back yards. As a professional, learning the impact that diet and nutrition had on children’s development made her focus on healthy food a passion. Denise has been involved with the FGA just since 2024, but is excited to work with an organization dedicated to supporting local food growers and connecting them to the communities that will benefit from the fruits of their labor.