Dr. Ken Mix
Associate Professor of Soil & Crop Science
Dr. Mix is a former vegetable producer from central Indiana. He operated a 20 acre commercial produce farm outside of Indianapolis in the 1980’s and 1990’s. He currently teaches and has active research in entomology, soil health, regenerative agriculture, crop production and agriculturally related climate and water resources. He oversees several projects with graduate students; including multispecies intercropping, variety trials, soil health, climate change and Central Texas fruit crops, novel crops, and more. He is the Program director of The Small Producers Initiative which began with a USDA award and has included completed USDA awards titled; The Small Producer’s Initiative with Research and Extension (InSPIRE), Texas State Supporting Small Producers (TSSSP), and current awards titled; The Small Producers Initiative's Agricultural Mentoring Program (SPI-AMP), The Small Producers Initiative's Cover Cropping Research on Regenerative Soil Solutions, Education, Extension and Demonstration (RReSSEED), Bridging Success: Strengthening Community, Capacity, and Viability of Texas Beginning Farmers and Conservation Ranching, Beekeeping and Financial Education Program. The Small Producers Initiative also hosts the largest non-land grant farm conference in Texas: The Southern Family Farmers and Food Systems Conference with over 500 Farmers attending annually and nationally recognized speakers on regenerative agriculture.
Education:
Ph.D. Aquatic Resources, Texas State University concentration in Complex Agro-Socio-Ecological Systems, 2010
M.S. Range and Wildlife Management, TAMU-Kingsville, 2004
B.S. Natural Resources & Environmental Mgmt, Ball State University, 1999
- AG 4302 – Fruit and Vegetable Production
- AG 3427 – Soil Science II
- AG 2379 – General Horticulture
- AG 2313 – Agronomic Crops
- AG 3329 – Economic Entomology
- AG 3426 – Soil Science I
- Soil Health
- Botanical Insecticides
- Small Farmers and Ranchers
Projects:
The Small Producer’s Initiative, a stakeholder driven project to provide financial literacy, financial opportunity, technical and technological, and mentor support to small, beginning farmers and ranchers.
Graduate Students:
Former:
Dagoberto Osorio, Jr.
THESIS: Low-Molecular-Weight Organic Acids as a Phosphorus Nutrient Amendment for Solanum melongena Production in Calcareous Soils of the Central Texas Region
Current:
Harpeet (Sony) Sandhu
THESIS: Insecticidal and Repellent Properties of Botanicals Extracts of for Sweet Potato Weevil (Cylas formicarius) Control
Rafea Rea
THESIS: Effects of Two Sources of Amorphous Silica on Growth, Nutrients Accumulation and Drought Tolerance in Leafy Vegetables
Katherine (Katie) Tritsch
THESIS: Roadblocks to Success: Needs Assessment of Texas Small Producers
Cody Brown
THESIS: A Gradient of Soil Proteins Based on Soil Management Practices
Jaycob Gorski
THESIS: Modifying Polistes exclamans (common paper wasp) Food Preferences by Rearing Larva on an Exclusively to Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm) Diet
Rose Flores