Lou has been deeply connected to agriculture from a young age, recalling childhood memories of weeding his grandmother’s half-acre strawberry patch and selling apples from a roadside stand. At 13, he began bucking hay and detasseling corn, paving the way for a lifelong career intertwined with farming. After his discharge from the Army, Lou managed cattle in Washington and engaged in hobby farming in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Later, as an airport manager, he innovatively utilized airport land for agriculture, overseeing corn and soybean planting in approach areas and transitioning grass beside taxiways to clover to support on-site beehives.

As his parents aged, Lou assumed management of his family’s fourth-generation Ohio farm, cultivating corn, beans, and hay while tackling invasive honeysuckle in woodlots. Through a USDA NRCS grant, he replaced invasive plants with shade-grown indigenous crops such as blue and black cohosh, goldenseal, ginseng, and ramps, bolstered by deer fencing funded through the Farmer Veteran Coalition. His parents’ earlier agroforestry efforts, planting sycamore, black walnut, and black cherry trees, further inspired his dedication to sustainable practices.

Lou has also contributed to vocational rehabilitation efforts as the grower for The Abilities Connection, a 501(c)(3) organization. There, he taught adults with developmental disabilities to cultivate, harvest, and pack leafy greens in hydroponic systems. In addition, he organized the Growing Opportunities Partnership, a coalition of ten hydroponic greenhouses nationwide that provide vocational rehabilitation opportunities.

A passionate advocate for sustainability and veterans in agriculture, Lou is a member of the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC), the Farm Bureau, and the Appalachian Beginning Forest Farming Coalition. He has written numerous grant applications, achieving a strong success rate for both non-profit agricultural organizations and his family farm. Lou believes in providing the critical support needed to empower small growers, enabling them to achieve projects that might otherwise remain unattainable.

As a founding member of the Ohio Chapter of the Farmer Veteran Coalition, Lou played an instrumental role in establishing the chapter and setting a strong foundation for its success. His leadership and dedication were pivotal during the chapter’s formative stages. Lou now continues to serve in the role of Treasurer for the Ohio Chapter, where he remains committed to helping his fellow veterans transition into farming and turn their dreams into reality.