Haleigh Ortmeier-Clarke

Born and raised on her family’s farm in southwestern Minnesota, Haleigh Ortmeier-Clarke is a sixth generation agriculturalist, learning the ropes by picking rocks and baling hay as a kid. Though she initially considered careers in law and medicine, her experiences in 4-H and a growing awareness of the rural-urban divide inspired her to pursue agriculture.

Haleigh completed a B.S. in Plant Science at the University of Minnesota in 2018. While in college, she did just about everything with internships in extension, research, and industry, while also working in grassroots advocacy and serving on then Governor Mark Dayton’s Young Women’s Cabinet. Haleigh then moved to “enemy territory” to complete her Master’s in Agronomy (‘21) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, studying crop production practices in industrial hemp. She stayed at UW for her Ph.D. (Agronomy, ‘24) where her work focused on increasing the diversity of small grains production. Haleigh also completed a Doctoral Minor in Public Affairs, with a chapter of her dissertation devoted to addressing mental health in farmers. 

Haleigh started as the Program Manager for Science for Success in January 2024. She oversees all of the behind the scenes operations that keep the team going, such as logistics, grant management, and team coordination (she can often be heard saying “Everything is fine”). Her position requires a mix of flexibility and leadership, including delegation to and oversight of both Science for Success and Better Together staff. Better Together is an initiative funded by the United Soybean Board aimed at increasing collaboration and efficiency in the checkoff funded outreach space. 

Haleigh began working in her county Extension office in high school, leading to over 10 years of practical, farmer-focused work within Extension in various positions. She stays engaged in communities within the Agronomy and Crop Science Societies of America, and continues to be an active volunteer within 4-H. Outside of work, Haleigh enjoys reading, sports, and trips to the dog park with her husband, Jared, and their retired greyhound, Hugo. She and Jared are avid Minnesota sports fans, with Haleigh once throwing a first pitch at a Minnesota Twins game dressed as an ear of corn! 

While she has moved to North Carolina, she still feels a deep connection to the Midwest and will always consider “home” to be her family’s fields on the banks of the Des Moines River.

Story by Aleigha Kelly and Isabella Dean.