Nicolle Ritchie

Contact Me

Field Crops Agronomist Educator
St. Joseph County Extension Office

Nicolle Ritchie is the Michigan State University Extension field crops agronomy educator working in southwest Michigan, including St. Joseph and Van Buren counties. She provides research-based education, outreach and materials for Michigan’s field crop (corn, soybeans, wheat/small grains, potato and forage) producers and businesses. She started with MSU Extension in 2024.

Ritchie grew up in southwest Michigan and started scouting fields out of high school, which inspired an interest in agronomy and pest management. She was a service volunteer in Argentina for a year and a half before graduating from Utah State University with a degree in plant science. Her background is primarily in commercial potato production, although she has also worked with more diverse production systems, including nuts, floriculture and nursery plants in the western United States.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What do you do?

I provide research-based field crops-related education, outreach and materials. This might be one-on-one (like trouble-shooting a crop challenge with a grower), in larger group settings (such as presenting at a workshop), or through articles and other media. I work mainly with agricultural producers and businesses, but I can also be a resource for the general public.

Farmers have a lot of different tasks to juggle. I’m here to help lighten that load in whatever way I can, whether that is by monitoring pests locally, providing easy access to RUP credits, generating ideas to improve crop production, helping check seed depth at planting, helping calibrate equipment, etc. Whatever the need is, I’m here to meet it or direct you to someone who can.

Did you grow up on a farm?

No, I never lived year-round on a farm. However, as a kid, I spent summers on my grandparents’ dairy farm in southeast Idaho, rode along on field visits with my dad and was generally involved in agriculture.

What is the best way to reach you?

Text is the most immediate way to reach me because I’m often in areas with unreliable cell signal. Where phone calls don’t always come through clearly, texts are usually able to. You are also more than welcome to email or call me, and I’ll respond to you as soon as I can.

Where can I earn restricted use pesticide (RUP) credits in southwest Michigan?

There are many opportunities to earn RUP credits in southwest Michigan. The easiest way to stay informed on local MSU Extension events, credit opportunities and happenings is to receive my regional newsletter. I send it out by email once a month during the winter and twice a month during the growing season. Fill out this survey with your name and email address to start receiving them (and make sure to check your spam the first couple times to make sure it didn’t end up there).