Ron Whitehurst Email & Phone Number

Ron Whitehurst, specialist in biological pest control and restoration of agro-ecosystems, consults for farmers, gardeners, consultants and practitioners. He facilitates learning about insect pests and solutions in field, greenhouse, landscape, garden and animal rearing situations. His lively discussions about insect lifecycles and predator-prey relationships make the principles of biocontrol easy to understand for both lay and technical audiences. He is a member of the California Sustainable Pest Management Work Group, working with 25 stakeholders to develop a pathway to a future with less use of toxic pesticides. Ron is a California licensed Pest Control Advisor and co-owner of Rincon-Vitova Insectaries, Inc. that produces and markets supplies for biological pest control and agroecology. With a BA in biology from Indiana University, Ron early on worked as an organic garden writer, and helped organize an organic grower association. He has been communicating about organic methods of farming and gardening for over 40 years. Since 1997 he has guided people through the steps of creating and biologically managing ecosystems to grow healthy plants to minimize and control pests, using insect habitat, cultural methods, beneficial insects, and soft pesticides when needed. He has led projects for the Dietrick Institute for Applied Insect Ecology, co-located with Rincon-Vitova. An avid gardener, he loves making compost, building soil, and creating bio-intensive food producing landscapes. Ron’s mentor is Everett (Deke) Dietrick, commercial biocontrol pioneer, who worked alongside the academic lights of biocontrol in the 1960’s and 70’s, Robert Van den Bosch, Paul De Bach and others. Like Deke, Ron evaluates products and strategies that fit into a biocontrol program and are acceptable for organic production. He works with his wife Jan Dietrick (Deke’s daughter), and is the proud grandfather of a twenty one year old. Past presentations: Ecological Farming and Texas Organic Producers Conferences, ACRES USA, Carolina Farm Stewardship Conference, So Cal Entomology Club, Association of Applied IPM Ecologists (AAIE), Pesticide Applicators Professional Association (PAPA), Ojai Horticulture Society, Ventura County and San Fernando Valley Rose Societies, workshops of the Santa Barbara Green Gardener Program, Bio-Cat Microbials, Cockroach, New Pests of Avocados and G. S. Long Organic Workshops, and workshops on Weeds as Soil Indicators and Edible Weeds.

Listed skills include Ecology, Agriculture, Sustainability, Landscaping, and 29 others.

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  Indiana University Indianapolis

  Biology, Chemistry, Math