Leadership
Members of the operational management team are engaged in the ongoing administration of the Model Farm for Sustainable Agriculture. As part of their activities, they are engaged in acquiring resources, raising human capital, defining the required activities, and establishing infrastructure. Together with management-appointed specialist subcommittees, the active management team channels the way in which the Model Farm for Sustainable Agriculture operates to make its vision a reality.

Position: Head, Newe Ya’ar Research Center, Head of the Model Farm, Newe-Ya’ar Research Center.
Departmental affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Institute.
Phone numbers: 972-4-9539535
Email address: eizenber@volcani.agri.gov.il
A personal note:
My research has and is focused on environmentally friendly methods of weed management, for increased agricultural production and environmental and food safety.

Position: Head, Scientific Committee of the Model Farm, Newe Ya’ar Research Center.
Departmental affiliation: Department of Soil Chemistry, Plant Nutrition and Microbiology, Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Institute.
Phone numbers: 972-4-9539539 | 972-50-6220038
Email address: laor@volcani.agri.gov.il
A personal note:
As a member of the “founders group” and as the actual scientific director of the Model Farm, I find the fascinating challenge in defining the goals and in paving the way for action.
The day-to-day relationship with professional partners in many different fields makes me believe that this dream of establishing this unique Model Farm is really coming true!

Position: Retiree Research Scientist, Newe Ya’ar Research Center.
Departmental affiliation: Department of Natural Resources, Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Institute.
Phone numbers: 972-50-6220059
Email address: henkinz@volcani.agri.gov.il
A personal note:
It was an honor for me to be part of the leading group to initiate and plan the Sustainable Model Farm Project in Newe Ya’ar as part of the Center for “Environmental Research and Advanced Nutrition” of the Volcani Center. While these days the general publics are becoming more environmentally conscious and demanding for healthier and more sustainable agricultural practices, I wish to see the sustainable model farm initiated in Newe Ya’ar long functioning as for high quality research in sustainable agriculture, while successfully transferring the knowledge through education, demonstration and implementation.

Position: Head, Beef Cattle Unit, Newe Ya’ar Research Center.
Departmental affiliation: Department of Ruminant Science, Institute of Animal Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Institute.
Phone numbers: 972-4-9539560 | 972-50-6220060
Email address: shabtay@volcani.agri.gov.il

Position: Head, Fruit Trees Unit, Newe Ya’ar Research Center.
Departmental affiliation: Department of Fruit Tree Sciences, Institute of Plant Sciences Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Institute.
Phone numbers: 972-4-9539531 | 972-50-6220771
Email address: vhhollan@volcani.agri.gov.il

Position: Research scientist, Soil Conservation Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Departmental affiliation: Soil Erosion Research Station, Soil Conservation Division,
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Phone numbers: 972-50-6241816
Email address: eshelgil@gmail.com
A personal note:
Conservation agriculture is an agricultural practice promoted worldwide as it ensures the preservation of productivity and food security coupled with reduction in the negative impacts of agriculture on soil health and the environment.
This practice includes three main principles: minimum soil disturbance, maximum soil cover, and crop rotation.
Due to the excessive demand for plant biomass in Israel for animal feeding, the promotion of continuous soil mulching with plants and plants residue in filed crops is a major challenge.
In the model farm, we will test and examine the benefits of maintaining the conservation agriculture approach in Israel.

Position: Research scientist, Soil Conservation Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Departmental affiliation: Soil Erosion Research Station, Soil Conservation Division,
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Phone numbers: 972-3-9559949 | 972-50-6241805
Email address: regozi@moag.gov.il
A personal note:
I am a hydro-geomorphologist serving as a researcher at the Soil Erosion Research Station, the R&D unit of the Department of Soil Conservation and Drainage. I study earth surface processes and their interactions with anthropogenic controls to advance our knowledge and applications in the following areas: 1. Soil conservation and sustainable agriculture; 2. Sustainable integrated watershed management; 3. Natural Flood Management (NFM) & Nature-Based Solution (NBS); 4. Process-based restorations, planning, and policy of agriculture streams. I led an extensive effort to restore the Nahalal Stream – an agriculture catchment part of the model farm for sustainable agriculture. A unique mega-project where we aim to modify a highly intensified agriculture system to meet the sustainable development goals initiative by integrating and developing multidisciplinary experimental scientific knowledge.