STAFF & BOARD
Chef Instructor, Johnson & Wales University; Former Chef/Owner of New Rivers American Bistro
Bruce Tillinghast
“As a former restaurateur, I welcomed the vision of Farm Fresh RI and their mission to connect the farmer to local food consumers — be they individuals, businesses, or chefs. In 2009, Farm Fresh began its Market Mobile wholesale distribution service, allowing me and other chefs to buy directly from a variety of local farmers AND have Farm Fresh deliver those goods in a single order to the restaurant. Over the years, I have watched the growth and expanding vision of Farm Fresh RI and seen their success in connecting the farming and food-consuming communities in Rhode Island — from operating lively farmers markets to offering nutrition incentives for SNAP shoppers to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, to food service training for young adults from the RI Training School who turn overstock produce from local farms into value-added products. When I retired and left my business after 22 years, I was ready to be a volunteer in a community project. My admiration of their work made it easy for me to commit my time to Farm Fresh RI.”
Rebecca C. Seggel
Rebecca grew up in Providence and graduated with a BA in Classical Studies from Brandeis University, outside Boston. From there, a burning drive to see the world led her to travel extensively and reside in various locations out west. After more than a decade working as a communications consultant for large clients like technology companies, Rebecca longed for a greater sense of shared mission and values than she’d found in the corporate world. Rebecca was drawn back to her family in Rhode Island and the state’s vibrant agriculture and food scene. Now she’s planted fresh roots in Pawtucket and found like-minded community at Farm Fresh RI. She leverages her years of experience to share Farm Fresh RI’s message, help our local farmer and producer partners thrive, and grow our local food economy.
Market Mobile
Hurricayne Cabral
Hurricayne has lived in the Providence area his whole life, graduating from Shea High School in Pawtucket. He started working at Farm Fresh RI in 2018, and since then has grown a strong appreciation for local farmers — in particular, for all the hard work they do every day. Cayne loves working at Farm Fresh and getting products from those local farmers and producers out into the community in many different ways — from delivery to some of the top restaurants in Rhode Island to bringing fresh food right to someone’s front door. When he’s not working hard at Farm Fresh, Cayne enjoys spending quality time with family and friends. He also loves to travel, having visited several different countries and states… and counting!
Jesse Rye
Jesse is from Algoma, Wisconsin, a small town near Lake Michigan surrounded by farms and fishing boats. His family tree is populated with cheesemakers, barbers and general store owners—needless to say, entrepreneurship, and supporting local businesses are in his blood. Growing up, many of the core industries in Jesse’s small community locked their doors and family farms were replaced by factory farms. These dramatic changes inspired Jesse to understand how communities could revitalize themselves economically while preserving their unique sense of place, cultural traditions, and environmental integrity. Since earning a Masters Degree from the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University, he has worked locally as a nonprofit manager, nationally as a researcher and advocate, and statewide as program director and communications specialist. At Farm Fresh, Jesse oversees all social enterprise programs, strategic financial management, communications, technology development and human resources. In the past 5 years, he has worked with the board and leadership staff to double the organization’s operating budget and staff, while maintaining a balanced budget. Jesse devotes much of his time to the development of the new RI Food Hub and serves on the RI Food Policy Council as a member of the steering committee and the Food Solutions New England Chair. Jesse is an avid pickler and a fledgling potter who dreams of making his own fermenting crocks.
AmeriCorps VISTA
Blake Chazan
Blake is excited to join the Farm Fresh RI team as the Farm To School AmeriCorps VISTA member. Blake was born and raised in Providence and is very happy to be back home. He has earned a B.A. in Psychology and Economics from Denison University. After college, Blake moved to New Orleans where he spent three years working in schools and camps throughout the city. In his free time he like to play games, watch sports and movies with his family, and spend time outdoors. He is excited to be a part of Farm Fresh RI and learn more about how food systems operate and the inequities within those systems.
Community Access
Thea Upham
Thea moved to Providence in 2004 to attend Johnson & Wales University and graduated with a degree in Food Service Entrepreneurship. She has spent the past 10 years working with food in different capacities — as a chef, farmers market vendor, and farm hand — and has always been mindful of linking her work to the larger local food system. She firmly believes that the decisions we make about what we eat and where it comes from can have great impacts on the health and welfare of our local community. Thea ties these ideals into her work at Farm Fresh RI every day.
Market Mobile
Sophia Adair
Farms and restaurants have always been in Sophia’s family. She remembers visiting her great-grandfather during the summer when she was a child. He would take Sophia on tractor rides, and she and her cousins would help feed the cows. Sophia’s grandparents and uncle also owned restaurants during her childhood years. So she has been in the industry ever since she could legally work. Nowadays you can find Sophia still working in restaurants as well as gardening at home with her daughter — but now she’s also helping out here at Farm Fresh RI, where Sophia looks forward to learning more about the ins and outs of the food industry.
Grace Feisthamel
Grace is a Rhode Island native and a graduate of Providence College. She recently graduated with a B.A. in Global Studies, and also studied Public Administration and Italian. She became passionate about sustainable and local food systems through her studies both in the classroom and abroad in Malawi, India, and Italy. Through experiences in markets, on farms, and with various NGOs she got her hands dirty and came to love growing, cooking, and eating good food.
Harvest Kitchen
Jen Stott
Jen has a BA in Biology from URI, a Food Managers Certification through the RIDOH, and a NOCTI certification through RIDE. Before joining Farm Fresh RI in 2009, Jen taught at Tides Family Services for 10 years. There she completed years of trauma and de-escalation training. She obtained a SME-ACRE certificate through the RIC Sherlock Center and participates in professional development opportunities on secondary education advocacy through RIPIN. From 2010-15, Jen worked as educator and program designer for Harvest Kitchen. Jen is an empathetic and kind mentor and teacher, and is a steady force in the lives of the youth — who regularly contact Jen to stay in touch after graduation, and often drop by the kitchen to update their resumes and discuss job search strategies. Jen is a truly gifted educator with this population.
Leigh Vincola
Leigh has been working toward food system sustainability in New England for a couple decades. Over the years she’s come at this work from a variety of angles including as an urban gardener, writer, marketing and PR specialist, event planner, and most recently, restaurant owner. After five years in Providence, she feels deeply rooted to the Ocean State’s food community and committed to making fresh food accessible to all.
Leigh is the recipient of the 2018 Eddy Award for Best Social Issues Feature for her story on immigrant farm labor in New England in Edible Rhody. She is also one of the co-owners of Troop, a lively restaurant in Olneyville, and a member of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council.
Leigh holds a bachelor’s degree in sustainable agriculture from Sterling College, and a master’s degree in English from Simmons College. She gardens at a community plot on the West Side of Providence.
AmeriCorps VISTA
Samuel Peña
Sam is excited to be joining the Farm Fresh RI team as the AmeriCorps VISTA member based at Harvest Kitchen. Sam hails from San Francisco, and is excited to be trying out life on the East Coast for a while. With a B.A. in American Studies from the University of California at Santa Cruz, Sam comes to Farm Fresh with a strong background as an educator, having worked as an elementary school classroom teacher, environmental educator/naturalist, and English teacher abroad. One huge life highlight for Sam was serving as an educator with the Peace Corps in Colombia. In his free time, Sam likes to spend as much time as possible outdoors and enjoys aimless walks around the city, hiking in nature, and relaxing at the beach.
Onelissa Martinez
As an Environmental Studies major focused on Religion/Philosophy, Onne learned early on the significance of cultivating good habits within communities in order to make sustainable change. Onne has experience working with Farm Fresh RI on both Community Access and Food System Enterprise efforts. She first came on board as a summer AmeriCorps VISTA member for the Healthy Foods, Healthy Families nutrition education program, and has since been at Farm Fresh RI in different capacities. The overall Farm Fresh motto of connecting local food to local people aligns with Onne’s personal outlook on encouraging positive change.
Shonan Jackson
Originally from New York, Shonan grew up around all different backgrounds and kinds of food — ranging from dollar pizza slices to unaffordable 5-star restaurants, and the overall struggles of living in a “food desert.” After moving to Providence, Shonan was able to be educated on the topic of veganism and healthy eating. As a lover of all foods and animals, veganism immediately became part of Shonan’s identity. With previous and continuous experience in nonprofits where he helped LGBTQ+ youth get the support they need for emotional and financial struggles, Shonan found himself studying nonprofits and sociology at CCRI and RIC. Providing accessible fresh food to his city while supporting local farmers has always been a huge interest, so finding Farm Fresh RI was a dream come true for Shonan. As a lover of his community, and a firm believer in lifting as he climbs, Shonan is so excited to be given the opportunity to work with Farm Fresh!
Farmer, Four Town Farm
Chris Clegg
“For years, Farm Fresh RI has helped my farm make valuable connections — from individuals and small businesses nearby in Rhode Island to large restaurant groups up in Boston. As a result, the farm has a wider reach and a broader palette of customers. When the opportunity came up to join the Board of Directors at Farm Fresh, I was more than happy to contribute my time and guidance to this great organization — bringing my perspective as not only a community member and supporter, but also as a Farm Fresh partner and customer.”
Sheri Griffin
After establishing a farm stand and mail order citrus business with her parents and grandparents after high school, Sheri attended the University of Rhode Island, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and biology. After graduation, she entered the nonprofit world, beginning as Director of Development and Publicity at AS220, a nonprofit arts center in Providence. Since then, Sheri has worked at a range of nonprofits of various sizes and has become active in her neighborhood, working with other volunteers to keep a library branch open and starting a community garden.
Market Mobile
Nikki Ayres
Nikki grew up in coastal New Hampshire and earned a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of New Hampshire. She has always been passionate about animal welfare and worked as a Certified Veterinary Technician for six years. However, after taking on what she thought was to be a part-time job with the Flatbread Company, Nikki switched gears. She fell in love with working with farmers and introducing new ways to support local agriculture through the restaurant industry. Now with over eight years of restaurant management experience under her belt, Nikki cannot wait to use her skills to help connect even more eaters to locally grown food via Market Mobile. When not working, Nikki enjoys spending time with her spunky daughter Luna.
Stephanie Bush
Stephanie was born and raised in Rhode Island and loves to be surrounded by good food and good people. She is a Registered Dietitian who received her training from URI and Keene State College in New Hampshire, and has always focused her efforts on community nutrition and especially food insecurity. Stephanie’s career and personal paths have led her to work, volunteer, and educate in many community-based settings such as the Feinstein Center for a Hunger Free America, Head Start, public schools, senior centers, and WIC. She believes in the power of food to create lasting change and strives to support communities in these endeavors.
Harvest Kitchen
Bernard Miller
Bernard is originally from Queens, NY, but after visiting Rhode Island often to visit family members living here, he ended up moving to New England himself in 2010. In 2012, after living here for a couple of years, Bernard decided to pursue his passion for culinary arts, and attended Johnson & Wales University. After graduating in 2014, he went on to work for Sodexo at Salve Regina University and served as a Supervisor from 2015 to 2019. In May 2019, he joined our Harvest Kitchen team as Chef Educator and is committed to making a positive contribution to the community!
Molly Ellis
Molly started volunteering at Farm Fresh RI’s Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market in December 2008 on a whim and just kept showing up. Working for Farm Fresh RI opened her eyes to the local food movement and the larger environmental movement, causing her to change her concentration at Brown University from English to Environmental Studies. After a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA, Molly started full-time at Farm Fresh RI in June 2013. She assists the Farmers Market Program Manager and the Finance Director with behind-the-scenes data and numbers work, as well as working on the ground managing the Bonus Bucks Nutrition Incentives program and assisting at farmers markets.
Retired Certified Public Accountant
Jane Sabatini
The mission of Farm Fresh RI is powerful to me — bringing local food to all communities and making fresh, local, healthy food affordable. I’m also impressed with its emphasis on nutrition education for all age groups from children to seniors; I believe this outreach is vital if we are to address the growing obesity and related health issues in our society. I hope to be able to help in advancing these objectives.
Paula Gill
Paula is a local urban gardener with a love for growing and eating fresh, organic produce. A trip to Italy sparked a desire to change the way she feeds herself, after being deeply impacted by Italians’ passionate relationship to food and the Slow Food movement there. Since that impactful trip, she has dreamt of farming in Tuscany. By joining the Davis Park Community Gardens, as well as becoming a beekeeper, she has been able to make this dream a reality right here in Providence. Paula brings with her a first-hand knowledge of running a small business, in addition to her knack for numbers. She is excited about all that Farm Fresh RI is accomplishing and being an active member of the sustainable food movement in Rhode Island.
Department Chair, College of Culinary Arts, Johnson & Wales University
Maureen Pothier
“From its pioneering beginnings in 2004, Farm Fresh Rhode Island has steadfastly grown into a thriving, living being that continues to progressively shape, foster, and cultivate the Rhode Island and New England food system. Through its many programs that support: farmers; community and foodservice access to fresh, local foods; education; healthy eating; and small business, Farm Fresh RI is a leader and model for food hubs across the country. For me, volunteering my time to support the mission and vision of Farm Fresh RI is so easy and obvious! As a chef, culinary educator and former restaurateur, fresh food and the local food system is, and always has been, my passion. I grew up in RI on lots of fresh Rhode Island seafood. In the restaurant, we shaped our menu daily depending on what was fresh from local farms and RI waters. And as an educator, I work to weave fresh, local, and sustainable practices into our curriculum and university. I am thankful for the small part I am able to contribute to this vibrant, trailblazing organization and excited for the future of the local food system because of Farm Fresh RI.”
Harvest Kitchen
Sean Kontos
Sean is a native of Dover, NH, who has been working in the food service industry for 13 years. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University with a degree in culinary arts in 2011, he went on to cook around Nantucket and the seacoast of New Hampshire, focusing on local and sustainable cooking particularly tied to whole animal butchery. After backpacking through Europe, he and his now wife, moved to Providence where he worked at Local 121, eventually becoming head chef. Most recently, he helped open Farm & Coast Market in South Dartmouth, MA, as a butcher and chef. Sean started out as a volunteer with our RI Farm to School program until moving on to work with Harvest Kitchen.
Development Director, St. Andrew's School
Kerrie Donahue
“I volunteer my time on the Board at Farm Fresh RI because I believe in its mission and vision to grow and strengthen the local food system. Its focus on ensuring access to healthy food through distribution, local markets, and nutrition programs contribute significantly to the state’s economic development and to a healthy community. In particular, the focus on each program being rooted in social justice is essential to the state and makes Rhode Island a model for food equity.”
AmeriCorps VISTA
Shauna Cook
Originally from New Hampshire, Shauna has spent the past few years living around the
country — everywhere from Las Vegas to Mississippi. Yet nothing quite felt like home. So after seven
years away, she has finally returned to the Northeast for good. With a bachelor’s degree in English and currently
working toward her Master’s in Public Relations, Shauna views the world through storytelling. Connecting with others through writing is something she is passionate about. She is excited to use that passion to connect the community to local, sustainable food in her year of AmeriCorps VISTA service at Farm Fresh. In her free time you can find her running, reading, or telling her golden-doodle not to eat something she found on the ground.
Data & Reporting Specialist
Taylor Jones
Taylor grew up surrounded by family gardens — her grandparents even housed some chickens in their backyard. Always hearing her mother pine for the first tomatoes of the season, it wasn’t until a trip to Italy a few years ago that Taylor truly got it. On that trip, she spent five months volunteering on farms in Italy, Greece, and Japan. While trying her hand at making goat cheese, caring for emus, and milking cows, she lived the connection between farmers, animals, the land, and the food that we eat. After returning stateside, she began her Farm Fresh RI journey, first serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member, and now acting as our Nutrition Education Associate. In her spare time, she loves illustrating, playing with her pet rats, and learning about cheesemaking.
Maureen Lund
“Farm Fresh Rhode Island is doing an amazing job nurturing innovative, creative ideas to help Rhode Island’s community of farmers and eaters flourish. From education and outreach to youth development and public policy, Farm Fresh’s network of programs and services tie all aspects of our food system together. Their work enriches our local economy and encourages more nutritious food choices by consumers. I’ve long had a passion for healthy eating and supporting youth in our community, and am happy to be part of an organization that is as helping young people try, choose, and enjoy more fresh, local fruits and vegetables — one key avenue in the fight against childhood obesity. I’m proud that Farm Fresh RI serves as an example to the nation that making nutritious foods available to everyone can drive a healthier community and more prosperous future for the state.”
Market Mobile
Rachel Van Scyoc
Rachel moved to Rhode Island in 2017 to serve as Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s inaugural Volunteer Coordinator AmeriCorps VISTA member. As an Ohio native, she was excited to move to the east coast after graduating from Capital University with a degree in Public Relations and Communication Studies. In May 2019, she joined Farm Fresh RI and the Food System Enterprise team full-time as the Market Mobile Associate. Since being at Farm Fresh RI, she has learned so much about food systems, the inequities structured within our food system, and how food impacts us in ways from our health to our environmental impact. When she would communicate with volunteers — and now when she communicates with farmers, producers, and customers — she hopes to build and maintain positive relationships with those who contribute to strengthening our local food system.
Retired, Former Director of Programs, Grow Smart RI
Sheila Brush
“Farm Fresh Rhode Island does two things that I care deeply about — supporting and strengthening our local farms and working to ensure that all Rhode Islanders, regardless of income, can enjoy the benefits of healthy local food. I have long admired the way Farm Fresh uses resources creatively, effectively, and efficiently to achieve its mission. As Farm Fresh launches new and exciting initiatives, I welcome the opportunity to help advance its work.”
Founder and CEO, Orange Square
Kristine Merz
As a board member, I get to live my values that locally grown food is not only nutritious and delicious, but creates important economic opportunities, provides health benefits and community engagement, and reduces environmental impact. I am grateful for the opportunity to support leadership and staff in any way so that together we can achieve the mission and vision of this very important organization.
AmeriCorps VISTA
Alexandria Neelis
Lexi has always been a foodie, but before moving back to Rhode Island in 2010 she had no idea how much her life would come to revolve around food. After her first trip to the Hope Street farmers market as a wee 20-something-year-old, she was hooked on the idea that it should not be an out of the ordinary experience for anyone to get food from their home state. Eventually it clicked that she could spend her time solving this problem, and Lexi went back to school to study how to do that. Lexi graduated from University of Rhode Island in 2018 with a BS in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems. While earning her degree, she worked with the Rhode Island Food Policy Council as Research and Evaluation Fellow and at the URI Hunger Center as part of the SNAP Outreach team. She has also worked as a regional food systems capacity-building consultant, barista, farmers market welcome table manager, work study CSA member, and restaurant server. Her multifaceted involvement with Rhode Island’s food system has given her a wide understanding of the specific needs of farmers and food buyers, and the varied needs of eaters from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Lexi is focusing her career around decentralizing food systems and strengthening local foodways. The definitions of food sovereignty and food security fuel her work, and these values are at the core of her projects as Wholesale Access AmeriCorps VISTA at Farm Fresh Rhode Island. When not advocating for food justice, Lexi can be found adventuring around Rhode Island’s coast, or more often, standing at her kitchen island in the west side of Providence, photographing her mise en place.
Staff Attorney, RI Legal Services
Michael Zabelin
“One of the things I like most about Farm Fresh RI is that it strives to provide everyone, regardless of economic status, with access to good, local food. Too often, fresh and local produce is seen as an elitist privilege rather than a basic need and right. I love that Farm Fresh both provides access to good food and uses food as a means of economic development.”
Lucie G. Searle
Lucie grew up on a small farm in Exeter, where her family raised beef cattle and pigs. Growing up, she and her brothers were very active in 4-H, and showed their cattle at many local and regional fairs. The farm also grew crops for a roadside stand that offered a large variety of fruits and vegetables, with strawberries and sweet corn being the specialties. Lucie has worked in real estate development — both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors — since 1982. She is especially known for her achievements in revitalizing downtown Providence, evidenced through the three award-winning real estate projects she has developed for AS220 and her ongoing efforts through the Providence Preservation Society. Lucie is one of the original Farm Fresh RI board members, serving for nine years. She stepped off the Board to focus on RI Food Hub development in a professional capacity.
