STAFF & BOARD
Kiffen Ratkevich
A native of Newport, RI, Kiffen has long been passionate about food and his community. After cooking professionally for 10 years, he moved on to program and project management. Kiffen is excited to join Farm Fresh RI and be an active member of the sustainable and equitable food movement in Rhode Island. He enjoys cooking for his friends and family and spending time with his wife at the beach.
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.
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.”
Laura Deascentis
Laura grew up in Rhode Island and has had the opportunity to work in several places around the world. A Former Wildlife Biologist, she worked with the US Fish and Wildlife Service concentrating on endangered species and their habitats. She has always had a passion for animals and the environment and obtained her M.S. degree in Environmental Science at the University of Rhode Island. Laura loves reading, hiking, photography, cooking, and traveling. She would like to become a volunteer wildlife rehabilitator for the State of Rhode Island and is very happy to be part of the Farm Fresh team.
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.
Managing Partner, The Granny Squibb Company
Kelley McShane
“It is an honor to work with people who are passionate about the Rhode Island food and beverage industry, supporting local business and farmers, and making sure that healthy food is accessible to all Rhode Islanders. Their work is more important now than ever. I am thrilled to be a part of Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s Board of Directors.”
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!
Quanasia McAlpine
Quanasia McAlpine is a born and raised Rhode Islander. With an awareness around creating access and advancing wellness, she is passionate about uplifting the members of Rhode Island through local foods and resources. Q is eager about empowering her community, striving for growth and development for all groups that live here. She is excited to work with Farm Fresh RI and is thrilled to see what knowledge she will gain working with us by expanding her education in social and food justice.
Cara Mitchell
A native Rhode Islander, Cara strives to build a food system with equitable access to food, land, and power. Her passion for food began while a student at Connecticut College where she co-chaired the student-run garden for three years. She went on to work on food access programs in New Haven as an AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator with CitySeed, helping to develop their first mobile farmers market. Cara graduated with a joint master’s degree in Public Health and Environmental Science from the School of Public Health and the School of the Environment at Yale, focusing on food systems and health. She is committed to supporting community-oriented food access programming that will positively impact Rhode Island.
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.
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!
Carmen Vigilante
Carmen grew up in the southern Adirondacks and has called Providence home since 2018. Carmen graduated from Brown University with degrees in Ecology and Visual Art and is deeply passionate about food. She fell in love with farming in 2020, when she spent a season growing industrial hemp in the Pacific Northwest. As a Gleaning Associate with Hope’s Harvest, Carmen is excited to get her hands dirty and help fellow Rhode Islanders access delicious, locally grown produce! Outside of work, you can find Carmen making electronic music and hanging out with her chinchilla (and best friend), Bella.
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!
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.”
Charreese Braxton
Charreese was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. She moved to Providence to attend Johnson & Wales University in 2016. She graduated with a B.S. in Food Service Management with a focus in Food Sustainability in 2020. Since moving to Providence she has worked in various restaurants, getting her feet wet in the industry, which got her involved in working with local products from farms in the New England area.
Rebecca C. Seggel
Rebecca grew up in Providence and graduated with a BA in Classical Studies from Brandeis University. She supported years of exploring new places and local flavors out west working as a marketing communications consultant, graphic designer, writer, and editor for clients like Apple, HP, and Thomson Reuters. After decades working in corporate and publishing worlds, Rebecca longed for a greater sense of shared mission and values. She was drawn back to family in Rhode Island and the state’s vibrant agriculture and food scene, and found like-minded community at Farm Fresh RI. Now she leverages her experience and love of local food to share Farm Fresh’s message, help our farmers and producers thrive, lessen food insecurity, and grow the local food economy.
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.”
Donna Segeren
Donna was born in The Netherlands, but has lived in RI since she was young. She studied Social Work and Non-Profit Studies at Rhode Island College. After five years working as a Trauma Counselor for at-risk youth, she found farming. After a couple seasons in the dirt, growing food on local farms, she found a new love and trajectory. She is excited to work at Farm Fresh RI, supporting local farmers and access to local food for the community!
Andrea Aguilar
Andrea grew up in New York and came to Providence to study culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University. After graduation, she took a gap year and went to work with her mom at her bakery, decorating cakes and then went to work at a bank. Now, Andrea wants to go back to school to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in children’s nutrition. In her free time, she likes to cook and bake for her family, tend to her garden, and have picnics in the park.
Molly Ellis
Molly is a lifelong Rhode Islander. She started out as a volunteer for Farm Fresh RI at the Wintertime Farmers Market in Pawtucket in 2008, and continued through various work study programs and AmeriCorps VISTA terms before becoming a full-time staff member in 2013. Since then, she has managed at least six different farmers markets, become an expert in tent repair, and helped to administer our federal FINI grant that provides funding for the Bonus Bucks program. In her free time, Molly enjoys folk music and dance as well as gardening.
Maya Longo
Maya currently attends Lincoln School in Providence and is a part of the class of 2024. She has lived in Rhode Island for nearly all of her life, yet left home to spend four months of her junior year at a semester school called Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki. In Maine, she learned more about food systems and sustainability, which inspired her to become a Market Associate at Farm Fresh RI. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, playing soccer, reading, and traveling.
Aoife Lee Bird
Aoife Bird loves the woods, the plants, and all things food. Born and raised in New England, wild foraging in the woods and waters alongside her mom, she spent the last many years communing with the plants and wilds of the Pacific Northwest. Over the years she has been a caterer, a bookseller, a baker, an archivist, a (very) small-scale farmer, and a healer. Aoife earned her culinary degree from the New England Culinary Institute a million years ago and has since gone on to earn a degree in archaeology from the University of Oregon focusing on people’s use of plants, foods, and ritual. She continued on to gain a Master’s degree in East Asian Medicine from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine as well as another in Nutrition from the National University of Natural Medicine. In addition, she has graduate certificates in Ecopsychology and in Sustainable Food Systems. She has extensive training in Western herbalism from the Arctos School of Botanical Medicine in Portland, OR, and loves to make medicine. She earned her Permaculture Design Certificate from the Permaculture Women’s Guild and is a member of the American Herbalist Guild, The American Anthropology Association, the American Nutrition Association, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
Aoife recently returned to her home state of Rhode Island and brought with her a teenager daughter, a Newfoundland named Jeff, a Chihuahua named Sunny, a black kitty named Bitsie, and a baby kitten named Kiki. She loves to walk in the woods, talk to the plants, and explore all the grocery stores everywhere.
Turon Williams
Turon moved to Providence at a very early age. He has attended the community college of RI. Turon also has been dealing in produce since 2005, when he was a manager for multiple wholesale companies. He firmly believes that building a successful team starts with great leadership and communication. In Turon’s spare time, he officiates basketball games for the kids across the east coast. Turon is very excited to join the Farm Fresh RI team, and believes that he can teach and learn from his coworkers, as well as associates.
Jessy Minker
Jessy grew up in the Hudson Valley, and came to Rhode Island in 2017 to study Geology-Biology at Brown. Over her time in Providence, she has developed a passion for the intersections of social justice, sustainable agriculture, and ecological resilience. Jessy has worked with Farm Fresh Rhode Island since 2021 in their Community Education, Harvest Kitchen, and Hope’s Harvest programs. Now, she is grateful to continue supporting RI farmers and eaters, increasing access to locally grown food, and building community as the Farmers Market Program Coordinator with the Food Access Team. In her free time, she can be found lounging around with her cat, knitting a sweater, or cooking up a storm with friends and family.
Colleen Keenan
Colleen came to Providence for undergrad where she studied the interconnection of environmental issues and societal responses in a major called “Science, Technology, and Society.” Post-grad, she has continued this focus through work involving outdoor education, climate change communication, sustainable food systems, and environmental justice. She has grown to love Rhode Island while working as a fish monger, environmental writer, and farm camp counselor. She’s so excited to help make fresh food accessible as a Gleaning Associate with Hope’s Harvest.
Kery Rodriguez
Kery is a Rhode Island native who grew up in the South Side of Providence. Being very in touch with the Dominican community, Kery saw Farm Fresh RI as an opportunity to support his community by being a part of the Farm Fresh team. He believes that it is important to know where we get our food from, as having that knowledge gives peace of mind as well as an appreciation for the effort that goes into agriculture. In his off time, Kery likes to work on clothing or video projects, and is a student at URI.
Genevieve Primeau
Genevieve’s interest in food systems began while working in the local culinary scene in Providence. It was a formative experience to see first-hand all the moving parts in restaurant operation, while being surrounded by food-oriented people! Then there was a great moment of reckoning during the lockdown of 2020, when she was left to reflect on both the interconnectedness and the vulnerabilities of those systems. Nowadays, she is drawn to the agricultural tech space and particularly moved by the issue of food waste. She is pleased to have found marvelous company working on the Market Mobile team. As for her free time, she’s still searching for a “creative” hobby — suggestions are welcome!
AmeriCorps Direct Service Member
Annie Conway
Originally from New York, Annie recently graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, ME, with a degree in Environmental Studies. Throughout her time in Maine, her interest in the environment took a specific turn toward food justice and sustainability. The summer before her senior year she interned on a grow-to-give farm in Maine. During her senior year, she wrote her thesis on the success of the Lewiston Farmers Market as a center for food justice. She is excited to join Farm Fresh RI as the Food Access and Community Education AmeriCorps Member. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, hiking, biking, and exploring new coffee shops.
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 the Farm Fresh RI team full-time as a Market Mobile Associate and became the Data & Systems Manager for Market Mobile in February 2020. Since being at Farm Fresh, 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. She now acts as Market Mobile’s Operations Director collaborating with the Market Mobile team to connect RI eaters with the bounty of food grown and processed in the New England region. Our local food system is a resilient one and Rachel is happy to contribute to keeping it connected.
Founder and CEO, Orange Square
Kristine Merz
“As board chair, 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.”
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 varying capacities. The overall Farm Fresh motto of connecting local food to local people aligns with Onne’s personal outlook on encouraging positive change.
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 — working with both domestic animals and livestock, specializing in emergency and critical care. Nikki’s career in food and agriculture has spanned from working at restaurants and making food to making on-farm calls when animals are sick. Nikki enjoys fast paced and challenging work that centers around doing good.
Eva Agudelo
Eva (she/her/hers) has worked with beginning farmers, restaurants, retailers, farmers markets, nonprofits, and hunger relief agencies to improve community food security and bring about a food system that works for everyone. Eva started the National Incubator Farm Training Initiative through the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project; served as a FINI (now GusNIP) program officer at Wholesome Wave, supporting incentive programs at farmers markets across the US; and most recently was the Assistant Director of Programs at the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, administering federal nutrition programs and supporting Rhode Island’s statewide network of food pantries and meal sites. She holds an M.S. from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, is a former member of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council (RIFPC), and sits on the board of Osamequin Farm.
Eva founded Hope’s Harvest in 2018 to mobilize volunteers to harvest and distribute surplus food from local farms to hunger relief agencies. As of 2022, Hope’s Harvest is a program of Farm Fresh RI and includes farm-based food recovery, contracting with growers, and surplus purchasing — all for the purpose of serving the emergency food system.
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.”
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.”
Susan Clausen
After graduating from the University of Illinois and spending a year giving back to the community as a CETA worker for a grassroots recycling program (before everybody recycled!), Susan worked as a studio assistant for several glass artists. For well over a decade, she continued working in the jewelry industry, living in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maine, and Rhode Island. In 1985, she was a founding member of the unjuried, uncensored arts organization in Providence called AS220, and spent countless hours volunteering and eventually being employed by AS220 as Property Manager — a role she held for 16 years. Her commitment to building community and working in the nonprofit sector then led her to Farm Fresh RI, where she hit the ground running to help complete and launch our brand-new facility Providence (during a pandemic!). All throughout her career, Susan has maintained an art studio where she continues to produce mixed media artworks and dabbles in music. She sees cooking as another creative practice, and has found great pleasure cooking healthy foods from local farms.
Rob Glover
Rob’s introduction to agriculture came about through working on small farms in the WWOOF program, where they discovered their love for the field. Their eventual goal is to run their own farm to help provide wholesome food for their community and help foster a love of farming in others. They have worked throughout many different levels of the production chain in local food enterprises, building skills to help them realize this dream. Rob is excited to bring those skills to Farm Fresh RI, where they strive to support local farmers and help strengthen a sustainable, resilient, and equitable food system in Rhode Island.
AmeriCorps VISTA
Holly Darby
Holly (she/her/hers) grew up in New Hampshire, where she learned to love protecting the environment, supporting the local community, and working to bolster nutrition and food equity. She studied Community and International Development at the University of Vermont to further fuel her passion and knowledge on these topics, and then went on to complete a master’s degree in Environmental Economics at Durham University in England. She is excited to be serving as the Development and Engagement AmeriCorps VISTA member with Farm Fresh RI for the 2023-2024 service year. She hopes her work will expand the capacity of Farm Fresh to support more local farms and families on their search for sustainable and local food.
Delite Primus
Delite grew up in Steamboat Rock, Iowa, on her family’s corn, soybean, and dairy farm, learning early on the importance of food origin, food security, and the hard work and dedication needed to grow a passion from seed. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Wartburg College (Waverly, IA) she began her career in Development with United Way of Central Iowa where she gained a strong foundation in donor relations and fundraising. After stops at Habitat for Humanity in Minnesota and Heifer International in California, she landed in Moab, Utah, at a food-based nonprofit called the Youth Garden Project (YGP). As Associate Director and later Executive Director of YGP, Delite led the organization and staff team, while having a specific focus on fundraising efforts — increasing individual donors, corporate partnerships, and grant awards during her tenure. Her 10 years at the organization nurtured her interest in being connected to community food systems and increasing healthy food access. Most recently, Delite served as a Proposal Development Specialist with Utah State University, working directly with faculty as well as state and federal agencies to secure funding for Agriculture and Natural Resource programs. Delite and her partner relocated to Rhode Island in 2019 to be closer to family. She was thrilled to find an organization like Farm Fresh RI that is the perfect merger of her personal passions and professional experience. Away from work, Delite enjoys working in her own garden, riding her bike, hiking a trail, traveling, and any day that involves more hours outside than less. And of course, she enjoys relaxing at one of South County’s amazing beaches.
Allyson Jennings
Ally is a Rhode Island native with a passion for environmental sustainability and community engagement. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University in 2018 with degrees in Business Administration and Event Management, she served a year with the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC). Following her NCCC term, Ally joined Farm Fresh as the Farm to Food Pantry AmeriCorps VISTA. Now serving as the Hope’s Harvest Hunger Relief Manager, Ally is excited to continue working with growers/producers, hunger relief agencies, and state agencies to help support the local food system. In her spare time, Ally enjoys hiking, camping, dancing, and baking.
Shannon Hickey
Shannon joined Hope’s Harvest with intentions to learn as much as possible about local food systems and food equity. She received her undergraduate degree in Marketing and Psychology from Bryant University, and went on to further her project management and marketing skills while working with an electrical engineering company. Eager for change and fulfillment, Shannon is excited to repurpose her skillset to make a meaningful impact on the community alongside her Hope’s Harvest coworkers. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and baking for her family and friends, diving into DIY projects, and spending lots of time by the ocean.
Connor Burbridge
Connor (he/they) is a queer writer, farmer, and adventurer trying to build home and community in Rhode Island. Connor recently traveled to Ireland to visit where some of his family emigrated from before the Great Hunger in the 1850’s. Pictured here is the Newgrange Passage tomb and earthen temple, which was constructed over 5,000 years ago and is aligned with the winter solstice sun. Connor is passionate about building a more sustainable and just food system, connecting with the land, global peasant land reform movements, and standing in solidarity with indigenous communities, whose land he finds himself on.
Amber Jackson
A native of Chicago, IL, Amber is a lover of flavor and community. While most of her career has been in collegiate athletic business, she studied Food Science in undergrad and grad school. Having grown up in a food apartheid, she understands the importance of food equity and accessibility. She enjoys educating others on the functionality of food systems and its impact on people and the community.
Danielle Demers
Danielle, Dani for short, was born and raised in Attleboro, MA, and now is a native of Warwick, RI. Before joining the Farm Fresh RI team, she worked for Sodexo food services for six years as a rounds chef and caterer. Danielle loves cooking with a passion. She also loves the outdoors, her houseplants. and her three dogs! Danielle looks forward to helping out the community and working with the Farm Fresh family at Harvest Kitchen.
Leigh Vincola
Leigh moved to Providence ten years ago and has called Lil’ Rhody home ever since. She is enamored by this small state that is big on food, art, and beaches. In her role as Rental Events Manager, she loves that she can connect with all corners of the RI and PVD community in one space. Leigh is co-owner of the restaurant Troop over on the other side of the neighborhood. When she’s not bouncing between Sims Ave and Valley Street, Leigh is usually chasing ocean vibes, writing, napping, or planning her next trip somewhere with palm trees.
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.
Rachel Tierney
Rachel came to RI in middle school after some time spent in North Carolina and California (home state). After a brief stint at UVM (as an eEnvironmental Studies major), Rachel returned to RI to complete a BA in Communications with a minor in Wildlife and Conservation Biology. She has spent the past several years working with plants on farms and in nurseries. She is extremely passionate about gardening, sustainable agriculture, pollinator activism, and food access. She is a strong believer in the idea that our food and flowers should be grown locally and not thousands of miles away. She also believes that access to healthy food can make a world of difference in the health of RI residents. When not knee deep in the garden, Rachel is an outdoor activity enthusiast. She loves hiking, tennis, paddle boarding, yoga, surfing, and walking on the beach with her dog. She also enjoys using local food to inspire new recipes in the kitchen. In her spare time, she works as a nonprofit development intern at 501c3. Through her work at Farm Fresh RI, she hopes to learn more about food access and nonprofit development.
AmeriCorps Direct Service Member
Alyssa Leonard
Alyssa is a Rhode Island native who recently graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a Bachelors of Nutrition Science. During her time at URI, Alyssa enjoyed volunteering with the URI free farmers market. Alyssa is passionate about supporting local food systems and is looking forward to spending time in the community! Cooking, exercising, and spending time in the great outdoors are some of her favorite things to do in her free time.
Assistant Dean, College of Food Innovation and Technology, Johnson & Wales University
TJ DelleDonne
“Farm Fresh Rhode Island has been a part of my life both personally and professionally since its beginning. From filling my home pantry at the markets to making FFRI part of our curriculum here at JWU…the community that it’s built over the past decade and a half is just remarkable. Supporting community, helping others ‘grow,’ helping farms, farmers and artisans connect with the top chefs, students and Rhode Islanders has been and will continue to be part of their mission…and that makes me feel honored to support them and be part of this board. Farm Fresh Rhode Island has been a leader, a trailblazer, and a great example for so many around the region and the country…we’re proud to have them here with us.”
Jesse Rye
Jesse Rye is the Executive Director of Farm Fresh Rhode Island. He has been with Farm Fresh RI since 2012, and in that time has helped to scale and support the work of Farm Fresh both in Rhode Island and New England. In the last few years, Jesse helped the organization to navigate the major changes necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic while moving the organization to a newly constructed food hub facility adjacent to downtown Providence. Jesse has experience on the community level as nonprofit manager; statewide as program director and communications specialist; and nationally as a researcher and advocate. Jesse as a part of Farm Fresh is determined to grow a local food system that values the environment, health, and quality of life of farmers and eaters. In addition to his work at Farm Fresh, Jesse has volunteered his time as a board member for Farm to Institution New England, Food Solutions New England, the Rhode Island Food Policy Council, and Red Tomato.
Andi Arnold
A native of Houston, Texas, Andi has a passion for sustainable agriculture practices that began on her grandmother’s farm. This now extends to her plant cooperative, Mother of Millions, which fundraises for local BIPOC-owned farms. In her off-time, she is a screen printer, illustrator, and plant enthusiast.
Natasha Brotherns
Natasha was born and raised in Providence, RI. She explains, “Growing up my family always kept a small farm and that’s where we ate most of our vegetables and fruit from as well. My interest in food and how it’s grown and distributed comes from my deep roots. My great grandmother being 100% Filipino, fresh produce has always been a part of our dinner table — grown and picked right in our backyard. Having spent most of my working years in the food industry, it’s opened my eyes to such varieties of food and also different cultures. I’d love to continue getting educated on our food system and how we can make it better, safer, and healthier!”
Managing Director IT projects, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island
John Auger
“I believe access to fresh and local food is key to addressing many of the health, economic, and environmental issues we face in our communities and our nation. Farm Fresh RI has been on the leading edge of tackling these challenges for years. The organization’s focus on availability of local and affordable foods, its nutrition education programs, and efforts to improve the impact of food production on our environment are critical steps to achieving a healthy farm to fork community. I’m appreciative of the opportunity to be part of the Farm Fresh RI team, and I look forward to participating in advancing the values and mission they represent.”
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.
AmeriCorps VISTA
Brooke Warner
Brooke was born and raised in Rhode Island and graduated from Brown University with a degree in International Relations. After spending time traveling and exploring she began looking to go back to her roots and engage with her local RI community. Interested in food justice and sustainable agriculture, she joined Farm Fresh RI as an AmeriCorps VISTA member in 2023. She’s excited to get to work with RI farmers and volunteers and get her hands dirty on local farms recovering food to increase access to local, fresh food in her home state. In her spare time she can be found reading, exploring, and taking in the sunshine.
Tasha Kaluzynski
Tasha moved from Connecticut to Providence in July to join the Hope’s Harvest team an an AmeriCorps VISTA member for the 2022-2023 service year. They are working in volunteer coordination and communications, trying to develop and expand the ways that Hope’s Harvest brings people from all around RI to strengthen our local food systems. In seeking engaged, innovative, grounded work that knows that food access and sovereignty are central to any pursuit of justice, Tasha found their way to Farm Fresh and is excited to learn from and with everyone who contributes to the work done here. Tasha can be found in the kitchen surrounded by colors and flavors, outside reading a book in the grass, giggling, conversing, exploring, and wiggling their toes in the dirt.
Stephanie Pike
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, and has always focused her efforts on community nutrition and food insecurity. Stephanie’s career and personal paths have led her to work, volunteer, and educate in many community-based settings with a variety of groups. She believes in the power of food to create lasting change and strives to support communities in meaningful food and food systems exploration and learning.
Cassidee Jones
Native to Alabama, Cassidee grew up spending time outside with family, from fishing to gardening to demolishing a watermelon daily (or so it seemed). Everything about life in rural AL was centered around agriculture and poverty, resulting in a food desert. Cassidee decided that there had to be more, so she went in search of an answer at Auburn University, receiving a degree in history as well as political science focusing on African history and food politics, with a minor in sustainability. Her studies combined with five years in the service industry led her to pursue a Masters in Food Security and International Development from the University of Sussex in England. She began working with international organizations to support access to products to treat malnutrition, but involvement in her community garden and a desire to tackle root causes of food injustice led her to Farm Fresh RI. Now she pursues her passion by day and her million hobbies by night, including pottery, tufting, home renovation, cycling, swimming, and more.
