James Hafferman

Executive Director

Contact James at jhafferman@gmfts.org.

James became the executive director of Green Mountain Farm-to-School in January 2017. As executive director, James is responsible for overseeing the organization, developing GMFTS’ long-range strategic plans, raising funds, publicizing its activities, and managing its staff and Board of Directors. Over his 16-year career, James has held key leadership positions with a variety of organizations including chief operating officer of CLASP, an international energy efficiency nonprofit in Washington, D.C., where he was instrumental in managing and developing the organization from a small start-up to a global presence. Prior to coming to GMFTS, James served as the director of administration and development at Salvation Farms, a nonprofit based in Morrisville, Vt. that seeks to build increased resilience in Vermont’s food system through agricultural surplus management. Raised in a farming community along the St. Lawrence River, James has a deep appreciation of the region’s agricultural heritage and is passionate about food systems and building sustainable infrastructure. James lives in Woodbury, Vt. and enjoys hiking, camping, and gardening.

Catherine Cusack

Assistant Director

Contact Catherine at ccusack@gmfts.org.

Catherine joined Green Mountain Farm-to-School in 2013. As assistant director, she works in partnership with GMFTS program staff in delivering high quality programming, with an emphasis on improving food access, educating children and community members on the value of Vermont’s rich agricultural landscape, supporting farms, and building relationships to grow the reach of the organization. Since moving to Vermont in 2006, Catherine has advocated for equal access to healthy food and increased opportunities for all Vermonters. While caring for her two young children, she was a freelance health promotion consultant, completing projects focused on obesity prevention. She has a Master of Science degree in health promotion from the University of Montana. Catherine and her family live in Walden, where they love to garden, swim. and play in the snow.

Maire Folan

Farm-to-School Program Manager

Contact Maire at mfolan@gmfts.org.

Maire joined the team in 2014 to help lead the charge with Farm-to-School efforts, working closely with our fantastic coordinators. She received her bachelor’s from the University of New Hampshire in environmental biology and nutrition. She went on to complete her Registered Dietitian Certification and received a master’s degree from Green Mountain College in sustainable food systems. She is thrilled to bring her love for food and farming to GMFTS. Prior to GMFTS, Maire has worked as a naturalist for the New Hampshire Audubon Society, in research and development for Stonyfield Farm and as a ski instructor at Crystal Mountain in WA. Maire hails from the Granite state, where she spent lots of time in the lakes, forests and mountains. You might find her digging into Vermont soils, swimming in beautiful NEK lakes, hiking among the rolling hills or enjoying area ski trails.

Amrita Parry

Farm Direct Coordinator

Contact Amrita at aparry@gmfts.org.

Amrita Parry joined Green Mountain Farm-to-School in 2016. As Farm Direct coordinator, Amrita is responsible for managing Green Mountain Farm Direct, a regional food hub with a focus on bringing local food into schools, institutions, and other sales outlets. Amrita is from the Northeast Kingdom and earned a bachelor’s in integrated environmental science from Johnson State College. Before coming to Green Mountain Farm-to-School she was a fixture at Newport Natural Foods in Newport where she developed strong working relationships within the local food community. She is passionate about food, farms, and Vermont. Amrita and her son live in Coventry.

Edifice Jengo

Finance Coordinator

Contact Edifice at ejengo@gmfts.org.

Edifice Jengo joined Green Mountain Farm-to-School in February 2017 as the finance coordinator.  Edifice is responsible for computerizing, classifying, recording, and maintaining numerical data for use in maintaining financial records in good health and in compliance with applicable laws.  He is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo and came to Burlington, Vt. in 2011 and moved to Newport in February 2017. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Champlain College in Burlington.  Prior to joining the organization, Edifice worked for the Vermont Interfaith Action, Champlain College, and Danaher Attig & Plante PLC as an executive assistant, finance assistant, and staff accountant, respectively.  In his free time, Edifice likes to play piano, go biking, learn more about information technology, and explore the places around him.

Kendall Lambert

Consumer Education and Food Access Coordinator

Contact Kendall at klambert@gmfts.org.

Kendall Lambert joined Green Mountain Farm-to-School in 2017. As the consumer education and food access coordinator, Kendall is responsible for coordinating the food nutrition incentive programs, Vermont Harvest of the Month, and the Lunchbox food truck, which serves free summer meals to kids during the summer. Kendall has a master’s in environmental policy from Bard Center for Environmental Policy and a bachelor’s from the University of Vermont. Before joining GMFTS, Kendall worked as the library assistant at Lake Region Union High School in Barton, Vt. She was also staff manager at Cork Wine Bar and Market in Waterbury, Vt. Prior to those positions, she worked as the water program coordinator for Community Alliance with Family Farmers in Oakland, Calif. Kendall is a native Vermonter, but only moved to the Northeast Kingdom in the last year.

Hayly Hoch

AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinator

Contact Hayly at hhoch@gmfts.org

Hayly joined Green Mountain Farm-to-School in August of 2017 as an AmeriCorps Member serving through LEAP (Lyndon Economic opportunity and AmeriCorps Program). As a Farm-to-School Coordinator, she works to strengthen community by connecting students and their families to a localized, sustainable food system through hands-on-learning and educational outreach. She graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 2017 with a B.S. in Plant Sciences- AgroEcology, and has minor specializations in Horticulture, International Agriculture, and Sustainability Leadership. During her time at Penn State, Hayly led an initiative to develop the Student Farm at Penn State, which organizes campus community members to learn about, grow, support and serve local foods.  Off campus, she interned at the Penn State Agricultural Extension offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and worked on small scale urban farms. Hayly is not a stranger to the benefits of Farm-to-School programming since serving as a Garden Coordinator at the State College Area School District through Centre County Youth Service Bureau’s AmeriCorps program. When she’s not in the school gardens, Hayly enjoys trying new recipes in the kitchen, practicing her plant ID during outdoor adventures, and rambling for hours about beneficial bugs. Hayly is looking forward to a year full of exploring Vermont, potlucks, and learning!

Herb Page

AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinator

Contact Herb at hpage@gmfts.org.

Herb joined GMFTS in August of 2015. As a farm-to-school coordinator he works with schools in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, coordinating and implementing educational programs to engage students with local foods, healthy nutrition, and food systems. While attending Kenyon College in Ohio, Herb managed a community garden program and donated all produce grown to area food banks. After graduation he stayed in Ohio and helped run his university’s local food program. For the past three summers Herb apprenticed on organic grass and produce farms in Ohio and his home state of Minnesota. He loves getting his hands in the dirt and watching plants grow throughout the season. Herb is excited to be living in Vermont where there is easy access to the outdoors and fantastic cheese. Herb is serving through the Lyndon Economic opportunity and AmeriCorps Program.

Nina Daniels

AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinator

Contact Nina at ndaniels@gmfts.org.

Nicholle Gregor

AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinator

Contact Nicholle at ngregor@gmfts.org.

Nicholle joined GMFTS in August of 2017. As a FTS coordinator, she encourages local food consumption and awareness though hands-on educational programs such as taste tests, in-class workshops, gardening, cooking and more! Nicholle graduated from the University at Albany in May 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Information Science and a minor in Art. While at the University, Nicholle was recognized as one of the student leaders in sustainability through her active community engagement, management of three student groups, as well as serving on the student sustainability council. Coming from the suburbs of New York, she is excited to experience all of the outdoor opportunities that the NEK has to offer. Nicholle is serving through the Lyndon Economic opportunity and AmeriCorps Program.

Rachel Proctor

AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinator

Contact Rachel at rproctor@gmfts.org.

Rachel Proctor joined GMFTS in August 2017. As a farm-to-school coordinator she will work on educating our youth about the importance of supporting local food systems through hands-on programs in schools throughout the Northeast Kingdom. She is also helping to foster a connection to the land and overall healthier eating habits. Rachel graduated from Saint Michael’s College in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Environmental Justice and Sustainability and minor in Economics. Rachel worked on an educational farm in Ashfield, MA for two summers called Red Gate Farm, where she lead programs geared toward helping young children ages 3-9 get excited about gardening, farming, hiking, plus learning new outdoor skills. She has been interested in sustainable farming practices for many years, working on programs like Vermont First through Saint Michael’s College where she helped educate the college campus on how they were integrating local farm-grown food into the cafeteria. She is now excited to learn more about Vermont’s local food system as it pertains to increasing awareness and accessibility for cafeterias in elementary and middle schools. Rachel is excited to try cross-country skiing in the Northeast Kingdom during the winter season! She also enjoys hiking, biking, bird-watching and photography. Rachel is serving through the Lyndon Economic opportunity and AmeriCorps Program.