Jiff Martin, Food Systems Educator

Jiff has worked for years to strengthen agriculture and promote local agriculture and food systems in Connecticut. Her current work includes:

• Leading the development of new training and resources for beginning farmers
• Creating new tools and programming to help farmers sell to schools and early childhood centers
• Helping consumers discover local food and farms through outreach and marketing campaigns

Prior to joining UConn Extension, Jiff led farmland preservation advocacy efforts in Connecticut on behalf of American Farmland Trust, Working Lands Alliance, and Hartford Food System.  In 2015 Jiff received the White House Champion of Change Award in Sustainable Agriculture.

Melanie Desch, Food Systems Outreach Assistant

Melanie has a background in sustainable agriculture and nonprofit project management and coordination. She’s been farming in Connecticut for over 4 years and is passionate about local food systems and addressing food insecurity in our CT communities. She joins the Tolland County Extension Office as a Food Systems Outreach Assistant, where she is involved heavily in the CT Farm to School Collaborative work, Solid Ground Program, and all things related to administration in our office! Melanie is a beginning farmer herself and owns a flower farm in Mansfield Center, with a focus on regenerative practices and the intent to convert as much turfgrass into ag production as possible.

Shannon Raider- Ginsburg, Program Coordinator

Shannon has extensive experience aligning local agriculture, food justice, and education. As a farmer, Shannon has worked all manner of farms from larger certified organic CSA operations to 450-acre Christmas tree farms, to community gardens and urban agriculture. She has developed farmers markets, mobile markets, run her own small farm business and managed agricultural education programs. Shannon has worked with Extension on developing and implementing Farm to School procurement resources since 2017. Meeting the growing school market is a great way to scale up your farm business.

Robert Chang, New Farmer Business Navigator

Robert Farms at Echo Farm in occupied Nipmuc Territory, now known as Woodstock CT, where he grows organic vegetables and cut flowers. He is a founding member of the New CT Farmer Alliance and works in policy and advocacy at the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust. He is a proud alum of past Solid Ground training programs and is grateful for the opportunity to serve the beginning farmer community in CT at UConn Extension.

Dawn Crayco, Visiting Associate Food Systems Educator

Dawn brings a background in nutrition and public health focused on child nutrition programs and farm to school. She has worked with state and national organizations on programming and policies that grow and strengthen food systems. Contact Dawn to learn more about UConn Extension’s work on farm to school and how to tap into the growing movement.

Abigail Dubois, Farm to School Technical Assistant

Whether you are a seasoned Farm to School participant or new to the world of local food in schools, contact Abby to connect with a farmer or school Food Service Director, find recipes that feature seasonal local foods with cultural relevance, and to gain resources on how to build your Farm to School goals and create a Farm to School Team.

Abby is one of the co-chairs of the CT Farm to School Collaborative Steering Committee, she supports the planning of the CT Farm to School Institute, and works for East Hartford and Coventry/Andover Public Schools as their Farm to School Coordinator.