Sara is an agroecological farmer/gardener, service provider, and activist based in central Vermont. She is committed to building systems that support thriving for all beings and to the active exploration of alternatives to the current hegemonic food and agriculture systems.

She currently dedicates her time to her work with NGBI, supporting and organizing with farmworkers through her work with UVM Extension and Migrant Justice, growing and making medicine, and her creative practices of printmaking, natural dyeing, and restoring an old farmhouse. 

sara@ngbi.org

Rebecca grew up on a diversified farm, holds a degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management, and has spent more than 20 years working as a biological farm manager and grazier. She specializes in soil nutrition consulting and designing regenerative land systems. She studied dairy farming (and kite boarding) in New Zealand for a year and has worked on farms in the northeast, VA, WI, and PA. 

Her curiosity keeps her moving; if she isn't traveling abroad or doing hot yoga, she's often adventuring outdoors - mountain biking or hiking in Vermont where she is currently based. With health as her primary focus and growth as her motivator, she brings her passion for supporting dynamic systems to our team at NGBI.

rebecca@ngbi.org

Karen brings more than two decades of experience in nonprofit communications, farmer education, and sustainable agriculture advocacy. She is skilled at translating complex agricultural issues into accessible, compelling stories that inspire engagement and build strong networks.

In roles with Georgia Organics, the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, California FarmLink, and the Organic Farming Research Foundation, she produced newsletters reaching thousands, developed branded materials and reports, and documented programming for outreach and grant reporting.

She also organizes farmer networks, conferences, short courses, and farm-to-table events that connect producers, consumers, and community partners

karen@ngbi.org

Lisa Holmes is Trustee and President of The Martha and Hunter Grubb Foundation. A founding board member of both GreenWave and Zero Foodprint, Lisa has worked with grassroots and community efforts to transform the local food system for over a decade.  Starting with her work in New Haven chairing CitySeed, she continues to support and invest in people, programs and projects that address access to both land and capital for small farmers and ranchers, and that promote social justice in food and agriculture. 

She is currently serving on the Steering Committee of FORA (Funders for Regenerative Agriculture), and is a member of both Rachels Network and the Pleiades Network. Her documentary, Fork in the Road, is screening at film festivals; she was also Associate Producer of Food Chains, which won a James Beard Award.

Cheryl Bruce is a Senior consultant with Agricultural Consulting Services (ACS), a subsidiary of Dairy One Cooperative.  Cheryl has over 20 years of experience working with farmers, providing agronomic and conservation practice support, helping to navigate state and federal regulatory requirements and cost-share programming, and assisting with farm business systems planning and big picture goal setting. Building relationships with farmers forms the foundation of her work.

Before joining ACS, she worked for 3 years at American Farmland Trust and 11 years with the University of Vermont Extension in Middlebury, VT. As importantly, she has an extensive background managing grazing herds and has provided relief milking services on multiple dairy farms. She has a Master of Science degree in Plant and Soil Science from the University of Vermont and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from the University of New Hampshire. Cheryl also holds a Certified Crop Adviser license and certificates from the Ranching for Profit program.

Cheryl lives in Addison County, Vermont with her daughter Normandie.

Jennifer (Jenn) Colby has spent more than 30 years working professionally in agriculture and environmental management to help livestock farmers find success and quality of life. She was part of the University of Vermont Center for Sustainable Agriculture’s Pasture Program for seventeen years and has been a practicing grazier and land steward for more than 25 years. Throughout her career, bringing people together around shared interests has been a key theme, whether that’s been as part of the New England Grazing Network, pasture-based research topics, regional and national grazing conferences, or the Choosing to Farm podcast. She is an alumnus of Ranching for Profit and Executive Link.

Currently, Jenn is the manager of the Food Systems Research Station at Nordic Farm, is an advisor for the VT State University Ag, Food and Forest Entrepreneurship Center (CAFFÉ), is the Executive Director of the Northeast Pasture [Research] Consortium (NEPC), and is a National Grazing Lands Coalition (NatGLC) Regional At-Large board member. She operates a biodiversity-forward sheep operation and overnight-stay farm in Randolph, VT.