Jack Algiere is the founding farmer of Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture since 2003, currently Chief Agroecology Officer. He is a thought leader, trainer & advisor, partnership builder and innovator in support of transformational change in bioregional food systems. Jack represents Stone Barns Center at the local and global level through programmatic partnerships and initiatives, overseeing the Agroecology Advisory Program in support of a national network of emerging and transitioning regenerative projects.  

Jack and his wife Shannon have shared life and work for 30 years and have raised their two sons together on the farm.  Jack is also active as a board member for several mission-based organizations including Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Northeast Organic Farming Association, Lexicon of Food, Hudson Valley Bioregional Steering Committee, Synergos, and Pocantico Hills Board of Fire Commissioners.   

Michelle Hughes has more than 20 years of experience building programs to support more just and resilient food systems working at the intersection of agriculture, racial equity, economic justice, and community health. As a Director of Regional Food Programs at the Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming, her work focuses on building multidisciplinary coalitions that center regional farms as a cornerstone of solutions to food insecurity and food apartheid, while strengthening the health and vitality of both urban and rural communities.

Previously, Michelle was the Co-Director and Head Buyer at Rolling Grocer 19, a food justice initiative anchored by a full-line grocery store with a tiered pricing system that intentionally prioritizes access for households experiencing food insecurity. She also served as Director of Investments and Partnerships at the National Young Farmers Coalition, and for a decade directed GrowNYC’s New Farmer Development Project and FARMroots programs, where she supported 20 immigrant families in launching independent farm businesses that now steward more than 400 acres collectively.

Michelle holds a BS in Conservation Ecology and Agroecology from Rutgers University. In addition to her nonprofit leadership, she is also a practicing farmer and co-owner of Reclamation Herb Farm in Germantown, NY, where she and her husband produce medicinal herbs for the Hudson Valley community.

For almost 20 years, I've been a passionate food access advocate. In my role as Food Security Program Manager at Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County, I build connections between local food producers and food access programs in the Hudson Valley.

One of my key initiatives is the GleanMobile, a highly successful program that recovers and distributes over 400,000 pounds of fresh, local fruits and vegetables annually. I've also fostered a food purchasing program that creates lasting relationships between agencies and farms, ensuring access to nutritious local produce for our communities. Working directly with food inspired me to take supporting roles with others working in the same field, such as Glynwood’s Food Sovereignty Fund and the Hudson Valley Food System Coalition. It also led to me taking larger roles in food system projects such as the Newburgh Food Project’s Community Food Assessment.

My dedication to this field has led to the implementation of creative solutions that address the challenges faced by farms, agencies, and communities in achieving food security. The impact of this work has been recognized locally by Mohonk Consultations and nationally by PBS.

Kaija Xiao is a Taiwanese/Chinese American farmer and organizer. Kaija believes in non-hierarchical organizing, mutual aid and Cooperatives; and that our relationships to each other and to land form the basis for all systemic change, including revolution. She is a worker-owner of Gentle Time Farm, a trans and queer 3 acre no-till cooperatively owned diversified vegetable farm growing culturally relevant East Asian crops for Asian community and diaspora in New York. She is also a worker-owner of Choy Commons, a cooperative of Asian-led farm projects in the Northeast engaged in culturally rooted food sovereignty and mutual aid. 

Steffen finished his agricultural university studies in Giessen, Germany in 1982. He has been a Biodynamic practitioner since 1983, first in Wisconsin, and from 1989 until 2020 at Hawthorne Valley Farm. He loves working with the livestock, especially the dairy cows and his passion for Biodynamics continues to grow. He is convinced that a spiritually grounded agriculture is a major lever for societal transformation. He has given workshops and lectured at numerous national and international conferences. Through the Institute for Mindful Agriculture, he is currently engaged in food justice projects in the Hudson Valley of New York and supports food systems change in collaboration with several agricultural ventures, locally and nationally. Presently he serves on the Board of Demeter USA as treasurer. He lives with his partner Rachel in Columbia County, NY and is grateful to be able to spend more time with his two sons and three granddaughters.

Steph is dedicated to ensuring that every New Yorker can access healthy food through the worker-owned food distribution cooperative, Brooklyn Packers. His focus is on creating neighborhood owned food hubs that connect BIPOC farms and aggregators with communities in need. These hubs improve health and economic outcomes while promoting better nutrition. By envisioning worker-owned hubs encompassing wholesale, retail, and agriculture businesses, he works to create abundant job opportunities and ensures year-round access to fresh, local, affordable, and culturally relevant food for all New Yorkers. By addressing basic needs and fostering community connections, he believes these hubs can foster more resilient neighborhoods that thrive.

bio forthcoming

bio forthcoming