Staff, board, and partnerships

Staff

• Julie Davis, Store Manager Julie is a founding member of the co-op, originally heading the CSA program. She lives in Orange with her family, including two family dogs. She is currently the Store Manager, and you can find her bustling around the store most days.

Board of Directors (2023-2024)

• Kelsey Cass (Ashburnham) Kelsey Cass is an Athol native who now resides in Ashburnham. She is a yoga instructor and is very inspired by local food and how it contributes to our sense of home. Other passions include gardening, cooking, hiking, and community engagement.
• Ruth Curry (Orange) is a resident of the Chestnut Hill community that spans Orange and New Salem. She and her husband, Nick Curry, moved to Franklin County from Chicago in 2020 so Nick could take a job with Stefan Maier Tracker Organs. Ruth continues to work for Northwestern University, in Evanston, IL, where she’s a member of the university’s Center for Civic Engagement. Ruth is a Big Sister and a member of the Garlic and Arts Festival steering committee. She’s loved learning cider pressing, maple sugaring, sausage-making, and baking in a wood-fired oven from her neighbors and is eager to support the local farms that proffer such bounty.
• Ramona Hamblin, Chair (New Salem) moved to New Salem from Newton several years ago and began volunteering at Quabbin Harvest. It exemplifies what is so beautiful about this area: people coming together to share and work towards a vision that puts food, land and community first.
• Pam Harty, Treasurer (Orange) Pam relocated from the South Shore to the North Quabbin in 2021. With experience in retail sales and corporate purchasing for a national food retailer, running a food pantry, and educating children through a farm-based program, Pam is excited about collaborating with the Quabbin Harvest community to strengthen the positive impact it has in the local food economy.
• Seth Isman (Hadley) A longtime Connecticut Valley resident, Seth has been involved with coops since 1972, when he was a Board Member of the Amherst Food Coop and the Yellow Sun Coop. More recently, he served as Bookkeeper of the Old Creamery Coop in Cummington and also owned and operated a retail store selling toys and children's clothing in Northampton for 27 years. He has been a member of Quabbin Harvest since its beginning and brings to the board expertise in financial management and financial information systems.
• MaryEllen Kennedy (New Salem) MaryEllen Kennedy has been a resident of New Salem for almost 30 years. After a career in high-tech, learning the power of electronic communications, she is happy to have more time to focus on the joys and challenges of the North Quabbin region. She has been a trustee of the New Salem Library and has spent many years working to build a fiber optic network in her town, now a reality. As a volunteer and now board member of Quabbin Harvest, she is thrilled to help bring access to good local food to an increasing number of our citizens and support our local producers.
• Cassandra Knowles-True, Secretary (Phillipston) is a North Quabbin native and is proud to see the ways that the community has been growing, especially embracing, supporting, and celebrating the Quabbin Harvest Co-op!
• Mark Maynard (Warwick) Born and raised in Warwick, Mark Maynard was employed for nearly 40 years by Community Action in Orange, helping connect local residents to resources such as food, public benefits, social services, counseling, and financial assistance. This experience has provided him with insight and hands-on appreciation for what it's like to live in this part of Franklin County and he hopes to see Quabbin Harvest continue being part of this community into the future.
• George Perides (Orange)
• Ingrid Schatz (Orange) Ingrid moved back to her hometown of Orange in 2014 after pursuing a more than 20-year career as a professional dancer, choreographer and educator in the Boston area. Since 2013 she has operated The Dance Studio on North Main Street in Orange, building a studio community based on clear communication, inclusion, and the belief that everyone has something important to contribute. She is committed to helping build a vibrant and sustainable community, including helping Quabbin Harvest and other downtown Orange neighbors thrive into the future.
• Nancy Wilson (Warwick) is a Realtor for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services serving the needs of Massachusetts home buyers and sellers for over 30 years. Nancy is passionate about life and has an adventurous spirit. She loves a good laugh with family and friends, trying out new recipes, enjoys reading and the Arts, creating inviting spaces using Feng shui and her home staging skills, traveling and caring for all kinds of animals. She loves a challenge and believes you're never too old to learn something new! She has been volunteering at the Co-op for over 2 years now. You might find her working behind the scenes with her soapy hands washing dishes in the kitchen or her hands in the dirt out in the Community Garden where she's tending to the vibrant colors of spring, summer and fall for all to enjoy!

Our board is elected democratically by member-owners each spring. If you are a member-owner interested in running for a seat on the board or making a suggestion for nomination, please email us.

Emerita Board Members

• Amy Borezo
• Julie Davis
• Pat Larson
• Margot Parrot
• Robin Shtulman
• Cathy Stanton
• Nina Wellen

Partnerships

We partner with many area organizations working on expanding access to healthy food for our whole community. Find out more here.

Our building is owned by Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust. Like Quabbin Harvest, Mount Grace is committed to supporting the local food system and keeping area farms in operation. Learn more about their farmland protection program on their website.