Our Team

Shemariah found Land For Good when she and her husband were beginning their own land search in New England. She consulted with Kathy for several years while managing New Lands Farm – an immigrant and refugee agricultural program in Massachusetts – to identify and secure farmland for individuals and a community site. Planning for agriculture and the extreme land access needs for future farmers were a focus of her graduate studies at UMass Amherst. Beyond her LFG work, Shemariah raises a young crew of humans, various poultry and tries to keep up with other land based projects.

Rachel is a life-long gardener and sometimes farm worker, with a passion for small farms and local food systems. Prior to Land For Good, Rachel directed the C&S Workplace Organic Gardens Project, which provides company land, education, and technical support to C&S employees who wish to garden at work. When not at work or focused on her PhD studies, you can find her in the woods with her two Malinois Shepherds.

Mike grew up on farm and has been involved with agriculture since childhood. He farmed full-time for 10 years on leased land, and continues to run a part-time maple syrup operation. In addition to doing work for Land For Good for well over a decade, Mike also contracts to do work for the University of Vermont Extension Farm Viability Program as a Farm Business Planner and consults for other UVM programs. In addition to his extensive experience working with farmers and property owners on farm tenure, succession and transfer, Mike’s expertise also includes grazing, soil, and pest management. Mike is also a trained mediator and does mediation for the VT Agricultural Mediation Program.

Kate found her way to Land For Good through her husband’s farmland access journey. The challenges he faced as a first generation farmer motivated her to be a part of expanding and supporting farmland access for others. With a background in events management, brand development, and digital marketing, Kate brings an enthusiastic and relational approach to the communications team. Although she grew up in Southern California, she is now a proud New Englander, finding both her grounding and inspiration in the changing of the seasons.

Deanna (Dee) comes to Land For Good with 17 years vegetable farming experience.  During this time she has seen the challenges of secure tenure and land access on the ground.  She believes that secure land tenure and financial stability are crucial to ensure that we have life-long farmers and long term farm viability.

Kali found Land For Good through her own multi-year search for farmland. She has spent the better part of the last decade farming for other people in various capacities and locations from the west coast of the U.S. to South America. She came to New Hampshire because of the abundant water and strong agricultural community, with the desire to start her own farm. Her search for farmland has allowed her to experience first-hand the many hurdles farmers face when trying to start, or transition out of farming, and she is passionate about helping bridge this gap. Kali is excited to work directly with farmers across New Hampshire in her field agent role.

With 10 years at Land For Good, Lisa values the organization’s energetic team, collaborative work and strong partnerships. She brings 30 years of marketing and communications experience from strategy to development and outreach, and national recognition for her outside web design work. A New Hampshire native, Lisa appreciates the value of our working farms and local food system. As a lover of food, nature, and connecting with places, Lisa finds the most joy in exploring the New England coast with her husband.

Jan’s keen interest in nutrition and its effect on health began as a teenager. Her concern with the impact of chemicals used to maintain freshness during food shipment underscores the importance of locally produced food. Being a part of Land For Good gives Jan the opportunity to have a small part in keeping food sources close to home and her community healthier. She is a Certified QuickBooks Pro-Advisor and has worked in bookkeeping for 15 years.

Will’s farming roots go back to high school on Waldingfield Farm in Washington CT. In 2020, Will and his partner founded Hungry Reaper Farm where they grow vegetables, herbs, and cut flowers in Morris, CT. Will served on the Steering Committee of The New CT Farmer Alliance, a chapter of the National Young Farmers Coalition, from 2017 to 2023, finally serving as president from 2020-2023. Will continues his work with Young Farmers as a Land Advocacy Fellow in the lead up to the 2023 Farm Bill. He is the Chair of the Farmland Preservation Advisory Board, sits on the Working Lands Alliance Steering committee, and serves on the Farm Service Agency State Committee. Will is excited to serve his agricultural community and carry out Land For Good’s mission in Connecticut.

Also Land For Good’s co-founder, Kathy served as Executive Director from 2004 to 2014. Kathy is a nationally recognized leader in farm access, tenure, and succession. She has authored many guides and reports, managed projects, led workshops, trained service providers, and worked closely with farm families on these topics for 35 years. Kathy has provided technical assistance and training to organizations across the country, and she is currently advising on a national project to train land trust staff on farm succession. Kathy has Masters degrees in Administration (University of Massachusetts) and in Natural Resource Management (Antioch/New England). 

Jae is a first-generation farmer, and has had a lifelong passion for agriculture, particularly surrounding forage production and equipment operation. Jae owns and operates Windrow Farm in Conway, MA, producing hay and focusing on grass-based farming. Jae was formerly the assistant manager of the UMass Student Farm, and he has a strong commitment to agricultural education and helping beginning farmers. Jae is also genderfluid/bigender and a member of the Trans community.

Every summer as a teen, Katie worked on a small veggie and berry farm in Farmington, Maine. While in college at UVM, she found her passion for artisan cheesemaking and has spent the last 17 years working for some of the best cheesemakers in Vermont. Katie served on the board of directors for NOFA-VT and the Vermont Cheese Council. In the fall of 2023 Katie returned to her hometown in Maine, and she is thrilled to work with other farmers and carry out LFG’s mission in Maine. 

Tim Wheeler is the owner and operator of Cordelia’s Farm in Berlin, Massachusetts along with his wife Janet, and their sons, James and Nate, who are the seventh generation to live and work on the family-farm where they raise small fruit and vegetables. Tim has served on the local Planning Board for 35 years, the Executive Committee of the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission for 30 years as well as the Boards of several agricultural organizations representing the interests of Massachusetts and New England farmers. When Tim and Janet needed to address the question of farm succession to the next generation, they attended Land For Good’s Farm Succession School to guide them through the process of gradually transferring the farm to their sons. Tim’s interest in sustainable agriculture and finding common ground with measured strategic growth in Central Massachusetts drew him to Land for Good’s innovative yet practical methods of keeping farmers on the land.

Daniel Ungier is the Director of Education and Interpretation at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Former Executive Director of Medomak Valley Land Trust, Daniel has also served as director of farmer training at Cultivating Community and program director of the New American Sustainable Agriculture Project (NASAP). He brings a range of skills to the board including program development, farmer committee and community-based leadership, and experience delivering agricultural curriculum to multicultural audiences of youth and adults. A former Fulbright Fellow, Daniel has extensive experience facilitating community development and farming enterprises in limited literacy and international settings, including conducting participatory action research in Senegal and contract work with Mercy Corps International in Mongolia. A certified Master Gardener, Daniel has spent several seasons on diversified vegetable farms in the Northeast and other parts of the country.

Deborah Leonard-Kosits. President of Concord Strategies (formerly Resonance Strategies), has more than 30 years’ experience creating significant organization change for businesses and individual leaders as a global business HR executive and consultant. Working with world class companies, small businesses and nonprofits, Deb works with client groups and individuals to create practical change and get “unstuck.” She has lived and worked in Hong Kong, China, the Middle East and North America, and has served major clients in South Asia and Europe. She holds a BA in Asian Studies and an MA in Bilingual Education, Chinese and English, from Seton Hall University. Deb’s passion for her ongoing board work with Land for Good stems from a growing appreciation of the urgency surrounding the risk to our local food sources, and a deep respect for the professionalism of all those engaged with Land For Good. An avid cook, Deb loves all things Chinese and lives in New Hampshire with her two golden retrievers.

Tory McCagg is an author, flutist, and recent homesteader. Tory was a Governing Board Member of Common Cause Rhode Island for ten years. She and her husband, Carl, have an off-grid house and homestead, Darwin’s View, where they steward over 200 acres of land on a windy hill in Jaffrey, NH. Tory’s most recent book, At Crossroads with Chickens: A “What If It Works?” Adventure in Off-Grid Living and Quest for Home details their life off-grid and on the land, experimenting with renewable energy, composting, recycling, permaculture, and agroforestry. Over the past ten years of being a homesteader, Tory has learned that she’ll never be a farmer, but she has developed a deeper respect for those who farm. She also recognizes the vital importance of New England’s small and local farms. Tory’s stewardship of the land has taught her the value of healthy soil in the effort to mitigate climate change, and the importance – and difficulty – of making small farms viable. Mission moment with Tory and Carl.

Glen Ohlund has been a Community Economic Development Practitioner for nearly 30 years working on commercial real estate, housing, downtown revitalization, lending and human capital development across New England, where he grew up. Glen was most recently Chief Credit Officer at Capital Good Fund, a nonprofit, certified Community Development Financial Institution that offers small loans and personalized financial coaching to create pathways out of poverty and advance a green economy through inclusive financial services. Prior to that he served as Community Development Director for Franklin County Regional Housing Authority, Director of Economic Development for the Community Development Partnership, Northern New England Community Development Manager for TD Bank, and Northeast New England Loan and Outreach Officer for the Cooperative Fund of New England, where he remains active on the Loan Committee. Additional work on economic, environmental, and social justice issues shaped his dedication to sustainable development. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University. In addition to cycling, fly fishing, and music, Glen is firmly committed to his spring rock crop which eventually makes way for more edible items.

Carl Querfurth is a professional musician and recent homesteader. Currently a freelance trombonist, he has worked with many groups around the country. A New Hampshire native, Carl moved to Rhode Island in the late 1970’s and joined Roomful of Blues and began a touring career that kept him on the road through 2012, when he decided to get off the road and do some record production and local performing. Having spent his career as a trombonist in a horn section, he truly appreciates the team mentality and work ethic. He and his wife Tory moved back to New Hampshire in 2012 and started a small homestead farm, Darwin’s View, in Jaffrey. They put their land into a conservation easement with the Monadnock Conservancy and, with the facilitation of Land for Good, signed a lease with their neighbors to farm a five acre field on the property. Through this homesteading venture Carl has developed a strong sense of what it takes to keep farmland and small farmers in farming. Carl splits his time between the farm and music. Mission moment with Carl and Tory

Janet Woodward. Growing up on a sixth-generation family farm in Connecticut inspired Janet’s early devotion to the land, family and the past. She met Tim Wheeler while working at Old Sturbridge Village, and their subsequent marriage drew her into the seventh-generation family of Cordelia’s Farm in Berlin, Massachusetts. At the time, she was a teacher with a particular passion for bringing students out into their communities and the natural world to learn. Now retired, Janet contributes to the farm through marketing and producing value added products in the farm’s kitchen. Her involvement in Land for Good is a way for her to play forward the gifts that teaching and farming have given her: a grounding sense of place, an enriching sense of community and a devotion to educating and nurturing healthy people and a healthy environment for generations to come. Read Janet’s story on our blog: A farmer’s personal reflection on transferring the farm.