Poughkeepsie Farm Project (PFP) recently promoted staff to leadership roles and diversified its board with new members in an effort to expand upon its mission to ensure food security for thousands of Poughkeepsie area residents. PFP also developed a strategic plan to better serve its constituents while emphasizing sustainability and food justice in its programming,
Since 1999, PFP”™s impact grew substantially when it began serving 70 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shareholders from three acres of leased farmland on the Vassar College campus. Today, the project functions as a member-supported 15-acre farm in the city of Poughkeepsie that annually serves 7,000 children and adults through in-school and farm-based educational programming. PFP also donates up to 40,000 pounds of food each year to Hudson Valley residents through its Food Share program and provides fresh produce to more than 500 households participating in the farm”™s CSA.
Newly appointed Executive Director Madeline Henriquez brings 17 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector addressing gender-based violence, health care reform, infant and maternal health, community and economic development. In 2016, she helped launch and manage ”‹Earth, Wind & Fuego LLC, a social enterprise cafe and catering company with a mission to train and hire Poughkeepsie residents who face societal, mental and physical barriers to employment.
Poughkeepsie has a poverty rate of more than double the rate found in Dutchess County and more than 23 percent of the city”™s households receive food stamps/SNAP benefits compared to 8 percent in the rest of the county.
The newly created staff positions include Executive Assistant Lydia Hatfield; Lauren Kaplan, farm communications and CSA director; and Pat Lang, farm production director. Three new members will be joining Kelsey Ponesse on the PFP Executive Board. They include, Vice Chair Evelina Knodel, Treasurer Jennifer Creedon and current board member Jennifer Killian, who has taken on the position of board chair. In addition, two new board members: Willa Zhen and Estafany Umbach have joined PFP.
