Alan Carroll

Food Systems Program Manager
CCE Sullivan County

Alan Carroll is a passionate community organizer who has been working in Sullivan county for the last decade. He has worked extensively with many of the county’s farmers markets, the Lackawaxen Food Hub, the Catskills Food Hub, and CCE connecting community to local food. As Food Systems Program Manager at CCE Sullivan, he runs the Sullivan Fresh Food Security Program; a program designed to improve Sullivan County residents with access to locally grown farm fresh products through farmers markets and a mobile community cupboard. Alan has also worked at Sullivan 180 as their Beautification Coordinator helping community groups care for public spaces, and as the lead on the Catskill Edible Garden Project. Alan also serves on the Hudson Valley LGBTQ+ Center’s Board of Directors as the Secretary and is an active volunteer with the Narrowsburg Beautification Group. Alan has a Bachelors in Fine Arts,  is a certified horticulturalist from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and is a certified permaculturalist from Common Circle Education out of San Francisco. He has a passion for cooking, swimming in the Delaware River and making friends while playing in the dirt.

Alexis King

Market Manager
Schroon Lake Farmers Market

Alexis King is the founder and market manager of the Schroon Lake Farmers Market and the founder of the affiliated non profit, the Friends of the Schroon Lake Farmers Market 501(c)(3). Through the Farmers Market and nonprofit, she has dedicated her efforts to working with farmers and community partners to expand access to high quality and local products for all, build community, and create a market space that means more than just commerce. Originally moving to Schroon Lake for the mountains and scenery, Alexis is glad to call this town home. She sits on the board for her local Chamber of Commerce and owns Honeypine, an herbal tea company which she sells locally, sourcing herbs from area farmers.

Amber Russell
Statewide Director
NYS Agriculture Mediation Program

Amber Russell is the Statewide Director of the New York State Agricultural Mediation Program (NYSAMP) and has been a mediator and mediation trainer since 2009. She previously served as Interim Director, Board Member, and Treasurer of the New York State Dispute Resolution Association (NYSDRA) and managed operations for a court-funded community mediation center from 2010 to 2021. Amber specializes in inclusive and accessible dispute resolution practices and has collaborated on initiatives with the NYS Unified Court System’s Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution. She lives in Wyoming County, NY, and is passionate about fostering inclusive and accessible mediation practices across the state.

Bryce Farrell

President
Binghamton Farmers Market Board

Bryce Farrell is the President of the Board of Directors for the Binghamton Farmers Market. Over the last two years, Bryce and the board led the market through a rebrand and organizational revamp that led to a 7-fold increase in vendor applications and a 20-fold increase in average vendor sales. Outside of the market, Bryce is a faculty member at SUNY Cortland, owns Organic Yoga & Wellness in Vestal, and coaches high school tennis. Her favorite market finds are heirloom tomatoes, blueberries, and sourdough bread.

Carlene Doane

Executive Director
GardenShare

Carlene Doane began working with GardenShare, located in St. Lawrence County, in October 2010. In March 2022, Carlene was promoted to fill the Executive Director position. She is passionate about promoting a local food system through education, awareness of programs for low to moderate income families, and has experience, close oversight, and operations for GardenShare. A long-time resident of St. Lawrence County, Carlene has family roots in the area. She volunteers with the Canton Free Will Meal, Food Bank of Central NY, Church and Community Program, local parent groups via public schools, United Women in Faith, the Adirondack Food System Network, Farmers Market Federation of New York Board, and food access programs.

Danielle Rovillo
Project Coordinator
Erie County Office of Health Equity

Danielle earned a Masters in Urban Planning at SUNY Buffalo with a concentration in community development and food equity. She is a member of the local Food Policy Council and professionally trained as a Farmers Market Manager by the Farmers Market Federation of NY. Danielle’s career is uniquely focused on food equity and cultural responsiveness. While running a nonprofit mobile produce market program for nearly a decade, Danielle developed a full-service community development model for the program that built trust within diverse communities, welcomed generational wisdom, and met consumers where they are at in terms of both socio-economic status and food system knowledge. Culturally-responsive food procurement, waste management and reduction tips, and cooking confidence-building, combined with community partnerships for nutrition education, made this program a beloved resource in many communities across the City of Buffalo. Today, Danielle manages the development, design, and distribution of culturally-responsive public health resources that address the Social Determinants of Health. These resources utilize popular education models, plain language, and translation to increase the readability and overall access. She is currently working on two grant-funded projects in the Erie County food system, both aimed at increasing the accessibility to fresh, locally grown products in underserved and under-resourced communities.

Jack Riffle
Executive Director
Farmers Market Federation of New York

Jack Riffle is the Executive Director of the Farmers Market Federation of NY. After attending Hamilton College, he spent six years teaching in Boston and New York City. His increasing awareness of social inequality, issues around food justice, and the climate crisis led him to leave teaching and apprentice on a farm in Westmoreland, New York, followed by time spend managing a farm and education center in New Hampshire. Jack also manages Local Foods Mohawk Valley — a local food collective based in Clinton that encourages community access to local food year-round. When he isn't behind a computer, he enjoys hiking in the Adirondacks with his wife, playing chess, and walking his dog.

Jim Farr

Director
Rochester Public Market

Jim has worked for the City of Rochester, Department Recreation for the past 40+ plus years. He started as a laborer in the Parks Division and has held a variety of supervisory and administrative roles since. Currently Jim is Director of the Rochester Public Market and the International Plaza. In this role, he oversees the operation of the facility, which is open three days a week year-round and hosts over 60 other events and festivals throughout the year. Jim also was appointed as a Commissioner on the Eric Canal National Heritage Corridor, volunteers as a Board member of the Genesee WaterWays Center and Chairperson of the Ontario Beach Park Program Committee. He is also a former board member and President of both the Farmers Market Federation of New York and the National Association of Produce Market Managers and is a member of the World Union of Markets. Jim is the secretary and one of the founding board members of the Rochester Youth Sports Foundation. Jim has a BS in Business Administration with a minor in Economics.

Laura Biasillo

Agriculture Economic Development Specialist
CCE Broome County

Laura Biasillo has been the Agricultural Economic Development Specialist at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County since 2006. In this role she supports new and beginning farmers, existing farms and food producers looking to diversify or expand their enterprise, agritourism and buy local efforts, municipalities, and farmers markets, both vendors and managers. In 2023 she launched the Markets of Broome initiative after over seven years of planning and relationship building amongst the market managers in the county. This initiative supports five markets and over 125 farms, food businesses and artisans through a website, online presence, collaborative events, SNAP programming, marketing and education. Acting as the fiscal sponsor for the five member markets, CCE Broome County reimbursed over $70,000 in nutrition incentives in the 2024 market season! Laura also sits on the board of directors of the Farmers Market Federation of NY and helped to create the FMM Pro curriculum.

Rebecca Allmond

Program Manager
New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets

Rebecca Allmond has over ten years of experience at NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets. She manages the Farmers’ Market Team within the Division of Agricultural Development. This team administers New York State programming that operates through farmers markets which includes the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs, FreshConnect Checks Program, and Farmer’s Market Designation Program. Prior to food system work, Rebecca started at the Department in the Division of Plant Industry driven by a keen interest in plants and insects. When not crunching FMNP data, Rebecca can be found skiing at a local mountain or hanging out with her cat, Isabelle.

Richard McCarthy

President
World Farmers Market Coalition

Richard is a community development specialist, writer, and speaker, who sees food as a pivotal organizing tool. In 1995, he founded the New Orleans-based Market Umbrella and its flagship Crescent City Farmers Market, where he played a pivotal role in rebuilding the regional food system after the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster. As past President and co-founder of the US Farmers Market Coalition, he helped to pilot and expand the use of nutrition incentive programs in farmers markets. In 2013, he moved his family up to New York City to direct Slow Food USA, an organization whom he still serves (on its international board of directors in Italy). In 2022, his first book, Kuni: A Japanese Vision and Practice for Urban-Rural Reconnection, was published by North Atlantic Books (co-written with Tsuyoshi Sekihara). In 2023, he was elected to serve as the President for the World Farmers Markets Coalition. Operating with members in 60+ countries, it is based in Rome, Italy.  Born in Europe, raised in New Orleans, educated in the United Kingdom at the London School of Economics, Richard lives with his wife in Geneva, New York.

Sarah Gatti

Principal Planner
Erie County Department of Environment and Planning

Sarah earned a Bachelor of Science in Urban Regional Analysis and Planning from SUNY Buffalo State in 2016 and is the Chair of the Buffalo and Erie County Food Policy Council. Sarah's career is focused on agricultural land use planning, a field she gained knowledge in through her experience as a Planner for the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development. While at Orleans County, Sarah developed the County's first Local Foods Map to showcase local farm produce. Today, Sarah manages the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning's Office of Agriculture. The Office works to address the loss of farmland, improve the viability of farming, and to assist rural municipalities with planning for agriculture. A key program of the Office are the Erie Grown and Erie Grown Passport programs, both aimed at promoting locally grown and value-added products and better connecting consumers to farmers, markets, and local foods.

Steve Hadcock
Board Treasurer
Farmers Market Federation of New York

Steve Hadcock is the Board Treasurer of the Farmers Market Federation of NY. He has long had an interest and passion for farming, particularly dairy farming. He attended SUNY Cobleskill and Cornell University, earning a degree in Animal Science. Upon graduation from Cornell, he traveled to Columbia County to be an Extension Educator. Over the years, Steve has adjusted his Extension program to meet the interests and educational needs of the residents. Currently, he is a Team Leader, working in six counties in Eastern New York. He provides beginning farmer education and works on market development for farmers.

Steve Ridler
Board President
Farmers Market Federation of New York

Steve Ridler is the Board President of the Farmers Market Federation of NY as well as the Manager of the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market. He runs the day-to-day operations of the successful regional farmers market that has been located in downtown Troy for over 20 years. Prior to becoming Market Manager, Steve served the Market on several committees involved with vendor relations and the future location of the Market. Steve is also a land use and community planner who has spent many years working on community revitalization projects around London and across New York State.