Abby grew up on a small cattle farm in upstate New York, where her 80-year old father still farms and continues to share his love of farming with her two kids. She worked alongside Kim and Stephanie at Mass in Motion New Bedford and learned the importance of working to change policies and systems that create a healthier environment for everyone. Abby served as CFS's Grants & Development Manager from 2020-2024 and now serves as Co-Director with Stephanie. Abby's goal is to provide donors and funders with the opportunity to invest in food systems change, supporting the local farm system and increased equitable access to fresh foods for vulnerable community members, creating a long-lasting positive impact in the community.

Stephanie started her career working on a farm, where she learned about the agricultural realities facing our farmers and grew a deep connection to the Southcoast’s farming community. She studied nutrition & dietetics in her undergraduate years learning about the connections between food and how to nourish our bodies. Looking to dive deeper into the role food plays in people’s lives, she studied at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy, where she learned about food from all angles and how it impacts our environment, economy, history, and culture. Upon becoming a Registered Dietitian, Stephanie looked to create a new path in the field that involved digging further into the root causes of chronic diseases that were ailing her patients. From 2014-2018, she worked at Mass in Motion New Bedford and the Southeastern MA Food Security Network (now the Southcoast Food Policy Council) tackling food access inequities in New Bedford. Working alongside other founding partners, from 2017-2020 she co-directed CFS creating different market channels and supply chains for farmers and food producers to sell more locally grown/made food through the Greater New Bedford communities. From 2020-2024, she served as the Executive Director and how currently works along side Abby to oversee the operations and strategic vision of the organization.