Join us for our April Local Food Community Convening
Tuesday, April 15th from 2:00-4:30 at the Bass Room at Franklin Memorial Hospital
CLICK HERE for more information and to register
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Meet the Team
STAFF
Lauren Orff - School Garden Coach
Lauren was born and raised in Wilton, Maine where she spent part of her childhood on an apple orchard. Throughout her college education, she focused much of her learning around nature-based education, graduating with her Masters degree in Early Childhood Education. To further her knowledge she also recently completed two Nature-Based Teacher Certification courses. She has worked in various settings including Head Start, public, and private schools with children ages birth through seven years old. Currently Lauren works at Inch by Inch preschool where she gets to fully embrace her passion for children learning through nature. She started a few small gardens with the preschoolers and looks forward to exploring gardening more with them each year! At her home in New Sharon she enjoys spending time taking care of her chickens, honey bees, gardens, fruit trees and bushes. Lauren is excited to help more children connect with the natural world around them through gardening!
Erica Emery - Executive Director
Erica has been active in the agriculture community since her youth when she participated in 4-H in Franklin County. After several years working for non-profits and community farms in the Greater Boston area, she moved back to her hometown of Farmington to start Rustic Roots Farm in 2013. Erica has served on community boards in Franklin County and was a founding member of the Greater Franklin Food Council at its inception in 2017. After serving on the steering committee and serving as board chair, Erica was hired as Executive Director for GFFC in October 2024.
STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Sarah Martin
Sarah, her husband Bud, and their son Cole live in Starks on 88 acres they call Martin Woods Farm, with pastures and plenty of woods. It is a diversified farm and equestrian center with 3 miles of wooded trails, an indoor and outdoor arena for events, and a round pen. They raise pigs, cows, and vegetables and herbs, and forest maple syrups and produce apple cider. Sarah keeps busy making jams and other goodies with the produce from their farm when not involved with council related activities. Please check their FB page for updates on the latest happenings - open year round. https://www.facebook.com/martinwoodsfarm/
Merrie Woodworth
Merrie moved to Maine in 1984 from the Boston area where she was born and raised. Maine was where she has extended family and where she spent all her summers growing up. She worked in Strategic and Program Planning at Maine Medical Center for over 10 years. She lived in Yarmouth where she and her husband, Charlie, raised two sons. It was there she first discovered the joys and challenges of growing one’s own food. Merrie and Charlie moved to Kingfield in 2012. Since moving to Western Maine, she has continued to grow vegetables and flowers in her backyard and has been involved with projects focused on improving the health and economic well-being of local communities and residents. Her most recent project, sponsored by United Way of the Tri-Valley Area, explored volunteer driving programs as a way to address transportation needs in rural Franklin County. Merrie joined GFFC’s Steering Committee in 2022 because she’s inspired by the organization’s mission and the energy and commitment of those who support its work.
Rosemary Cummings
Rosemary moved the New Sharon in 2019 when she married Philip Ripa. They own Five Corners Farm in New Sharon where they raise Katahdin sheep, chickens, hay, vegetables and honey. In addition to farming, she is the horticulturalist for the farm’s large perennial landscape. Rosemary promoted programs that support health and wellness in underserved populations for 25 years. Joining the GFFC steering committee provides an opportunity for her to continue this work because access to nutritious, locally grown food greatly impacts the health and wellness of our community.
Nick Rowley
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Nick works as the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture Professional in Franklin County. Through this work Nick focuses on agricultural outreach and education to support the people of Franklin County and beyond. He specializes in crop production, pest management, soil health and composting. Prior to working in this role Nick worked as a Food and Agriculture Field Specialist for UNH Cooperative Extension in Coös County NH and as a Research Associate at the Maine Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, Highmoor Farm in Monmouth Maine.
Bella Russo
​Bella was born and raised in Western Massachusetts. She is passionate about ag sciences and studied plant pathology and biology at UMass. She has worked in extension and the ag sciences field and moved to Western Maine in 2022 to dive deeper into her agricultural and professional goals.
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Bessa Axelrod
Before retiring and moving to Farmington in 2022, Bessa taught studio art and stewardship to
struggling teens in rural New Hampshire, first at a residential treatment center and later at an
alternative boarding school. A lifelong gardening enthusiast, she was introduced to organic
gardening through the California Conservation Corps and has nurtured gardens wherever life
has taken her—from California to Maine and many places in between. She currently co-leads
the GFFC Gather and Grow garden program. These days, Bessa stays busy making pottery,
teaching adult art classes in her studio, collaborating with local nonprofits to combat food
insecurity in Franklin County, and, of course, spoiling her grandkids.
Chris Hollingsworth
Chris Hollingsworth lives in Farmington, Maine at Morrision Hill Orchard, home of Ayuh Cider where he runs a pick your own apple orchard and apple cider operation with his wife, Jodi. Chris is also the Curriculum Coordinator for RSU 73/Spruce Mountain school district serving the Jay, Livermore, and Livermore Falls schools. Chris has served on local boards including serving as the treasurer and president of the United Way of the Tri Valley Area. Chris joined the Greater Franklin Food Council Steering Committee in January 2024.
Courtney Austin
Courtney is a Farmington local, born and raised right here. She went to school at UMF and has been employed at Franklin Savings Bank since graduating in 2018, where she works as their Marketing Director and oversees the Charitable Foundation and Donation request process. Courtney has held various board and committee positions for the United Way, the Children’s Task Force, the Farmington Public Library as well as the Kingfield POPS. Volunteering for community events is something she really enjoys and put in l 300+ hours of volunteer time at local events in the last year. Before joining the steering committee, Courtney helped put on the the Holiday Food Hall as well as the Pancake Breakfast for GFFC.