Who We Are
Board of Directors
Ellie Costa | President, Board of Directors
Ellie's passion for growing food began while digging up potatoes as a volunteer at Pariah Dog Farm in 2018. She and her husband retired to Falmouth from New York City in 2017. She brings experience as a facilitator, educator, designer, and entrepreneur to her work on the board of Farming Falmouth. She is honored to serve with a group that cares so deeply about healthy food, healthy community, and the health of Mother Earth.
Beth Everett | Treasurer
Beth has 30 years of experience as a banking executive specializing in acquisition and growth capital for healthcare and technology companies. Her most recent position was as a founding member of the Healthcare vertical at MUFG Bank Ltd, the predecessor bank to Bank of Tokyo, one of the largest global banks. She led a 5-person team focused on building a Healthcare portfolio of private equity and corporate-to-corporate-led acquisitions. She was responsible for a P&L of $50MM and assets of $2.1B. She was an active leader of the Bank's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Board serving as Co-Chair of the board in the Corporate and Investment Bank in 2018-2021. She was also an active college recruiter for the Bank’s Analyst program, helping to mentor many young women. She brings financial analytical expertise as well as interpersonal and mentoring skills to the Board. Beth retired to Falmouth in 2023 where she lives with her husband. She has two adult children who are frequent visitors to Falmouth. In addition to Farming Falmouth‘s Board of Directors Beth serves as Treasurer of the Board of Directors for Samaritan’s on Cape Cod and the Islands. Beth is a graduate of Boston College and Simmons School of Management.
Ron Nunes| Vice President, Board of Directors
After a 28-year career at IBM, Ron and his wife, Sharon, retired to Falmouth, where they became involved in several non-profit organizations. Ron began volunteering at the Falmouth Service Center in 2011, joined their Board of Directors in 2016, and in 2022 became co-chair of their Food Strategy Committee. He became acquainted with Farming Falmouth’s Service Garden Program through their donations to the Falmouth Service Center and began volunteering at Farming Falmouth in the summer of 2024.
Ron has previously been on the board of the Coonamessett Farm Foundation (2017-2024) and was a farm volunteer at Coonamessett Farm for 10 years. He was Membership Chair for the Woods Hole Folk Music Society and Co-Chair of the Kentucky Derby Celebration at Cotuit Center for the Arts.
Ron has had a love of farming since his teenage years, and is proud that this passion has been inherited by his daughter, Cheryl, who is a farmer in New Orleans, Louisiana. He spends several weeks each year working on her farm, River Queen Greens, and helping her with her farm markets.
Jennifer Bussum | Clerk
Jennifer currently serves in the Air National Guard and plans to be a farmer in the not-too-distant future. She came to Farming Falmouth as a volunteer in 2020 and quickly became focused on soil health, with specialties in Korean Natural Farming, bokashi fermentation, and composting. When not at work, she can be found gardening, foraging, dreaming of edible landscapes for all, and playing with dirt.
Susan Shephard | Board Member
Susan Shephard was born and raised on a family farm in northwestern New Jersey, where everyone she knew was a farmer. Following a tour with the Peace Corps, she moved with her husband and young son to Falmouth. Susan got totally involved with the effort to save Highfield Hall way back in 1992 and eventually became its first Executive Director. She moved on to involvement with a number of local nonprofits, including Neighborhood Falmouth, Falmouth.
Kurt Achin | Board Member
Kurt spent 20 years in Asia as a producer for CNN, a multimedia correspondent/bureau chief for Voice of America News, and host of a morning radio show in Seoul, South Korea. He pivoted to an apprenticeship in intensive market gardening in Western Massachusetts before returning to his hometown of Falmouth, where he uses his gear and experience to create Farming Falmouth videos and other online content. In his day job, Kurt is Membership & Outreach Coordinator for Falmouth Community Television.
Patricia Gadsby | Board Member
Patricia is a founding member of Farming Falmouth, and a former board member and President of the Falmouth Farmers' Market. She has a background in science journalism and food writing. In 2020 she initiated Share Your Bounty, Farming Falmouth's food donation program for backyard gardeners. She is a recreational shell-fisher, forager, and local small-scale farm supporter. "As a society, we have outsourced our food supply to industry," she says. “It's time to bring food home again.”
Tyler Barron | Board Member
Tyler grew up in Falmouth and got his BS from UMASS Amherst in Sustainable Food and Farming. Tyler led Farming Falmouth's project to plant pawpaw trees on Andrews Farm. His special interests are in organization building, outreach to the public, and mushroom cultivation. He is currently hard at work finishing a Food System Assessment for Falmouth. Tyler recently began the Master in City Planning program at MIT.
Shay Kuntz | Board Member
Shay Kuntz is a seasoned arborist and owner-operator of JSK Tree Care in Falmouth, bringing more than two decades of experience in arboriculture, land stewardship, and technical tree work. A long-time supporter and sponsor of Farming Falmouth, Shay has generously contributed his expertise to meet critical project needs, helping advance our on-the-ground conservation and land management efforts. Known for his leadership in high-angle and crane-assisted operations, he is deeply committed to elevating industry standards and sustainable practices through collaboration with local professionals. As an ISA Certified Arborist and UMass Amherst–trained arborist, Shay now joins the board to help guide Farming Falmouth into its next chapter, strengthening our capacity to steward land, support farmers, and protect working landscapes for the future.
Will Poirier | Board Member
Will Poirier joins Farming Falmouth with a strong background in land stewardship and conservation education. He currently serves as Director of Stewardship at The 300 Committee Land Trust, where he oversees the management of more than 2,700 acres of conservation land, including trail systems, habitat restoration, and volunteer-supported stewardship efforts. An accomplished naturalist with a master’s degree in sustainable development and climate change, Will brings a deep passion for education and community engagement, rooted in years of outdoor and classroom teaching. His experience caring for protected lands and connecting people to place closely aligns with Farming Falmouth’s mission to preserve farmland, support local agriculture, and foster lasting relationships between land and community.
Jess Kowal, Executive Director
Jess brings more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit organizations, startups, and mission-driven businesses to her role as Executive Director of Farming Falmouth. With a background in operations, business development, and organizational infrastructure, she is a strategic, hands-on leader who builds strong systems to support sustainable, values-driven growth.
Jess joined Farming Falmouth in 2023, strengthening internal operations and serving as Acting Executive Director before stepping into the Executive Director role on January 1, 2026. She now leads the organization’s staff, partnerships, and strategic direction in service of its mission to grow more food locally and strengthen the regional food system.
Her connection to food and land began in childhood on her grandparents’ homestead in Texas, where early experiences gardening, harvesting, and caring for animals shaped a lifelong respect for the natural world and a creative, problem-solving mindset. Jess is deeply engaged in the Falmouth community and, at home, is working with her family toward creating a food forest—reflecting her belief in accessible, community-centered food systems.
She is honored to lead Farming Falmouth alongside its board, staff, volunteers, partners, and supporters as the organization grows into its next chapter.
Jeny Christian | Farming Projects Manager
Jeny Christian is the Farm Manager overseeing the Service Gardens, a ¼-acre no-till farm that produced over 9,000 pounds of produce in 2025, all donated to the Falmouth Service Center and the Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center. With over 15 years of experience in gardening, homesteading, and regenerative agriculture, Jeny has played a key role in local food initiatives in her 10 years on Cape, including co-managing Pariah Dog Farm, serving on the Falmouth Agricultural Commission, and helping to establish Farming Falmouth, where she served as vice president and president. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Farm and Food Systems, a Certificate in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, and an internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certificate. Jeny is a US veteran who has served 8 years in the Army National Guard and one year overseas.
Team
Elyse DeGroot | Part Time Business Development Director
Elyse brings over 20 years of fundraising experience to Farming Falmouth. She has a proven track record in securing gifts for comprehensive campaigns and in building lasting relationships with individuals, families, and foundations across Cape Cod. Her expertise will help ensure Farming Falmouth’s continued growth and success. A proud descendant of farmers—her great-grandfather, grandfather, and sister all worked the land in upstate New York—Elyse has deep agricultural roots. When she’s not involved in farm-related activities, she enjoys sailing, hiking, or skiing, depending on the season.
Julianna Coughlin, Social Media Manager
Julianna serves as the Social Media Manager for Farming Falmouth, where she helps amplify the organization’s mission through thoughtful, engaging digital content. Passionate about health, community, and connection, Julianna brings creativity and heart to her work, using social media to strengthen local awareness and support for farmland conservation. An avid runner and advocate for well-being, she is dedicated to helping local organizations grow their presence and impact through strategic storytelling and outreach.
Katrina Nevin | Gleaning Coordinator
Katrina learned about agriculture, food, and community while working in the dirt, first at Morning Glory Farm on Martha's Vineyard where she was employed on and off for 7 years, then in the gardens at Findhorn Ecovillage in northern Scotland, and later by living and working on small organic homesteads in the French Pyrenees. Katrina got her BA from Goddard College where she created her own degree focused on community resilience and sustainable farming practices. In 2015 she began her own flower growing business. She is an illustrator and graphic artist and enjoys creating Farming Falmouth’s annual Holiday cards. Katrina grew up on Martha’s Vineyard and moved to Falmouth in January of 2020 where she lives with her husband and two young children. Katrina launched Farming Falmouth’s gleaning program in 2020.
Andy Buckingham | Soil Steward
Andy Buckingham has returned to Falmouth, where he spent much of his formative years falling in love with the sea, after a career investing in energy and food. The thesis for his food portfolio was a focus on re-developing local and more nutritious supply chains. Now supporting the growth of Farming Falmouth on multiple fronts, Andy’s experience within the regenerative agriculture movement (and reverence for the Soil Food Web) hopes to prove useful to this nonprofit’s vitally important mission.
Additional Support
Jessica Wilson | Grant Writer
Position Open | Part-time Farm Assistant - Contact us to apply!
Intern • Contact us to apply!
Stewards
Jeff Silcox, Community Orchard Steward
Miles Manning, Manning Construction, Inc.
Chris Saunders, Saunders Land Care
Advisors
Jim Green, Website Support
Denise Jay, Falmouth Food Assessment
Elizabeth Scholosberg, Digital Design and PR
Tommy Steele, Johnny Banks Construction