Kendrya Close (on left) is Co-Director of the Foodshed Alliance in Blairstown, New Jersey. As Director, her responsibilities include promoting and facilitating several yearly farm to table benefit dinners, managing the Blairstown Farmers Market, seeking and securing funding sources and managing all farmer/consumer connections and communications.
Her passion for local food and activism for sustainable agriculture led her to this non-profit organization which is devoted to promoting locally-grown food and farming. Her bachelor’s degree in environmental biology from Ohio University and her extensive work as a plant pathologist and urban forester for the Davey Tree Company are among her credentials.
Kendrya lives in northern New Jersey with her family where her commitment to community extends to the national group, the holistic Moms Network, where she serves as a chapter leader and membership coordinator.
Jen Reich (on right), Co-Director of the Foodshed Alliance in Blairstown NJ. Her responsibilities include program oversight, public relations, events coordination, facilitation of farm based experiential education programs, staff mediation, managing the Raw Milk campaign, and handling the finances.
Jen is a former Director of Operations and educator for Project U.S.E. an experiential education company. For the last 10 years Jen has facilitated programs through Genesis Farm promoting locally grown food and farming to students of all walks of life. This led her to a year’s internship on a sustainable farm and ultimately to getting a Permaculture certification.
She lives in Blairstown and honored to be a part of a system that is working to a more sustainable healthy community.