At Foodshed Alliance, our staff is the heart and soul of our mission to support sustainable agriculture, food security, and environmental protection.
Baris Sonmez
Executive Director
baris@foodshedalliance.org
Baris Sonmez
Baris Sonmez is the new Executive Director of Foodshed Alliance, bringing expertise in nonprofit development, sustainable agriculture, and food systems. He is the founder of LifeCap Farms, LLC, a specialty mushroom farm in Jersey City, where he built sustainable growing systems and partnerships with local restaurants and retailers.
Baris combines his corporate and farming experience – managing budgets, leading teams, and developing programs – to strengthen Foodshed Alliance’s support for farmers, expand community food access, and grow mission-driven initiatives. He also created Jersey City’s first rooftop garden to donate produce to nonprofits and served on the board of Green Acre Community Garden in Paterson.
Jayme McGauley
Admin/Accounting Coordinator
Jayme@foodshedalliance.org
Jayme McGauley
Jayme McGauley is an operations and administration professional with a strong commitment to community impact, organizational efficiency, and mission-drivenwork. She has more than a decade of leadership experience at Wyndham Worldwide and several years of experience managing budgets, compliance, and large-scale initiatives for community organizations in Sparta, NJ.
Jayme excels at creating structure, improving processes, and supporting teams with clear communication and thoughtful coordination. She brings hands on experience in budgeting, event planning, HR support, vendor management, and technology driven systems.
Her operational leadership strengthens Foodshed Alliance’s capacity to grow and serve the community more effectively. Passionate about building strong local communities and supporting programs that make a meaningful difference, Jayme combines her organizational expertise with a service-minded approach.
Christine Parauda
Food Access Director
christine@foodshedalliance.org
Christine Parauda
Christine Parauda serves as the Food Access Director for the Foodshed Alliance, bringing a wealth of expertise and dedication to her role. With a profound commitment to addressing food insecurity, Christine has been instrumental in the success of the LocalShare program. Her strategic vision and hands-on approach have played a pivotal role in rescuing over 760,000 pounds of surplus food from local farms, contributing to more than 3.3 million meals for those facing food insecurity. Christine’s leadership ensures the effective coordination of efforts to bridge the gap between local farms and communities in need. Her passion for fostering sustainable agriculture and alleviating hunger makes her a driving force behind the Foodshed Alliance’s impactful initiatives. For inquiries or collaboration opportunities, Christine can be reached at christine@foodshedalliance.org.
Meg Vetter
LocalShare Program Manager
Meg@foodshedalliance.org
Meg Vetter
Meg has grown her role at Foodshed Alliance through stewarding land within the Sustainable Agriculture Enterprise (SAgE) Program and with important work in local grain farming through our grant from the New Jersey Highlands Council Sustainable Agriculture Program.
In here role as LocalShare Program Manager at the Foodshed Alliance, she is at the forefront of food access in New Jersey. Leading the coordination of gleanings on farms and facilitating the efficient delivery of rescued produce to food pantries and social service agencies. Meg promotes and coordinates to support the organization’s food access mission, goals, plans and coordinates the logistics, scheduling and distribution of food collection including gleanings, farm pick-ups, pop-up produce markets, and food pantry delivery. Meg ensures the execution of gleaning activities, contributing significantly to reducing food waste and supporting local communities.
For inquiries or to learn more about LocalShare initiatives, contact Meg at meg@foodshedalliance.org.
Daisy Taylor
Volunteer Coordinator
daisy@foodshedalliance.org
Daisy Taylor
Daisy Taylor serves as the Volunteer Coordinator at the Foodshed Alliance, where she works tirelessly alongside volunteers promotes and coordinates the organization’s volunteer program including recruiting, retaining and placing volunteers to support mission driven activities. Develops outreach strategies to seek individuals and organizations committed to the organizations’ food access mission and goals. Supports the gleaning program including facilitating free produce markets and distribution sites, acts as gleaning leader at farm sites and provides farm partner produce pick-ups and deliveries to agencies. Daisy is deeply committed to community service and believes in the transformative power of connecting local farms with those in need. Her dedication to fostering a sustainable and equitable food system is evident in her hands-on approach to gleaning operations. If you have any inquiries or would like to get involved in the Gleaning Program, you can reach out to Daisy at daisy@foodshedalliance.org.
Christine Dunbar
Paulins Kill Watershed Coordinator
chrisdunbar@foodshedalliance.org
Christine Dunbar
As the Paulins Kill Watershed Coordinator, Christine Dunbar brings a wealth of experience and a longstanding commitment to conservation advocacy in our region. With a keen focus on promoting and safeguarding the health of the Paulins Kill Watershed, Christine plays a vital role in ensuring the sustainability and resilience of our local ecosystems. For inquiries or further information regarding watershed initiatives, you can contact Christine at chrisdunbar@foodshedalliance.org.
Tess Mullen
SAgE & Grains Program Manager
tessm@foodshedalliance.org
Tess Mullen
Tess Mullen serves as the SAgE Program Coordinator at the Foodshed Alliance, where she is deeply committed to making a meaningful impact on the success of farmers, especially those practicing regenerative organic growing methods. Tess brings over a decade of small organic farming experience to managing the Sustainable Agriculture Enterprises (SAgE) Program, leveraging her passion for farming to drive positive change within the agricultural community. Through her dedication, Tess plays a pivotal role in supporting farmers on their journey towards regenerative practices, fostering resilience and sustainability within local agriculture.
In this role, she oversees the maintenance of common areas, infrastructures, and the organic demonstration plots at the SAgE Land Access locations. Tess nurtures both SAgE farmers and new Grain farmer relationships to further support their business vitality and monitors ongoing agricultural practices on the land.
For inquiries or to learn more about the SAgE Program, contact Tess at tessm@foodshedalliance.org.
Breeyanah Gee-Burney
Outreach & Marketing Coordinator
breeyanah@foodshedalliance.org
Breeyanah Gee-Burney
In her role as Marketing & Outreach Coordinator, Breeyanah Gee-Burney seamlessly bridges the gap between office and field, contributing to the organization’s success through effective marketing and communications strategies. Breeyanah plays a crucial role in promoting the Foodshed Alliance and its various programs, fostering community engagement, and ensuring that the organization’s message resonates with diverse audiences. For inquiries or to connect with the Foodshed Alliance’s marketing efforts, you can reach Breeyanah at breeyanah@foodshedalliance.org.
David de Wit
Paulins Kill Watershed Program Assistant
david@foodshedalliance.org
David de Wit
David de Wit plays a crucial role as the Paulins Kill Watershed Program Assistant at the Foodshed Alliance. He actively contributes to the organization’s efforts to promote and protect the Paulins Kill Watershed. With a commitment to environmental conservation, David supports various initiatives aimed at preserving the ecological integrity of the watershed. If you have any questions or wish to engage with David on Paulins Kill Watershed matters, feel free to contact him at david@foodshedalliance.org.
Brian Sayre
Paulins Kill Watershed Program Assistant
brian@foodshedalliance.org
Brian Sayre
Brian Sayre is the Paulins Kill Watershed Program Assistant at the Foodshed Alliance, where he supports water quality monitoring, environmental education, and community outreach. He collects stream samples for chloride testing, conducts macroinvertebrate surveys certified by NJDEP, and helps lead educational programs for students and the public. With over 45 years of experience in environmental and natural resource management, Brian has held roles with the NJDEP, First Environment, and Dewberry Engineers, where he specialized in wetland studies, permitting, site remediation, and quality assurance. He holds a BA in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia and an MA in Environmental Studies from Montclair State University. Brian is a Certified Floodplain Manager, a Green Infrastructure Champion, and will serve as Team Leader for harmful algal bloom sampling in 2025. He is also active in conservation groups like Trout Unlimited and the NJ Native Plant Society and enjoys fishing, hiking, and spending time with family. You can contact Brian at brian@foodshedalliance.org.
Reid Giacomarra
Market Manager
LocalShare Staff
Reid@foodshedalliance.org
Jeremy Hunt
Farm Maintenance Coordinator
Jeremy@foodshedalliance.org
Jeremy Hunt
Jeremy Hunt is a regenerative farmer based in Frelinghuysen, New Jersey. Together with his partner, Jen, he operates Bullfrog Creek Farm, focusing on soil health, ecological stewardship, and diversified production rooted in long-term sustainability. With more than two decades of hands-on agricultural experience, Jeremy has worked extensively with livestock systems, pasture management, farm infrastructure, and soil-building practices that support resilient operations. His background also includes work as a dairy farmer and artisan cheese maker, contributing to his understanding of value-added production and regional food systems.
Jeremy holds a degree from Bloomsburg University with a concentration in Public Relations and has completed certification in Better Food Processing, strengthening his understanding of responsible food handling and safe food production. As Farm Maintenance Coordinator, he is committed to advancing Foodshed Alliance’s mission of strengthening sustainable agriculture, increasing access to healthy, locally grown food, and protecting the land and water resources of northwestern New Jersey.
