Our Team

Staff

 

Our staff work together both on-site and off to grow and distribute thousands of pounds of food each year, provide training to new farmers, and build community around food, nature, social justice, and educational opportunities.

 

Meg Caley, Co-Founder and Executive Director (she/her)

Meg has a passion for bringing people together in the field and around the table, growing food and community simultaneously. The food system is a good lens for looking at all the inequities present in our society, and Meg sees community-scale farming as one platform for building an inclusive and just world for us all. She has been working on a variety of farms since graduating college in 2005, has experience as a classroom and outdoor educator, and loves helping children and adults alike discover their new favorite vegetable. She moved to Denver in 2008 after living and working as Head Cheesemaker at Cherry Grove Farm, a grassfed meat and dairy in central New Jersey.  Meg has enjoyed her work in Colorado over the past decade+ on various farm operations, both rural and urban. She believes that farmers have a crucial role to play in setting policies and programs to further the sustainable food movement, and sits on the Denver Sustainable Food Policy Council (mayoral appointee), Jefferson County Food Policy Council, Denver Community Food Access Coalition, and is on the leadership board (and founding member) of the Mile High Farmers, a co-chapter of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union and National Young Farmers Coalition. Meg is thrilled to be developing Sprout City Farms to work towards a thriving local food system in the Denver metro area: sprouting city farms, rooting city farmers, and reconnecting folks to the land and food that sustain them.

As “founder and farmer-in-chief,” Meg managed the Denver Green School Community Farm from 2010-2018, and now oversees operations, programs, staff, fundraising, and finances for all of SCF’s farm sites.

She can be reached at meg@sproutcityfarms.org. Habla español.

Paula Cuevas, Program director (she/her)

Paula grew up in Thornton, Colorado and has a deep connection the the land in Colorado and the Southwest. She worked in education for over ten years as an ECE and kindergarten teacher and holds a Master’s Degree in Education and a Bachelor’s in Studio Art. She has always had a passion for equity in education and loves working with families and community members.

Paula worked at Denver Green School as a kindergarten teacher and became involved with Sprout City Farms through the school after taking a break from teaching in 2021. She hopes to take her passion for equity and use it to strengthen her community's access to food, share knowledge of environmental sustainability, and learn from members of the community as well.

Outside of work Paula enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She recently became a Colorado Master Gardener and loves to learn about plants! She plans to continue learning about herbalism and the healing power of plants in the near future.

After three seasons as Community Navigator at Denver Green School, she is transitioning into a new role as Program Director!

You can reach Paula at paula@sproutcityfarms.org. Habla español.

Brooks Hosfeld, Development Director (they/he)

Brooks grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, and moved to Denver in 2019 for its sunshine, mountains, and shining communities. His professional background and degrees are in history, anthropology, and gender studies, which inform his dedication to justice and involved him in various cross-cultural projects around the world before settling down in Colorado.

He has been a classroom and outdoor educator on social justice issues for a decade, with active involvement in supporting sustainable food justice projects since 2017. Rooted in justice, community, and joy, he believes that a better world is one grown together. He believes strongly that community-based factors such as mutual aid and resource-sharing contribute to a possible world where everyone's needs are met, and that food is a valuable platform for care and culture.

When his hands are not writing grants or digging in soil, he can be found playing with his dog, soaking up sun in a park, and laughing with friends - often all of the above.

Brooks is particularly able to connect you to any method of support or involvement for Sprout City Farms that best fits for you. See ways you can expand our impact through our Support page, and send him an email!

He can be reached at brooks@sproutcityfarms.org or by phone at 720-722-1618.

Keshaun joseph, internal operations Manager (he/him)

Keshaun Joseph is a first generation Caribbean American and second generation farmer from the island of St. Kitts and Nevis. He moved to the United States as a teenager to pursue an Accounting degree, and later went on to become a successful accounting professional for 10 years. He is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of Colorado and Virginia.

At the beginning of 2022, he reached a point of burnout and made a decision to step away from his profession so that he could focus on family and his mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. During this time, he discovered his passion for growing food, honoring the land and building community and made the decision to pursue farming. Farming nurtured his soul and brought him back to his roots.

He joins us as an Internal Operations Coordinator and is excited to utilize his accounting and professional skill sets to advance the mission of Sprout City Farms. Keshaun can be reached at keshaun@sproutcityfarms.org.

Carly Zimmerman, Denver Green School Farm Manager (she/her)

Carly has a passion for small scale farming, bringing communities together and creating art. She grew up in Northeast Ohio and recently moved to Denver. She previously worked on and managed an 8 acre organic vegetable farm for the last 5 years before moving to Denver to be closer to her friends and the mountains. She graduated from the University of Akron with a Bachelors in Art Education, and a Bachelors of Fine Art in Printmaking with a minor in painting. Carly loves sharing her knowledge about farming with her team and the Denver Green School students. Additional to creating art in her free time, Carly loves spending time outdoors rock climbing, hiking, and backpacking. Carly’s favorite vegetable is Hakurei Turnips.

Carly can be reached at carly@sproutcityfarms.org.

Liza McConnell, Jack’s Solar Research Farm director (she/her)

Liza moved to Colorado in 2016 after 13 years living in NYC working as an artist, art installer and, in a strange turn of events, a student researcher in biophysics. Fast forward three decades and three degrees, Liza has since worked for local farms, “farm-to-table” kitchens, and sat on committees for the Flatirons Young Farmers Coalition. She also started The Chicken Project, a flock of hens who make compost when not laying eggs. In all these activities, two concerns are ever-present: equitable access to local food and the impacts of climate change on an already arid climate. Liza is committed to the idea that ecological stewardship is a geographically specific practice, and that agrivoltaic research holds great promise in this sun-rich, water-short region. 

Liza is ecstatic to be a part of Sprout City Farms and Jack’s Solar Garden and is looking forward to helping develop ecologically sound farming/energy capture practices that can be shared widely, expanding opportunities for food and energy sovereignty.

You can reach out to Liza at liza@sproutcityfarms.org.

Myranda Domínguez, education programs manager (she/her)

Myranda grew up in Colorado, exploring nature with her family and developing a deep relationship with the land. She moved to Northern California for college where she fell in love with small-scale local agriculture, food justice, and food sovereignty. She graduated with a BA in BioCultural Anthropology and a minor in Native American Studies. After college, she worked on Indigenous food sovereignty farms in California and New Mexico. 

Myranda has worked in many educator roles with children for about 12 years, as a Gymnastics Coach and Elementary Paraprofessional, with one of her favorite roles being a Garden and Food Literacy Teacher. Myranda is a FoodCorps and AmeriCorps Alumni and has worked with diverse and at-risk populations. She is passionate about experiential education, social justice, and equity. She leads with empathy and highly values personal relationships.

Outside of work, Myranda enjoys spending time with her family, pets, and plants. She loves to dance, do yoga, roller skate, learn new things, and connect with nature! One day she hopes to create her own community-centered farm school. 

After two seasons as the Denver Green School Assistant Farm Manager, Myranda in now our Education Programs Manager!

Reach out to her at myranda@sproutcityfarms.org.

Jessica Cunningham, Mountair Park Community Navigator (she/her)

Jess has been in education for almost 10 years, first in Chicago then in Denver. Her early passion for travel and culture created a foundation for her profession in education of language and children. She has enjoyed working with young children in different scopes, language learning, early childhood, and food. Having her own child at home has strengthened her interest and advocacy for healthy and sustainable food systems; maintaining a home garden, working at MAP as an intern last year and recently teaching students cooking classes. She is excited to begin a new chapter with her position at MAP and cultivate community engagement within the community. Her play time consists of many afternoons with her family and dog exploring creeks and trails, riding bikes, camping, and gathering with friends and family to grill, cook and play yard games. 

She can be reached at jess@sproutcityfarms.org. Habla español.

Daniel Ortega Hernández, denver green school Assistant farm manager (he/him/él)

Originally from Venezuela, Daniel has learned an extensive spectrum of agricultural knowledge by working in sustainable farming around the world. He is newer to Denver and is excited to spend the season moving even further into his understanding and execution of processes in farms, now as Assistant Farm Manager at Denver Green School Community Farm.

His relationship with food justice comes in the context of Venezuela, where his country of origin is a present reminder to him of how a country can be rich and abundant in land and resources but still be in ongoing social and economic crisis. He feels responsible and encouraged to understand how things work in different levels of the industry in an attempt to find solutions to food insecurity and its contra-equivalent, undistributed food excess. He believes that to plant is to harvest, to harvest is to sustain life and food, and life is to be enjoyed by sharing it with others.

A teacher at heart, Daniel has studied art, photography, and graphic design since he was young, even co-founding a photography school back in Venezuela. A self-described nomad and jokester, he has worked on over 19 farms in 4 countries, and hopes to use these experiences to build a future homestead project. Habla español.

Lindsay saperstone, Development associate (she/her/ella)

Lindsay was born and raised in Colorado, and has spent time living in both Fort Collins and the Denver Metro Area, where she has strong roots in the food justice community. She has also spent time living in Portland, Oregon and outside the country in Chile, Peru and now Mexico, where she currently lives on a small ranch in Veracruz. 

In her varied career she has worked for nonprofits, local government, social enterprises and grassroots campaigns as a community organizer, program administrator and grant writer mostly in the fields of food systems and economic development.

Lindsay is is most passionate about food justice, immigrant justice and community wealth building. Outside of work she loves to spend time with all the animals on her ranch including cows, horses, chickens and her 3 dogs. She also loves to dance, sing karaoke, ride her bike, practice yoga, and cook. Habla español.

For development-related inquiries, contact our Development Director, Brooks, at brooks@sproutcityfarms.org.

 
 
 

Our 2023 seasonal team!

 
 

Board of Directors

 

Our Board of Directors is made up of passionate food access advocates from our community. We are actively seeking board candidates who bring new perspectives to our team!

Katy Rossiter, president & treasurer (she/her)

Katy is a Certified Public Accountant based in Denver.  While attending the University of Colorado Boulder, she was part of the Presidents Leadership Class and had an internship with the Community Foundation of Boulder County.  She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and began her career in public accounting with PricewaterhouseCoopers.  After nine years she moved on to industry and is currently the Corporate Controller at Northwood Investors.  Katy has spent her entire life in Colorado, loves being outside, and can most often be found at City Park.  She is very excited to be involved with Sprout City Farms.

Jordan Macknick, Vice President (he/him)

Jordan has a long history of working with the agricultural community on multiple angles of sustainability. In the past he worked in the Netherlands to develop joint venture partnerships among sustainable farmers, logistics companies, food processors, and retail establishments. In Minnesota, he worked for Windustry, an organization that facilitates education and discussions for farmers interested in wind energy. In his current role with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, he is working with farmers throughout the country to integrate solar energy into agricultural operations. Jordan has a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Environmental Science from Hamline University and a master’s degree in Environmental Science from Yale University.

Cindy Troy, secretary (she/her)

Cindy is a licensed attorney based in Denver, working in the technology and software industry. She has undergraduate degrees in Environmental Science and Philosophy from Villanova University, where she dedicated a great deal of her time to researching the outside factors that affect our soil. She worked in research labs throughout undergrad and at the Marine Biological Lab in Woods Hole, MA. Growing up in Austin, Texas, she has always been passionate about the environment, nature, and sustainability. She took a year and a half to teach English abroad in Prague and while doing so became very interested and connected to the slow food movement. Cindy's excited to be a part of the Sprout City Farms board and mission of bringing sustainable farming practices and urban agriculture to our local Denver communities.  

Daniel Gargan (he/him)

Dan is a Client Portfolio Manager at Great-West Financial in Denver. In his prior work, he has been involved in various start-ups focused on agricultural supply chains and sustainable farming practices. He received his MBA in The Netherlands from Tias School for Business and Society in 2008, and his bachelor’s degree in History with a minor in Environmental Policy from Colorado College. Dan loves the mission of Sprout City Farms and its positive impact on the local communities.

Rubea Stouppe (she/her)

Rubea is a passionate public sector professional and sustainable agriculture enthusiast. She currently works as a Program Analyst for FEMA in Region 8. Rubea completed her Master's in Public Administration from Indiana University's O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in 2018, where she focused on Nonprofit Management. While in graduate school, she worked part-time at the Bloomington Community Orchard in Bloomington, Indiana. She dedicates much of her free time to integrating into Denver's food justice and agriculture community. Rubea is a lover of all things food (growing food, fixing food systems, and eating good food) and a true nerd about fundraising and puzzles. Rubea is excited to share her knowledge, skills, and network with Sprout City Farms.

Mondi Mason (she/her)

Mondi is passionate about social justice and food access. For many years she worked closely with migrant farmworkers and community leaders in Colorado and other states to increase access to health care, transportation, and fresh foods. Currently, she works at the City and County of Denver’s Department of Public Health & Environment where for eight years she served as Food Policy Administrator. During that time, she partnered with community members and local organizations like SCF to develop, implement and evaluate efforts to increase access to fresh foods. Mondi is an applied anthropologist who is extensive experience in community-based participatory action. She has a doctorate in Health and Behavioral Sciences from the University of Colorado at Denver and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Northern Colorado.

Joe horton (he/him)

Joe is a multidisciplinary designer based in Denver. Throughout his career, Joe has worked with clients across various industries, including government agencies, food and beverage, hospitality, and nonprofits. He has worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver International Airport, Colorado Department of Human Services, the National Parks Services, and several Denver-area art initiatives, among others. In his free time, Joe is a passionate backyard gardener with a focus on sustainable practices, you can also find him at the climbing gym or exploring outside. Joe is excited to be on the board of Sprout City Farms, share and spread their mission, and participate in the communities the organization serves.

Tasha hill (they/them)

Tasha currently is working for the Denver District Attorney's Office as a Grant Administrator, supporting Victim's Rights, Diversion, and Cold Case programs. They have experience in grant writing, fundraising, communications and program development. Their career choices have been defined by service, capacity building, and empowerment. Before coming to the District Attorney's Office, Tasha was working as a caregiver in the Denver community and surrounding areas, helping people with different needs and abilities achieve independence in their everyday life. Tasha also has experience working in development positions at both Sprout City Farms and Denver Urban Gardens. Tasha is a creator at heart, and spends their free time writing, knitting, sewing, and collaging with their two cats.

 
 

DGS crew 2020.jpg

Thank you to our past staff!

  • MAP Community Farm: Farm Managers: Jordan Gorrell (2014-2016); Katie Huszcza (2016-2018); Noelle Trueheart (2019); Katie Falkenberg (2019-2020); Andréa Wilkins y Martínez (2021), Clara Burke (2022-2023)

  • DGS Community Farm: Farm Managers: Chad Hagedorn (2011); Meg Caley (2011-2018); Hannah Perez-Postman (2018); Charles Woodward (2018-2021); Lauren Pearce (2022)

  • Dahlia Campus Farm: Farm Managers: Faatma Mehrmanesh (2016); Renee Marcoux (2017—still Farm Manager, now on staff at MHCD!)

  • Jack’s Solar Farm: Brittany Staie, Kailey Littlehorn (2021); Eliza Paterson (2023)

  • Development: James Hale, 2011-2012 Development & Planning Coordinator; Alison Hatch, 2013-2015 Director of Development & Outreach; Laura Lavid, 2015-2017 Executive Director; Alisha Wenger, 2019 Development Coordinator; Tasha Hill, 2020-2021 Development & Outreach Coordinator

  • Outreach: Frank Afflitto, 2014 MAP Community Outreach Coordinator; Sara Santa Cruz, 2019 Program & Outreach Coordinator; Naveed Heydari, 2021 MAP Community Navigator; Stefan Karg, 2021-2022 Program Manager

  • Apprentices: Jamie Yeast (DGS), Renee Marcoux (MAP), John Bauman (MAP), Charles Woodward (DGS), Adam McClure (DGS), Jennifer Dennehy (MAP), Lauren Pearce (DGS), Katie Falkenberg (MAP), Ashley Garfias (MAP), Will Nichol (DGS), Carina Gaz (MAP)

  • Co-Founders: Chad Hagedorn, James Hale, and Meg Caley

Thank you to past board members!

  • Donna Baker-Breningstall

  • Ronda Belen, DGS parent

  • Neysa Bermingham

  • Jeff Buck, Denver Green School

  • Matt de Caussin

  • Matthew Chavkin

  • Giselle Diaz Campagna

  • Milan Doshi, Queen Anne B&B

  • Jim Dunn, Environmental Protection Agency

  • Tori Ford, Denver Urban Gardens

  • Jordan Fouts

  • Jessica George

  • Dan Goldhamer, Colorado State University Extension

  • Elaine Granata, Granata Farms

  • James Hale

  • Sandra Jalufka, CPA

  • Marijke Jongbloed, Rocky Mountain InstituteRyan Kaszycki, TIAA-CREF

  • Stephanie Krause, Natural Grocers

  • Jeni Lamb Rogers, PSL Law Group

  • Dr. Jill Litt, University of Colorado

  • Laurel Mattrey, Denver Public Schools

  • Dr. Tim Noe, University of Colorado

  • Elizabeth Poole Woodward, Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe

  • Sarah Roth, Colorado Academy of Family Physicians

  • Gloria Rubio-Cortes, National Civic League

  • Matthew Saks

  • Haley Sammen, Sunnyside Up Farm

  • Joe Sammen, Center for Health Progress

  • Daisha Versaw, Small Beans LLC

  • Jack Yeh, Turing School of Software and Design

  • Sasha Cueno, Checkr

  • Hillary Barrett-Osborne, Gates Corporation

  • Curran Hughes, Renegade Plastics

  • Rachel Cernansky, Vogue Magazine