Sarah Newkirk
Farm Director | she/her
Sarah manages the farm’s interwoven objectives: sustainable farming, community engagement, and education. Her favorite flower is a black knight scabiosa, and her favorite vegetable to grow is garlic! Sarah’s hobbies include basking in the sun near any body of water, baking chocolate chip cookies, and following her dog Mabel through the woods.
Emily Leeser
Education Director | she/her
Emily Leeser co-leads Osamequin’s Intern and Apprenticeship programs over the summer as well as developing additional educational programming for Osamequin. Her favorite vegetable is okra, and she enjoys bird watching and trail clearing on the weekends in the farm’s forest.
Gracie McCurn
Educator and Grower | she/her
Gracie co-leads Osamequin’s Intern and Apprenticeship program and also works in the flower and vegetable gardens. Gracie has been farming for 7ish years. In her spare time she enjoys being outside, dabbling in ceramics, and spending quality time with her cat.
Annie Munro
Sales and field support | they/them
Annie helps with Market Mobile orders and deliveries, the farm stand, and other odds and ends on the farm. When they’re not working at Osamequin, they’re working on their master’s degree in Entomology. They love giant mugs of tea, going for long hikes in the woods with their dog Dexter, and finding cool bugs~
Anders Newkirk
Facilities and Equipment | he/him
Anders tackles tractor work and machine maintenance around the farm, along with stepping in to help with whatever needs hands on his days off from The Compost Plant. He enjoys tinkering with engines, playing with the cats, and watching the rain.
Board of Directors:
Debbie Block
Board chair | she/her
Debbie Block lives in Seekonk and has walked trails and picked blueberries over many years and is now delighted to serve on the board of directors for Osamequin Farm. A professional arts administrator and wedding celebrant, Debbie is an avid gardener, biker and quilter who, along with her husband Bill Harley, has raised two sons and a number of unruly dogs in their old farmhouse. While impossible to choose a favorite flower or vegetable she will admit to being overcome by the dahlias.
Andrew Jencks
Vice Chair | he/him
Andrew spent summers as a child at the farm when his grandparents lived there, and his hope is that the organization will continue to grow and broaden its offerings to benefit the community. Andrew is very concerned about maintaining the ecology of the farm to support a chemical-free environment. He loves working on the farm, especially when there’s equipment involved, and he loves stone walls and working in the woods. Andrew’s favorite vegetable is asparagus and his favorite flower are the ladyslippers that grow in the forest.
Eva Agudelo
Secretary | she/her
Eva has worked with beginning farmers, restaurants, retailers, farmers markets, nonprofits, and hunger relief agencies to improve community food security and bring about a food system that works for everyone. Eva started the National Incubator Farm Training Initiative through the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project; served as a FINI (now GusNIP) program officer at Wholesome Wave, supporting incentive programs at farmers markets across the US; and most recently was the Assistant Director of Programs at the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, administering federal nutrition programs and supporting Rhode Island’s statewide network of food pantries and meal sites. Eva founded Hope’s Harvest in 2018 to mobilize volunteers to harvest and distribute surplus food from local farms to hunger relief agencies. As of 2022, Hope’s Harvest is a program of Farm Fresh RI and includes farm-based food recovery, contracting with growers, and surplus purchasing — all for the purpose of serving the emergency food system. She holds an M.S. from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and is a former member of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council (RIFPC)
David Spencer
Treasurer | he/him
David grew up in Seekonk and moved back to town in 1993. He and his wife, Lisa, have four adult children and have been very active in the community over the years. He is a local business owner and holds both an undergraduate and MBA degree from Bryant University. David is an avid golfer, hiker and nature photographer. David has a passion for environmental causes and conservation and also volunteers for the Audubon Society of Rhode Island.
Joao Tavares
Board Member | he/him
Joao is an avid gardener who just started his 5th growing season. He currently rents a garden plot at the Helfand Farm Community Gardens (HFCG) in Dartmouth, MA and prior to gardening at HFCG he rented a plot at the Galego Community Farm in Pawtucket, RI (his hometown). His favorite vegetables are kale and sweet potatoes!
Martha Torrance
Board Member | she/her
Martha has been a vegetable and flower gardener in Seekonk for many years. Her day job is as an Organization Development Consultant, doing team and leadership development, strategic planning, mediation, and coaching in New England and internationally. Since 2020, she has worked as a facilitator with the Osamequin Board to focus on the Mission, Vision, Goals, Roles, and Procedures. She looks forward to continuing to assist the Farm with its creative and exciting Mission as a Board member.
Martha readily admits that she is a dahlia addict, but she also sings the praises of the much less fussy and beautiful Zinnia. And how about those August tomatoes!!
Stephen Jencks
Board member | he/him
Stephen Jencks is a recent resident of the farm. Every morning he wakes up, looks out in wonder at the trees and feels lucky. His favorite activity is working outdoors with his brother Andrew.
Roberta Groch
Board Member | she/her
Roberta lives in Rhode Island and works as an urban planner. She was a volunteer and Board member for the Southside Community Land Trust in Providence for seventeen years and is passionate about helping people grow food organically. She loves beets and sunflowers.
Alex Papo
Board Member | he/him
Alex Papo is an Architectural Historian who lives in a 300 year old farmhouse close to Osamequin Farm. Alex enjoys learning about how historic daily life practices can marry into modern sustainability practices. He applies this mind set when working professionally and while working on his own home. Alex is excited to be a board member and help out the farm in the ways he can. In his free time, Alex enjoys taking care of his old house and taking rides on his motorcycle.