A Letter from Brooke...

Hello friends,

Pitney Meadows has been a part of my life in one way or another for over 8 years and I couldn't be more excited to send you this note - this week my career and personal passions align as I join the Pitney team as Executive Director. For those whom I haven’t yet met, I look forward to meeting you on the farm soon! To those who have collaborated with me in various capacities at the farm, I’m so excited to continue our partnership and work together towards realizing the Pitney Meadows’ mission and vision.

As I join the team, I'd like to reintroduce myself to the vibrant community that forms the heart of this endeavor. Over the years, I've played diverse roles at Pitney Meadows – supporter, volunteer, consultant, and Board member – since its inception in 2016. From the very start, when I learned of the Pitney family's intent to convey this land to the community as a nonprofit venture, my commitment was sealed. Guided by my love of our natural world, community bonds, and this special corner of the world, I'm repeatedly drawn back to Pitney Meadows.

With nearly two decades of experience in transformative systems change initiatives, I bring a broad perspective to my role as Executive Director. I recognize the potential of Pitney Meadows to heal and sustain the land, our environment, and all who visit this invaluable community asset. The throughline of my career has been the honor of championing game-changing innovations and missions. My journey, stemming from time in fund development at the Harvard Kennedy School, encompasses roles such as contributing to the leadership of a national reproductive access organization across the Deep South, leading public relations and community engagement for NYS Medicaid Redesign, and most recently, overseeing the storytelling and brand management of a late-stage tech startup redirecting healthcare funds to community-based organizations.

Throughout, I've been dedicated to collaborating with teams reshaping entrenched systems. The older I grow, the more my own motherhood seeps deep into my bones, and the wider my lens becomes, I see the work happening at Pitney as a pivotal disruptor of our time. Together, we have the power to rebuild our soil, fortify community resilience by supporting our local food systems, and build a model for other communities, thereby addressing the challenges of our new climate reality. This shared purpose propels us forward and forges a new path towards a better future.

As I begin this new journey leading and learning from the extraordinary team at Pitney Meadows, I’m grounding my work in three big questions. My focus over the next year will be on incorporating these questions into our strategic work and investing in the incredible group of people who have proven they are willing, expert, and already moving the needle on this important work.

Can we build a model of regenerative community farming for others to adopt?
Can we create a model of sustainable food sovereignty that feeds people of all socioeconomic levels while simultaneously creating a safe and healthy working environment for our team?
Can we meaningfully connect members of society who don’t ordinarily work, celebrate, or learn together, thereby making our community more inclusive and representative?

I want to thank everyone who has established and moved the organization to this exciting moment. Years of vision, hard physical work, unbelievable generosity, collaboration on and off the farm, and thoughtful experimentation by volunteers, former staff, Board members past and present, community supporters, and stakeholders have positioned Pitney Meadows Community Farm for impact. Without you, we simply would not be here. I’d like to offer a special thank you to the entire Pitney family. The amount of trust given to our community to steward your land is the ultimate gift. I commit to honoring this trust and past efforts by doing everything possible to shape a healthy and sustainable organization where all are valued.

This work excites me to my core, and I look forward to engaging you in this work, sharing our collective joy in celebrations on the land, and moving Pitney Meadows through its next season of renewal.

In partnership,

Brooke