ABOUT US

TEAM

Geoffrey Berger, Chief Executive Officer

Geoff brings to FarmPlate all the things he learned at Harvard Business School as well as demonstrated leadership capabilities and more than 20 years of executive management experience. He is goal-oriented, disciplined and success-driven with a proven ability to lead others in a consultative, results-oriented manner.

“FarmPlate represents a unique opportunity to harness the power of technology to create discovery and build collaboration among entrepreneurial food producers and every one of us who cares about the food on our plates.”

Kim Werner, Founder

Kim’s early years were flat out nomadic. By the time she was 12, Kim had lived in six different countries and was enrolled in her twelfth school. While journeying through Greece, Italy, France, England and the Caribbean, she was exposed to traditional methods of cultivating foods and experienced the slow, simple rituals of preparing and enjoying foods of the region and the season. This early exposure led to a career editing cookbooks. To date, she has contributed to more than two dozen books, including the Joy of Cooking (1997).

“I founded FarmPlate for one simple reason: I want to make sustainable foods everyday foods.”

Eric Werner, Founder

Eric got involved in the farm-to-table movement well before “sustainable food” became a catchphrase. As a kid in upstate New York, Eric and his brother tended the backyard raspberry patch then sold their harvest to the local IGA. After college, Eric ventured into the restaurant business where he received his education in reality. Today, he wears corporate and volunteer hats assisting small businesses and non-profits with their financial challenges.

“I’m convinced that FarmPlate will offer the tools critical to overcoming many of the challenges that face farmers and other members of the sustainable foods community. If we all work together to share ideas and resources, the movement’s success is inevitable.”

Susan Stuck, Content Director

Susan has worked in and around food for nearly 30 years. She studied classic French cooking in Paris and ran a catering business there. After returning to the U.S., she helped develop a number of healthy cookbooks for Time-Life and Eating Well. Today, she writes about food and nutrition for a successful healthy lifestyle website.

“It was in France where I first began to understand the importance of terroir— that unique relationship between the taste of food and the place it comes from. I’m thrilled that this vital connection is being celebrated by FarmPlate.”

Emily Morgan, Web Editor

Emily was surrounded by local foods growing up in upstate New York, where she learned that the corn growing on the outskirts of her town should be "knee high by the fourth of July." After attending Kenyon College in rural Ohio, Emily moved to New York City to work as a writer and editor for the websites ePodunk and Muckety. Emily uses the trial-and-error method of cooking in her apartment's tiny kitchen, and frequents the ever-changing landscape of New York restaurants.

“By creating a user-friendly, extensive online community, FarmPlate will make it possible for busy people to get easy access to the best food available in their area and will bring advanced online technology to the farms that need it.”

Kelly Park, Webmaster

Web developer and designer Kelly Park has been integral to the online presence of a number of forward-thinking Vermont small businesses. He has been a key player in the architecture and building of a custom forecasting and ecommerce platform for Ibex Outdoor Clothing, a manufacturer of Merino wool and organic cotton sportswear. The content management system he created for artisan foods purveyor Alléchante includes a dynamic menu creation feature.

“There’s so much going on business-wise in the hills and hollows of Vermont. It’s a great place to be.”

Heather Pringle, Office Coordinator

Heather is new to the world of sustainable foods, but has quickly developed a passion for the movement and a desire to promote it. A recent graduate of New York University, she has five years of experience in development, marketing and administration.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of FarmPlate—we have an opportunity to truly improve people’s lives, and it’s wonderful to work toward that goal.”

COLLABORATORS

Michael Stoner

A pioneer in integrating marketing, communications and technology, Michael has three decades of experience and a special interest in developing Internet/web/social media strategies. He has a lifelong interest in food and spent a good part of his early career working for Rodale Press. He is a founder of Sustainable Woodstock, a nonprofit focused on building a robust, mixed local economy and community around green principles.

"I've spent much of my life seeking out foods from small growers and producers. For me, FarmPlate is the opportunity to combine my passion for sustainable food and my professional experience in delivering easy-to-use, satisfying online solutions."

Dave Urbani

A mechanical engineer by education and a high-level financial executive by trade, Dave recently retired from Citrix Systems, a multinational software company that specializes in virtualization and remote access. He’s dedicated to helping structure FarmPlate as a viable, sustainable operation.

“To work with a start-up to build something brand-new resonates with the engineer in me. It’s gratifying to contribute to an organization that, despite its size, has a large and important vision.”

Schuyler Wickes

Schuyler was working as a strategic consultant to restaurant and packaged goods clients when his love of cooking led him back to school. In 2006, he received an Executive Masters in Restaurant Management from Cornell University. Now, as a hands-on owner of a specialty sandwich shop, he is well aware of the quality benefits and importance of supporting local farmers.

“Having spent many summers in Vermont, I just assumed everyone knew the pleasure of really fresh produce and local foods. Now that I’m in the business, I live this every day. There’s no reason why others can’t too–FarmPlate will make sure of that.”