Program Coordinators
Marlee Giacometti | American Farmland Trust
Women and Non-binary in Vegetable and Small Fruit
Marlee is a program associate for American Farmland Trust’s Midwest Team. Most of her work focuses on crop diversification efforts in the Midwest. She promotes sound farming practices and provides technical assistance to farmers interested in growing perennial bioenergy crops across the region. Before joining AFT, Marlee worked in the biofuels industry as an environmental compliance coordinator and completed a 2- year farm management apprenticeship on a diversified vegetable and livestock farm in Massachusetts. Marlee holds a BS in conservation & environmental science from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is an alumni of AmeriCorps NCCC Atlantic Region Class 21.
Kate Holcomb | USDA Northeast Climate Hub + University of Maine
Diversified Agriculture and Agroforestry
Kate has worked in agriculture for more than a decade, including founding and operating a year-round rooftop aquaponics greenhouse. She earned her B.A. from UMass Amherst and an MBA from the University of Southern Maine, where she focused on sustainability in small food businesses. Her work in farming prioritizes community education, grounded in the belief that a strong connection between the farm and the community makes local food systems more resilient.
Hannah Aitken | University of Maine
Assistant Program Coordinator, Diversified Agriculture and Agroforestry
Hannah has worked in agriculture for over 12 years and is currently the manager at Burnt Rock Farm, an organic vegetable operation in Vermont. She earned her B.A. at the University of Vermont in Environmental Studies, where she focused on education and local food systems. Hannah has worked for non-profit gardening and farming organizations and at the University of Vermont’s Extension both as a research assistant and as the project coordinator for the pilot version of the current CAMF program. She has also spent several seasons working in Antarctica supporting science, logistics and expeditions.
Kristin Benson | USDA Northeast Climate Hub
Dairy
Kristin grew up as a 4-H kid in a dairy farming family in Gorham, Maine. She became passionate about agricultural sustainability and received her Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from the University of Southern Maine. With a background in Cooperative Extension and farm management, she went back to school to find ways to better support farmers as they transition to climate smart practices. Kristin completed her Master’s from Cornell University in Global Development, having concentrated in International Agriculture and Rural Development. Today Kristin works to support farmer’s economic and environmental sustainability in Maine and beyond. She is passionate about farmer-centered education, resource conservation, and agroecology.