Wendy and Asher Burkhart-Spiegel and their daughters Klara and Astrid are happy to be in Central New York, operating a farm that is open to the community and helping to increase availability of fresh, local, sustainably grown produce in the region. Wendy and Asher were the farm managers at the Poughkeepsie Farm Project from 2003-2012. Before that, they managed a CSA in Madbury, NH for two growing seasons while finishing their degrees in Environmental Conservation at the University of New Hampshire. Wendy and Asher purchased Common Thread Farm in 2012 from Chris Babis and Amy Brown, who established Common Thread Community Farm in 2008.
Wendy grew up on a dairy farm in New Hampshire and has farmed and gardened in a variety of settings, including a pick-your-own strawberry farm, a garden center, pecan orchards in Georgia, a homestead in Maine, a public flower garden, a 10 acre organic vegetable farm, and in the gardens of herbalist mentors. Asher grew up in suburban Philadelphia and was pursuing a sociology degree when the organic garden at the community where he was completing a civil rights related internship caught his attention. He has worked on farms ever since, primarily in vegetable production although he has tried his hand at pruning apples, milking cows, and university based agricultural research.
Packard Haynes
Packard Haynes has been the Crew Leader and Harvest Manager at the farm for several years. He is responsible for leading the crew in harvest operations and many other daily projects. As a leader, Packard seeks to create a work atmosphere that is fun and enjoyable while maintaining goal-oriented productivity. He believes in celebrating good-natured work and self-actualization through manual labor. In his free time he enjoys painting, playing Magic: the Gathering and guzzling weird books. He is dedicated to making produce affordable and accessible, maintaining and caring for the land and local ecosystems, and using his knowledge of food production to aid in the deconstruction of Capitalism. If he was a vegetable he would be a big pumpkin.
Megan Slater
Megan joined Common Thread as a bookkeeper in 2021. She has an MBA in Finance and Accounting from Utica College and loves bookkeeping and anything organizational. She works in the insurance industry. In her spare time, Megan is chasing after her son and spending time with him outside. They enjoy berry picking, apple picking, hay rides and all of the exciting adventures our area has to offer. Megan and her family are huge animal lovers and have two Siamese cats who require a lot of love and attention. Megan loves to cook and bake and experiment with new ingredients and recipes. She has a great appreciation for food and is trying to teach her young son about the importance of agriculture and farm fresh foods.
Zoë Creason
Zoë has been at Common Thread for 3 and a half years seasons now and is the Greenhouse Manager as well as the Wash and Pack Manager. She has discovered a love for driving tractors, mowing, and native plants at the farm. Zoë believes in working with the environment to produce healthy, good food that is accessible to all. In her free time, she enjoys taking her dog Luna on adventures; whether that’s hiking through the woods or out on the water with a paddle board. Zoë also loves to read, to collage (shout out to Haley for showing her this new hobby), and is a true crime fanatic. She is always ready to tell anyone about a true crime case whether they want to hear it or not. She is thankful to work with all her wonderful crew members, the opportunity to learn more about agriculture and plants, and to just work outside in beautiful CNY. If Zoë were a vegetable, she would be a head of magenta lettuce.
Haley Tietz
Haley returns to Common Thread this year as the assistant field manager. On the farm Haley finds satisfaction in creating efficient systems, repairing and maintaining tractors, and fraternizing with the perennial herbs. Outside of work you may find them knitting, doing collage, sewing, or reading science fiction with a cat on their lap. If they were a vegetable, they would be fennel.
Dinah Gilbert
Dinah is the assistant harvest manager at Common Thread with three years of experience in agriculture. They see their work as a way to facilitate the harmony between the physical and spiritual well being of the land and the people that inhabit it. On the weekends you’ll witness them reading, enjoying nature, and spending time with family and friends. Dinah was a vegetable they would be a parsnip.
Mary Strong
Mary was raised on Long Island and Massena NY her dad was with the New York State parks Commission, so as a youngster she spent much of her time in nature. Mary spent many years in administrative positions in various manufacturers in CNY – with continued layoffs within the various industries Mary is now a Substitute Teacher and works weekends at Colgate University Library and has been on the Common Thread farm crew for a few years. Mary enjoys spending time with her pony, 6 dogs (4 foster – 2 of her own) and her cat Zevon. Mary has a small garden at her home and has about 50 house plants. Mary enjoys paddle boarding and watching the trees dance in the wind.
Jessie Stark
Jessie is new to vegetable farming, having joined the crew last fall. She is a professional musician, teaches violin, and currently plays in Sax Fiddle Sax Fusion Band and the Hamilton Village Quartet as well as being a mom of two.
Klara Burkhart-Spiegel
Klara just finished her first year at Skidmore College studying geoscience and environmental science. She loves anything that involves the outdoors and is very excited to learn more about the behind-the-scenes of her parents’ farm this summer. Outside of work, Klara loves dancing, cooking and baking, and staring at the moon. If she were a vegetable, she would be an orange bell pepper.
Josue Estuardo Perez Marroquin
Josue joins us for a second season from Nueva Concepcion, Guatemala, near the Pacific Ocean. He has worked on a large sugar cane farm, with papayas, bananas, tobacco, plantains and chili peppers. His favorite vegetable is potatoes.
Luis Perez Marroquin
Luis, Josue’s brother, joined us from Nueva Conception, Guatemala a couple of weeks ago and we’re enjoying his sunny disposition! He has worked in construction and on a tobacco farm in the past. His favorite fruits are grapes and strawberries and he enjoys soccer.
Manuel Cortez Hernandez
Manuel is a friend of Josue and Luis from Nueva Conception. He has worked on a tobacco farm and a farm that grows corn. He enjoys soccer and his favorite vegetable is potatoes.
Astrid Burkhart-Spiegel
Astrid is a rising junior at Hamilton Central School and loves to dance, currently on the competition team at Werk, the Studio where her favorite dance style is contemporary. She helps out with the on farm distribution and with box packing during the summers.