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 The Seed Was Planted…

From Humble Beginnings

In 2002, after seeing a plea from the Flemington Area FoodPantry requesting that local gardeners donate surplus produce, Chip Paillex and his daughter Kyra, who was four years old at the time, happily gave the excess vegetables they cultivated from their family garden to the food pantry. That year Chip donated 120 pounds of fresh produce from his home garden to the food pantry.

When Chip saw the need for fresh fruits and vegetables at local food pantries, he became inspired to grow more produce to feed the hungry. Today, Grow-a-Row is a thriving 501(c)(3) nonprofit with 423 acres over four farm locations that donates farm fresh produce to feeding organizations across the nation and educates people facing food insecurity by teaching them how to eat healthy. In addition, we are a Volunteer Destination Center with more than 14,000 volunteers harvesting on the farm each year.

Chip Kyra 2002
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Young Learner on the Farm
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We believe EVERYONE should have access
to fresh food for healthy living.

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Farm

Meet the Team.

Board of Trustees

Melody Culton LI

Melody Culton

Chair

Greg Johnson

Gregory Johnson

Vice Chair
Ron Kazel

Ron Kazel

Treasurer
Paige Meade Gonzalez

Paige Meade-Gonzales

Secretary

Philippe Beekman

Phil Beekman

Trustee
Michael Beneduce

Mike Beneduce

Trustee
Jerry Walker

Jerry Walker

Trustee
Juliana Drinane LI

Juliana Drinane

Trustee

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Josh Decktor

Trustee

Chip

Chip Paillex

Trustee
Crystal Rose LI

Crystal Rose

Trustee
Fabian Rojas Valley

Fabian Rojas

Trustee
Julie Pentz. Headshot 2026 BOT

Julie Pentz

Trustee

tractor with farm scene

Meet our Staff.

Staff

Chip

Chip Paillex

President & Founder
Dan

Dan Dietz

Chief Financial Officer
Tristan Wallack.square

Tristan Wallack

VP of Programming & Operations
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Jackie Etter

Sr. Director of Development & Marketing

Jeremy Compton

Jeremy Compton

Director of Farm Management Operations
Marc O1

Marc Wirasnik

Director of Facilities, Crop Production & Distribution
Shaunasquare

Shauna Alvarez

Associate Director of Community Impact

Jacqui Witte square

Jacqui Witte

Field Team & Special Projects Manager
Connie Millersquare

Connie Miller

Volunteer & Database Manager
Sue daCosta

Sue daCosta

Finance & Administrative Manager
Erica. Headshot. Website. max crop

Erica Stevenson

Marketing Manager

Rachel

Rachel Buffa

CSR Relations Manager

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Kyra Thomas

Grant Manager

Tim 1

Tim Vogel

Corporate Relations Manager
01 Holly. Headshot 2025 CROP final scaled

Holly Westra

Grant Writer

Jess Huber square

Jess Huber

Programming Specialist –  Education and Volunteers

Kristen Senutosquare

Kristen Senuto

Programming & Volunteer Specialist

Craigsquare

Craig Smith

Programming Associate – Volunteers

Paco

Fransisco Enriquez

Fruit & Vegetable Technician
Chadsquare

Chad Miller

Equipment Operator & Fruit & Vegetable Technician
Kylesquare

Kyle Tomkins

Equipment Operator & Fruit and Vegetable Technician
Marietta

Marietta Avila

Fruit and Vegetable Technician
Jose.square

Jose Enriquez

Fruit & Vegetable Technician
Mark C Headshot

Mark Cantarella

Equipment Operator & Fruit & Vegetable Technician
Babou

Babou Diallo

Custodian

Trust & Transparency

America’s Grow-a-Row Awards.

Don’t take our word for it…see the many organizations who have recognized our work.
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Chip Paillex

President & Founder

Chip Paillex, President and Founder, started America’s Grow-a-Row as a private garden project in 2002. He formally converted his efforts into a fully operational, farming non-profit program in 2008.  As a result of his personal accomplishments with America’s Grow-a-Row, Chip has received numerous volunteer and community service awards.  In 2010, he was publicly recognized as a New Jersey Hero at the New Jersey Governor Inaugural Swearing In Ceremony for Governor Chris Christie.  In 2011, Chip was appointed by Governor Christie to the New Jersey Hunger Prevention Advisory Committee.  In 2014, he was nationally recognized with both the CNN Hero and the Ford Motor Company Go Further Everyday Hero awards. In 2015, Chip was invited to be a TEDx Morristown Presenter and in 2016 he was a Farm Credit 100 Fresh Perspectives Honoree.

Prior to making America’s Grow-a-Row his full-time endeavor, Chip spent 17 years in Sales and Marketing and Customer Development for North American Unilever Foods Corporation.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing from Kutztown University and studied abroad at Buckinghamshire College in the United Kingdom. Chip is an Eagle Scout and an ordained Deacon of the Presbyterian Church, and he enjoys hiking, camping, running, surf casting at the Jersey shore, and spending time with his family.

Dan Dietz

Chief Financial Officer

Dan joined the America’s Grow-a-Row staff as Chief Financial Officer in June 2019. He was thrilled at the opportunity to utilize his professional background and give back in a volunteer capacity. Dan gained extensive finance experience while working with Chemtrade as Group Vice President and at General Chemical in several other leadership positions. Prior to spending 21 years working for Chemtrade and General Chemical, Dan began his career at Mobil Chemical as a Process Engineer. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Corporate Accounting from the University of Rochester. Dan is an Eagle Scout, and he enjoys traveling, being outdoors, and spending time with his family.   

Tristan Wallack

Vice President of Programming and Operations

Tristan joined America’s Grow-a-Row in February 2020. His responsibilities include overseeing all education programs; all produce distribution programs locally, regionally, and nationally, the volunteer program, and Human Resources.

Tristan earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communication at the University of New Hampshire, where he also gained his appreciation for the outdoors. Prior to joining America’s Grow-a-Row, Tristan spent nearly 11 years at the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, the state’s largest hunger relief organization, where he served as Director of Food Sourcing and Distribution. Before that, he worked in various managerial roles in the for-profit industry, including in outside sales, inside sales, and marketing.

In his free time, Tristan enjoys playing volleyball, hiking, skiing, jogging, biking, fishing, reading, and spending time with his wife and three cats. In addition, Tristan is a longtime Board Trustee of the Franklin Food Bank and served five years as their Board Vice President.

Jackie Etter

Senior Director of Development and Marketing

Jackie returned to America’s Grow-a-Row as Senior Director of Development and Marketing in September 2024.  Jackie’s responsibilities include leading all aspects of fundraising, development and marketing programs.  Jackie had been a prior member of the AGAR staff from 2008 to 2012 as VP of Development and later as Board Chair of AGAR from 2012 to 2017. Jackie is thrilled to return to her roots on the America’s Grow-a-Row staff. 

Jackie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Economics from Seton Hall University and an Executive MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.  Prior to returning to America’s Grow-a-Row, Jackie spent nearly 7 years at Grace Church Bethlehem in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania as Executive Director where she helped to create and grow a new religious non-profit organization.   Jackie also worked at the Acorn Montessori School in Clinton Township, NJ where she was the Director of Admissions and interim Head of School.  Jackie started her career at AT&T in Basking Ridge, NJ where she was a Director of Product Marketing in Consumer Long Distance.   

Jackie was born and raised in Hunterdon County, NJ and competed extensively as an equestrian.  Jackie enjoys traveling with her husband and spending time outdoors with her family and animals.  Jackie and Gary have three amazing young adult children – Marissa, Bryan and Addison.  Jackie remains an active Elder and Chair of the Finance Committee at Grace Church Bethlehem.   

Jeremy Compton

Director of Farm Management Operations

Jeremy joined the America’s Grow-a-Row staff in November 2014 as Director of Farm Management Operations. Jeremy was born in Flemington, NJ and at the age of 7 moved with his family to Wisconsin, where they became dairy farmers. After 7 years of dairy farming, the Comptons moved back to Flemington, and at the age of 17 Jeremy started working part-time at the Rutgers Snyder Research and Extension Farm in Pittstown. After graduating from high school, Jeremy began working at Snyder Farm full-time. He was responsible for maintaining all of the tree fruit research at the farm. In addition to collecting and analyzing all of the data, Jeremy planted, pruned, and trained all of the tree fruit. He also helped train and educate other commercial New Jersey farmers about different tree fruit techniques and methods. In January 2003, after 10 years of service, Jeremy left Snyder Farm to dedicate his full attention to Peaceful Valley Orchards. 

Marc Wirasnik

Director of Facilities, Crop Production & Distribution

Marc joined the America’s Grow-a-Row staff in March 2015 as Farm Equipment Operator and Grounds Manager. Marc studied Agriculture Business Development and Equine Science at Morrisville State College and has had over 10 years of farming experience. He began spending time on our Pittstown farm at the age of 12. Marc has traveled throughout North America showing draft horses. 

Shauna Alvarez

Assoc. Director of Community Impact (Executive Chef)

Shauna joined America’s Grow-a-Row in February 2020 as Executive Chef and Programming Lead. Shauna graduated from Brown University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and from The Culinary School at the Art Institute of Philadelphia with a Baking and Pastry Certificate. Prior to joining America’s Grow-a-Row, Shauna was a Nutrition Educator at Maine SNAP-Ed, teaching people at all ages and stages of their lives how to shop, cook, and eat well on a budget. Before shifting her focus to public health, Shauna worked as a pastry chef in Philadelphia for 10 years.

Shauna loves to read, garden, and spends a lot of time exploring the outdoors with her three kids and husband.

Jacqui Witte

Field Team and Special Projects Manager

After volunteering with America’s Grow-a-Row’s Farm to Fork event in 2015, Jacqui continued to volunteer in the fields before joining the staff in September 2015 as a Program Associate. Jacqui is now the Field Team and Special Projects Manager, and her responsibilities include managing the field team, organizing and running volunteer events, attending networking events, and assisting with operations. 

Jacqui has always had a desire to help others and she is passionate about health and wellness. In her free time, Jacqui enjoys spending time with her kids, walking, house projects, and exploring new places.

Connie Miller

Volunteer and Database Manager

Connie has been active with America’s Grow-a-Row as a volunteer and supporter since 2003 and joined the staff in 2016. Her responsibilities include scheduling volunteer groups, leading volunteer groups, and serving as system administrator.  

Connie graduated from Montclair State University with a degree in Business Administration, had a career in information technology, raised a family, and went back to school to become a registered nurse. She thoroughly enjoys working at America’s Grow-a-Row and for the people we serve. She also enjoys spending time with her family, raising sheep on their farm, traveling, and hiking. 

Sue daCosta

Finance and Administration Manager

Sue began as a volunteer at America’s Grow-a-Row in 2010 prior to joining the team in 2015. Her Finance and Administration experience comes from 20+ years in various positions at EDS, Microsoft and Acorn Montessori School.

“After almost 10 years, I’m still thrilled to be part of this team!”

When Sue isn’t at AGAR, she loves spending time with her family and enjoys travel and cooking/baking.

Erica Stevenson

Marketing Manager

Erica joined America’s Grow-a-Row in 2020 as a Programming Associate, leading volunteers in the fields during harvest events. She later expanded her role to include social media and communications, developing engaging content to connect with supporters and share AGAR’s mission. In her current role as Marketing Manager on the development team, Erica creates engaging campaigns and content that raise awareness of AGAR’s mission and inspire supporters to take action.

Erica earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behavior from Rutgers University. She was an active member of Rutgers’ Club Gymnastics team, serving as the club’s president her senior year. Erica went on to coach competitive gymnastics for 5 years before joining AGAR full time. 

Rachel Buxbaum

CSR Relations Manager

Rachel joined America’s Grow-a-Row as the Manager of CSR Relations in February of 2024. She fell in love with the organization after visiting the farm as a volunteer. Rachel is enthusiastic about fostering relationships with our corporate partners through our volunteer program, Pennies for Produce, and other cause marketing efforts. Prior to her role at America’s Grow-a-Row, she worked in marketing and development, finding her purpose in partnering with nonprofits.

“When I came to volunteer, I was inspired by how the actions of one person can affect so many. I hope to leave a similar impact on the world.” 

Rachel is on a mission to visit as many national parks as possible and in addition to food insecurity, is passionate about animals with two rescue dogs of her own.

Kyra Thomas

Grant Manager

Kyra joined America’s Grow-a-Row as Grant Manager in October of 2025. Kyra manages our grant program as part of our development team in order to support the mission of AGAR.

Kyra earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History from the University of Richmond and a Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Prior to joining the team at America’s Grow-a-Row, Kyra spent 6 years at GRACE Church Bethlehem as their Discipleship Pastor specializing in developing their Young Adult ministry and preaching and teaching to adults of all ages. Kyra began her career in on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. working in a congressional office followed by time in the private sector in data analytics and polling.
 
Outside of work, Kyra loves to create relatable content on TikTok, hang out with her two cats, and spend time with her family and friends trying new restaurants and traveling.

Tim Vogel

Corporate Relations Manager

Tim joined the America’s Grow-a-Row staff in the spring of 2021 as Corporate Relations Manager. Previously he spent 12 years at the Community FoodBank of New Jersey as the Director of Food Sourcing. Prior to that, Tim spent 30 years at Wakefern Food Corp. in a variety of management positions, retiring in 2008. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration from William Paterson University and is a US Army veteran. Tim enjoys birding, hiking, and traveling. He and his wife Sandy live in Denville, New Jersey and enjoy being grandparents.

Holly Westra

Grant Writer

Holly has been involved with America’s Grow-a-Row for over 10 years, volunteering with her family, her classroom, and her church. Continuing her interest in serving others and contributing to her community, she joined the AGAR team in 2025 as a grant writer.
 
As a graduate from Lafayette College, Holly earned degrees in English and American Civilization before going on to earn an MBA in Marketing  from Lehigh University. She spent over 10 years working for Crayola in Marketing, working on crayons, Duty Free Items and Educational Programs, such as Dr. Crayola. She switched gears to teaching when her two children were born, and continues to volunteer her time teaching watercolor classes to the elderly.
 
When she’s not found writing grants, Holly enjoys gardening, painting, hikes with her husband, visits with her children and walks with friends.

Jess Huber

Programming Specialist - Education & Volunteers

Jess joined America’s Grow-a-Row in April 2020 as a Programming Associate. Some of her responsibilities include leading volunteer groups in the fields, on- and off-the-field education, and leading Grow-a-Row Kids Farm Days. Prior to joining the America’s Grow-a-Row staff, she worked at Valley Crest Farm and Preserve, where she was the Office Manager, oversaw the CSA, and frequently assisted the farmers. Jess was a teacher at a local preschool for 8 years. She graduated from Raritan Valley Community College in 2019 with an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts, and earned her Bachelor of Science in Environment Policy, Institutions, and Behavior from Rutgers University in 2022.  She has a strong foundation in understanding the complex dynamics between environmental issues and societal behaviors and solutions to environmental, health, and food issues.

In her free time, Jess enjoys hiking, taking her dogs for walks, and reading.

Kristen Senuto

Programming & Volunteer Specialist

Kristen joined America’s Grow-a-Row in May 2023 as a Programming Associate. Some of her responsibilities include leading volunteer groups in the fields and assisting with Grow-a-Row Kids Farm Days. She has previously worked as a camp counselor and student teacher, where she gained experience being a positive role-model to children and teaching students about food systems. She enjoys gardening, reading, and spending time with family and friends. She recently graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Food Systems.

Craig Smith

Programming Associate – Volunteers

Craig joined the America’s Grow-a-Row staff in the summer of 2019 as a Seasonal Programming Associate. Prior to joining the staff, Craig was a volunteer for our Free Farm Market program. In his free time, Craig coordinates a free community breakfast at The Liberty Bell Church in Allentown, PA. Craig also enjoys biking, hiking, and going to Phillies baseball games with his wife Sharon.

Francisco Enriquez

Fruit & Vegetable Technician

Francisco (Paco) is a member of our farm team as a Fruit and Vegetable Technician. His favorite place to be at our farm is in the orchard. Paco takes great pride in helping our team to produce high quality produce and growing what we consider to be some of the biggest peaches around!

Chad Miller

Equipment Operator & Fruit & Vegetable Technician

Chad joined the America’s Grow-a-Row staff in March 2023 as an Equipment Operator and Fruit and Vegetable Technician. Chad grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, where he gained many years of experience growing hay and operating equipment. Chad maintains the fields and equipment at our farm. 

Kyle Tomkins

Equipment Operator and Fruit and Vegetable Technician

Kyle joined the America’s Grow-a-Row staff in January 2022 as an Equipment Operator and Fruit and Vegetable Technician. Kyle grew up in Hope, New Jersey and has worked in agriculture for over 10 years. At the farm, Kyle enjoys operating the tractor and keeping the fields mowed. 

Kyle is a nature enthusiast and hopes to retire to a cabin in the woods someday.

Marietta Avila

Fruit and Vegetable Technician

Marietta is a seasonal member of our farm team in the role of Fruit and Vegetable Technician. She is happy to be a part of America’s Grow-a-Row knowing that all of the produce that she nurtures will be going to families who are need of fresh, healthy produce. 

Jose Enriquez

Fruit & Vegetable Technician

Jose joined the America’s Grow-a-Row farm team in the summer of 2020 as a Fruit and Vegetable Technician. He grew up working on his father’s farm in Guatemala, where he gained many years of experience growing and harvesting produce. Jose’s favorite task on the farm is planting, because he knows what is grown will end up on the tables of people who need it most. He is proud to serve his community and make a difference.

Mark Cantarella

Equipment Operator & Fruit & Vegetable Technician

Mark Cantarella joined the America’s Grow-a-Row team in January of 2024. Mark specializes in fruit production and has many years of experience in agriculture where his responsibilities included growing, harvesting, packaging, and shipping fruits and vegetables, and maintaining fruit and nut trees. Mark earned a B.S. in Horticulture from Delaware Valley College and after, spent 32 years as a supervisor at Rutgers Fruit Research Center. 

Mark admires the purpose and function of the farm at America’s Grow-a-Row and is pleased to be growing produce for people who are in need of fresh, nutritious food. 

In his free time, Mark enjoys gardening, doing maintenance work on his historic home, and spending time with his family.

Babou Diallo

Custodian

Babou takes great pride in his work here at America’s Grow-a-Row! He helps to keep things clean and tidy so the organization can run smoothly day to day.