Our STAFF
Edith Murnane
Executive Director
edith@massfarmersmarkets.org | 781-893-8777
From farm to farmers markets, from restaurant kitchens to food enterprises, from school food to city government, Edith has worked to develop food systems that support farmers, food businesses and all enterprises along the food chain while creating food access for Massachusetts residents.
While a part of Mayor Thomas M Menino's administration, Edith established the Office of Food Initiatives. Under her stewardship, various food programs were launched including Boston’s Micro Urban Farming Initiative, the City’s Urban Agriculture Re-zoning work, the city's Restaurant Roadmap, the Food Truck Initiative, and the city's Food System Resiliency Initiative.
While at the city, Edith streamlined the permitting process for vendors at farmers markets, brought about permitting changes at Boston’s Inspectional Services Department, Health Division, that has allowed local, day-boat fish to be sold at Boston’s Farmers’ Markets, for the first time in decades, and launched the city's composting pilots.
On the national stage, Edith was integral in launching the US Conference of Mayors' Food Policy Task Force, positioning Mayor Menino as its chair. The task force successfully lobbied Congress, leveraging the voice of the entire US Conference of Mayors to affect policy changes in the US Farm Bill. These policies will generate a broad economic impact on cities and towns across the United State while fostering better public health.
Edith joined the Mayor's office from Community Servings, a local not-for-profit food and nutrition program that provides services throughout Massachusetts to individuals and families living with critical and chronic illnesses. While at Community Servings, Edith built a farmers' market, inaugurated the first Community Supported Fish (CSF) program in Boston, established a UN-supported demonstration garden, and oversaw the organization's school and senior meals programs.
In addition to her work in at Community Servings, Edith has worked at a variety of restaurants and catering establishments, was the chef/ owner of The Cantata in Jamaica Plain, was a frequent vendor at a number of local farmers' markets and sat on the Board of the now newly opened Boston Public Market.
Since leaving the Mayor’s Office, Edith has consulted on a number of statewide initiatives, such as Big Picture Beef, the Local Tomato Sauce Project, Women in Meat Northeast, and the Worcester Public Market.
Barbara Slattery
Director of Finance
finance@massfarmersmarkets.org | 781-893-8666
Barbara is a graduate of University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a degree in Business and leadership studies. Before joining MFM, she worked for Bank of America/Merrill Lynch and its New England predecessors in both investment operations and as a registered Investment Sales Assistant. She has extensive capital markets experience working with large corporate, middle market, government, non-profits, and sophisticated investors. As a solution focused team member, she considers herself a lifelong learner looking to gain knowledge whenever and wherever she goes. Always asking the questions: How can I help? Why do we do it this way? and Is there a way to improve? In her free-time, Barbara enjoys photography, travel, live music and raising funds for homeless veterans. MFM joins Barbara's desires to help others and make an impact on our communities.
Joe McIlwain
Coupon Programs
coupons@massfarmersmarkets.org | 781-893-8222 x 1003
Joe McIlwain has been celebrating Coupon Christmas (the first two weeks of November when submission volume is highest) since 2017, when he joined MFM during a lull in his high tech career. Even though he has a full time software job elsewhere, he continues to run the coupon verification work at MFM. He enjoys the satisfaction of a job well done, loves working with the farmers, and truly believes in these nutritional programs.
Bill Grace
Finance & Liability Assistant
bill@massfarmersmarkets.org | 781-893-8222 x 1007
Bill Grace joined the Mass Farmers Markets Organization in 2020 as a Finance Associate. Bill combines a long background in small business management with a love for growing fresh food and raising his backyard chickens. He is very excited to be part of an organization that helps bring fresh local food supplied by area farmers to people across the state.
Rick Grudzinski
Director of Member Services
memberservices@massfarmersmarkets.org | 781-893-8222 x 1006
Prior to joining MFM, Rick spent almost twenty-five years in the finance and software industries; most recently, he worked for a private software company in its Boston and London offices. Rick is on the board of the Cambridge Community Foundation and volunteers with various food-related organizations. Rick is passionate about food access and is excited to support the role farmers markets play in a healthy regional food system. Rick lives in Cambridge with his wife and daughter, and in his spare time enjoys hiking and cooking his way through CSA boxes and farmers markets' finds.
Becca Handford
Lead Market Manager
becca@massfarmersmarkets.org | 781-893-8222
Becca Handford joined the Mass Farmers Markets team in early 2023 and is thrilled to be managing the Copley Square Farmers Market. With a strong background in food access and a passion for strengthening communities through collaborative efforts, Becca looks forward to increasing the amount of fresh, healthy food making its way into Boston from local farmers. Outside of work you can find Becca on the hiking trails of the White Mountains and in the kitchen concocting new culinary experiments to feed their friends and loved ones.
Sabrina Schully
Market Manager
sabrina@massfarmersmarkets.org | 781-893-8222
Sabrina joined MFM in the spring of 2024 and works at the Davis Square and Fish & Farm markets. Previous to working at MFM, Sabrina worked as an organic farmer on Long Island and most recently as a teacher at a Waldorf school in Beverly MA. As a food-lover and daughter of a chef, Sabrina loves bringing community together through fresh local food. Sabrina is passionate about being a part of the vital movement of bringing greater food accessibility across the state. In her free time you can find her enjoying film photography, running on the community path, doing yoga and knitting!
Jessica Dreschel
Assistant Market Manager and Food Access Coordinator
jessica@massfarmersmarkets.org
Jessica was grateful to join the MFM team in summer 2024. She is excited to bring her career experience in non-profit communications to bear in supporting food access at farmers markets. Her favorite thing about working at MFM is the personal connections she makes with her community. In her off-time, she can be found maximizing the varied bounty from her favorite market vendors in her home kitchen, finding new winding walking routes in her Boston neighborhood, or spending time as loving auntie to her two precocious nieces.
John Cogdill
Assistant Market Manager and Food Access Coordinator
john@massfarmersmarkets.org | 781-893-8222
John joined Mass Farmers Markets in 2023 and is passionate about food access. He comes from a family of farmers and is excited to work alongside our local farmers to bring food to the community. When John isn't working, you can find him in the kitchen where he loves to create fresh and healthy meals.
Yudie Feng
Assistant Market Manager and Food Access Coordinator
yudie@massfarmersmarkets.org
Yudie is a 2023 December graduate from Emerson College. As a farmers market lover herself, Yudie joined MFM in May 2024, hoping to contribute her time and energy into something she loves and feels passionate about. Coming from a small town in Southwest China, where supermarket produce was not available and farmers markets were the only source for grocery shopping when Yudie was a kid, she was excited when she found the Boston farmers markets community and is grateful to have the opportunity to work with the MFM team. When she’s not at farmers markets, she’s probably practicing yoga, taking care of her plants, or playing beach frisbee with her friends.
Loki
Office Mascot
The MFM team mascot is Loki. He is 9 years old, enjoys road trips, and his favorite food is chicken.