The Farmers
We are curious, passionate, and particular about everything we grow and gather. We love learning from the land, from our customers, and from the farmers and makers whose work we admire. Seven seasons in, we’re better than when we started — and still working every day to farm more carefully, choose more thoughtfully, and share food that reflects real care from the ground up.
Jared manages our farm. He came to farming relatively late in life. After cooking in NYC, he moved to North Carolina where he apprenticed at Fickle Creek Farm, learning the basics of low-stress animal management, rotational grazing, pasture health, crop planning, market gardening, and much more. After the apprenticeship, he moved to Hopewell, NJ to manage the poultry program at Double Brook Farm. When the opportunity came up to start Closter Farm, Jared jumped at the chance to rejuvenate a piece of land in an amazing community.
AJ manages our fields. His experiences range from wildlife restoration in AmeriCorps to horticulture studies at NYBG. He specializes in the design, installation, and maintenance of woodland gardens. He is deeply motivated by the mission at Closter Farm to regenerate the landscape and foster an ecological food culture through holistic agricultural management.
Yadys manages our propogation and infrastructure and significant aspect of our fields. She says “After a 20 year career in the NYC fashion industry I fell in love with herbalism and all things growing in nature. I was fortunate enough to find Closter Farm and become a part of this amazing community!”
Sophie Vranian started her career in agriculture in 2009 at the Greenmarkets in NYC. Inspired by the farmers she met there, she moved home to Minnesota and worked on organic family vegetable farms from 2012-2018, including as farm manager for Loon Organics in Hutchinson, MN. She and her partner Yadin now live in Sleepy Hollow NY with their pandemic baby, Salome.
Jon owns and interns on the farm. He is also an investor and a firefighter and owns Catskill Farm which produces much of the beef we sell at Closter Farmers Market. Jon previously worked in finance and foreign aid. He is pleased to be able to provide healthy food to his family and neighbors and to learn so much from the team at Closter Farm. He is a Trustee of City Harvest in NYC which is one the nation’s largest food rescue and feeding programs.