Brenna Broderick
Development & Communications Manager

Brenna (she/her) joined Gaining Ground in the summer of 2024, bringing a lifelong passion for sustainable food systems. Her journey in fundraising began on local Boston campaigns, eventually leading her to the Harvard ecosystem, where she is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Global Development with a focus on sustainable food systems. A lifelong curiosity about how food systems work — and how they can work better — has driven her educational and professional path. Brenna is excited to continue her work in development and philanthropy, supporting a cause she aligns with so closely. Outside of work, you can find her running, cooking, or camped out in a museum.

Born and raised in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, Mark(he/him) joined Gaining Ground as our first Director of Agriculture in 2023. He received his two years of farmer training as a farmer’s apprentice at Caretaker Farm in Williamstown. Mark continued to grow as a farmer managing Saltbox Farm in Concord for 9 years and then Honey Nut Farm in Hopkinton prior to bringing his experience here to Gaining Ground. He is excited for the opportunity to direct Gaining Ground’s expansion onto newly leased land in the Minuteman National Historical Park. Mark loves to travel and experience unique plant life all over the world. He also enjoys hiking, meditation, supporting local farmer’s markets, and being part of a food movement that brings sustainable agriculture to local communities.

Allison Goodwin
Operations Director 

Allison (she/her) joined Gaining Ground in 2017. A farm field trip in third grade sparked her lifelong passion for sustainable agriculture, connecting to the land, and increasing equitable access to fresh, healthy food. She has worked on organic farms throughout the United States as well as in Wales, Ireland, Thailand and Australia. Allison currently directs Gaining Ground’s operations including partnerships, distributions, and the volunteer program. She worked previously at Chelsea Green Publishing and at several environmental non-profits, and earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Marlboro College in Vermont. In her free time, Allison enjoys gardening, hiking, and spending time with beloved family and friends.

Jennifer Johnson
Executive Director

Jennifer is passionate about equitable access to healthy food and the healing power of nature. She’s found her dream job at Gaining Ground and loves working with Gaining Ground’s staff, board, volunteers, and partners to grow food and grow community. She earned a degree in communications from Boston University and completed the in-residence Business for Impact program at Georgetown University. Jennifer began her career in marketing communications before pivoting to non-profit development and management. Outside of work you’ll most likely find her making soup, sharing her love of Dolly Parton, or sitting around a campfire with friends and family. She lives with her family in Concord and enjoys reading, running, hiking, gardening, and kayaking.

Ava Lublin
Assistant Grower

Ava began volunteering at Gaining Ground in 2017 and has been in love with farming ever since. This is her fourth season on the farm crew, and she is grateful to return to the vibrant, joyful community here. Ava studied agroecology and food systems at the University of Vermont. She is eager to learn more about how we can build sustainable, reciprocative relationships with the land to promote health and justice for people and the environment. In her free time, Ava loves to dance, hike, read, write, and spend time with her dog and two cats.

Rachael Walton
Assistant Grower

Rachael is excited to be starting her sixth season farming and her second season at Gaining Ground. Rachael grew up in Arizona but has lived in Concord since middle school, and feels very lucky to have moved to a place with such a vibrant farming community — which helped her discover her love for farming early on. While gaining her degree in Agroecology at the University of Vermont, she spent her summers working on farms in Concord and learning about local food systems. She is inspired and driven by the belief that our food systems can and must be both environmentally sustainable and also equitable and just for every person involved in that food system. She is excited to continue her work at Gaining Ground and do her part in making sustainable and just food systems possible. When she isn’t farming, Rachael loves to hike, read, crochet, and bake lots and lots of sourdough bread.

Maddie Weikel
Assistant Grower and Education Coordinator

Maddie (she/they) joined the Gaining Ground team in 2023 after three-ish growing seasons learning about organic, no-till systems at a different farm in the area. Maddie finds joy and power in farming and believes that connection to land offers us tools for dismantling systems of harm and for building the world that we want to live in. Maddie believes deeply that we all have a role to play in the work to overturn the current dominant food system, and that it is our duty to take care of each other and of the land. Since graduating from New York University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and environmental studies, Maddie’s farming journey has moved alongside a journey to more deeply connect with Judaism. Maddie is inspired by the many lessons that ever-evolving Jewish tradition has to share about liberatory land stewardship, and vice versa. When not out in the fields, you can find Maddie making to-do lists, crafting, roasting vegetables, yelling, vacuuming, and sharing meals with friends.