JEANNETTE MCGINN, DIRECTOR; PRESIDENT, BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Jeannette works alongside Newhall Fields’ herbalist and farmer in the fields and develops our farm-based education programs. Jeannette got her start as an environmental educator and homeschool program leader at Mass Audubon, Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Jeannette is a Principal Master Gardener, and a Peabody Park Commissioner. She holds an M.S. in Ecological Teaching and Learning from Lesley University.
When not at the farm, Jeannette loves to spend time outdoors, cook new dishes with fresh produce and herbs, explore on long walks with her dog Leo, and finds joy in the time she gets to spend with family and friends. But most of all, she is continuously inspired by the enthusiasm and love Newhall Fields’ volunteers have for the farm and their kindness and support for each other.
REBECCA INGALLS, CO-FOUNDER, HERBALIST
Rebecca is the herbalist and perennial grower at Newhall Fields. She designed and led installation of the Herb Garden in 2018 and remains its curator and lead cultivator, holding workshops and overseeing the herb garden volunteer program each season. Rebecca’s approach is holistic, moving within an ecological web which strengthens diversity and resilience. She is dedicated in her work as an herbalist and educator to cultivating beneficial and enduring relationships with the green world around us and to the alleviation of suffering. Rebecca is the owner and founder of Swampscott Counseling and Palmer Pond Botanicals in Swampscott, Mass.
CJ HUGHES, FARM MANAGER
CJ is the farm manager at Newhall Fields Community Farm, and she discovered her love for agriculture while attending an intensive residential practicum program in Mendocino, California. Ever since, she knew she wanted to improve the food system and help close the food gap by making local fresh produce more available to everyone. She spent years working on Organic vegetable farms in the Upper Valley area of Vermont, where she expanded her knowledge of production farming; became a greenhouse manager and CSA enthusiast. She hopes to continue engaging with the community of Peabody, sharing the joys of vegetables, and growing as much food for people as possible. When she isn’t farming, she loves to find cows and donkeys to pet, draw and craft, take photos of her cats, sample local baked goods, and sit by the ocean.
KEELEY TOBLER, FARM ASSISTANT
LINDSAY CORNELL BEAL, PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Lindsay grew up in the foothills of the Berkshires and got her start in environmental education as a summer camp counselor and expedition leader. She is the former Volunteer Director at the Middlesex Fells reservation where she co-founded youth programs serving ages 0-18, including a highly sought after and now-accredited summer camp, and an outdoor education curriculum integrated into local public schools. She has served as a consultant to various environmental non-profits including Transportation for Massachusetts, Mission Ready, and The Tactical Reintegration Project. She is passionate about social justice and serves as the Chair of the Stoneham Human Rights Commission. Lindsay was awarded the 2019 Massachusetts State Stewardship Award.
At Newhall Fields, Lindsay collaborates with Jeanette, CJ, and Rebecca on volunteer management, agricultural vocational opportunities, youth crew development, field trips, and other community programs and partnerships.
When she is not at the farm, Lindsay can be found constantly talking about pollinators. She enjoys reading, multi-media art, hiking, exploring, and theater (including the productions her teenagers Max and Fiona take part in!)
DAYBAR BUGLER, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
As the Social Media Manager for Newhall Fields Community Farm, Daybar is passionate about fostering a connection between the farm’s vibrant community and the fresh, sustainable produce we cultivate. Her role involves crafting engaging narratives that highlight our farm’s initiatives, seasonal harvests, and the stories of our dedicated team and community members.
From Creating the farm’s Podcast to utilizing the farm’s Instagram, Facebook, and Linked In pages, she’s able to bring stories from the farm in different mediums. When she’s not managing our social media platforms, you can find her at her cheese shop mongering and sampling customers her favorite cheeses. Or with her family supporting local businesses on Main St.
TEEBH AL FREIHY, YOUTH CREW LEADER
MARIA CONNELL, FINANCE MANAGER
Following a holistic approach, Maria is a numbers person who is passionate about deep ecology and ensuring lasting success. She is blessed with two green thumbs and finds balance working within the local ecosystem in a variety of ways with like-minded individuals and organizations that contribute to the greater good.
Maria learned about the farm in early 2023 through a member of a local garden club. She attended her first gathering, the Winter WarmUp Potluck, following an invite from another green world centric and felt immediate connection. She began volunteering in the Herb Garden that growing season and her involvement blossomed from there.
Board of Trustees
ELIZABETH GOURLEY LAHIKAINEN, VICE PRESIDENT, BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Elizabeth (Betsy) Lahikainen has a lifelong interest in gardens and nutrition. Her high school summers were spent tending the gardens on a large estate in her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and today continues to annually plant vegetable gardens at her home and at the local Community Gardens in Salem.
Her professional and business experience includes running her own textile conservation business for more than twenty years, Elizabeth Lahikainen & Associates. Specializing in historic upholstery, she was a pioneer in developing new techniques and materials to preserve historic upholstered objects. During her long career, clients have included major museums and private collectors. Prior employment included working at Historic New England’s conservation center in Waltham, MA and at the Merrimac Valley Textile Museum in North Andover, MA, where she helped establish their first conservation laboratory.
Elizabeth’s non-profit experience includes being the founding president of the Salem Education Foundation and is a past co-chair of Voices Against Injustice and has served as a trustee of the House of the Seven Gables, two organizations dedicated to helping cultivate connections and support for underserved communities.
JOSEPH SCHUELLER, TREASURER, BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Joe is North Shore Bank’s Chief Financial Officer. Joe is a Certified Public Accountant with over 20 years of finance and accounting experience. Joe moved to Massachusetts from Minnesota and lives with his family in Middleton.
DIANE DUBE, NUTRITION CONSULTANT; CLERK, BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Diane is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist/Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist with North Shore Physicians Group and Family Doctors in Swampscott, MA. She also owns her own business doing nutrition education and consulting. Diane has degrees in food science, nutrition, and counseling. Diane is a member of the North Shore Physicians Group Health Equity Committee, which actively addresses food insecurity issues on the North Shore. In addition, she is involved in the Food As Medicine initiatives on the North Shore, collaborating with colleagues and others in the medical community to bring healthy eating to the forefront in preventing and managing chronic disease. She loves to share her knowledge of preventative nutrition and healthy eating with all!
CHESTER GRAHAM, MEMBER, BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Chester was introduced to Newhall Fields through regular conversations with Jeannette, where she detailed the farm’s mission to produce and supply affordable healthy food that is easily accessible to those in need. Jeannette’s enthusiasm about the activities around that mission was infectious and tapped into Chester’s interest in gardens that goes back to helping his mother maintain a small vegetable garden in the backyard of his childhood home.
Chester works as the Branch Manager of North Shore Bank’s Peabody Square location. In that role and as a member of the Rotary Club of Peabody, Chester is committed to community service, involvement and outreach. One of those opportunities, was when a group of Bank employees volunteered at the farm the summer of 2023. It was there, that everything Chester had previously heard about the farm came into clearer focus. Now, as a board member, Chester’s goal is to get the word out about all that the farm does to alleviate food insecurity in Peabody and surrounding areas.
In his free time, Chester enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, rooting on our local sports teams and spending time with friends and family.