Meet the Team

ken-rapoport-owner-founder-wss-farms

Ken Rapoport – Owner and Founder

“It is imperative that all of us work together to create opportunities for sustainability, wellness and preservation-ensuring that future generations enjoy the beauty of our earth.”

Ken’s passion and mission is to provide sustainable living for the community. With the serenity and natural beauty of his farm, and working with the Wyndham Land Trust, Ken and his staff have preserved nearly 200 acres of pristine New England landscape encompassing native American Indian trails and the pre-revolutionary “Old Kings Highway” running from Hartford, Connecticut to Plymouth Plantation. Securing this land and nurturing its growth for eternal preservation is a legacy to his late wife, Linda, who is the inspiration for the farm and its bounty.

 

Ken is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and worked internationally in the oil service business starting in 1978. Since 1986, Ken has pursued his entrepreneurial endeavors and has businesses in the technology sectors supporting IT and telecommunications, power generation, and software—all of which continue today.

dan-rapoport-wss-farms

Dan Rapoport – Executive Director

“Just as new technology now empowers us as individuals to accomplish amazing things that even a few years ago were either impossible or so expensive that rare few had access, it is also allowing farmers to supply people directly with high-quality, affordable fresh food with the same – or better - convenience of going to a supermarket. When that is combined with sustainable farming practices, it is clearly a practice whose time has come – again, if you consider that it’s only in our recent history that our food supply has been dominated by chemically-dependent factory farming plus extensive storage and long-distance shipping.”

With roots in rural upstate New York, Dan loves being a part of the farm and its mission to provide people with not only the health benefits of quality, locally-raised food, but also the feeling of being connected to the land. With an engineering degree from the University of Rochester, an MBA from Columbia University and years of experience in various high-tech industries, Dan is harnessing technology and efficient management practices in the service of sustainable and ethical food production.

Audrey107a-photo-wss-farms

Audrey Rapoport – Executive Director

“Nature is pleased with simplicity.”
-Isaac Newton

While working as an actress, writer, and teacher in Los Angeles and NYC, Audrey has maintained a close connection to her rural roots near Woodstock, NY.  Because she has helped to care for family members living with autism and those struggling with illness, Audrey has seen firsthand the benefits of eating well and eating cleanly.

George Saperstein – WSF Advisor

Recently retired from academia, George Saperstein, DVM has had an extremely diverse career in veterinary medicine.   Starting out in private mixed practice, he moved on to academia and was a faculty member of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University for 34 years. At retirement, George was the Amelia Peabody Professor of Agricultural Sciences, the Director of Corporate Research, Farm Director, and Chairman of the Department of Environmental and Population Health.  Prior to his 17-year stint as Department Head, he directed the school’s large animal Ambulatory Service.  As Director of Corporate Research, he facilitated many collaborative research projects between life science companies and academia.

 

A leader in the school’s International Veterinary Medicine program, George directed a US Agency for International Development funded livestock disease control program between Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority.  He later directed a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization funded project on the control of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Indonesia.

 

Working under a series of USDA grants, George founded Azuluna Brands, LLC  to develop markets for premium pasture-raised livestock products, promoting farmland conservation and profitability, and agricultural diversity.  He was instrumental in the creation and development of a privately owned livestock germplasm repository at SVF Foundation in Newport, Rhode Island, and serves as a board member of the foundation.  George’s earlier research interests were in congenital and hereditary diseases in livestock and in mastitis control.  He patented a novel antibiotic susceptibility test in 1991 and started a for-profit company to market the diagnostic test Lotek, Inc.

debbi-farquhar-wss-farms

Debbi Farquhar – Hearth Dinner Coordinator

“Eat Well, Live Simply, Laugh Often.”

Debbi was born in the Berkshires but has spent most of her life in Northeastern Connecticut. She spent two decades in the restaurant business and found cooking to be an outlet for her creative and nurturing spirit. Since then she has cared for family members battling illness and created health conscious meals needed for their well being. This journey has given her the skills needed to prepare delicious, nutritious meals and the desire to share her joy of cooking with the world.

 

Today, she channels this passion into the WSF B&B, where she creates wholesome, healthy meals with ingredients straight off the farm, to serve for a Breakfast on the Terrace or a Hearth Dinner.

chef-paige-breton-wssfarms

Paige Breton – Executive Chef

“The food we choose to eat is the most personal decision we make on a daily basis and everyone should have the opportunities to decide well.“

Chef Paige’s passion for both good food and sustainability is fueling her career of practicing the art of food utilization. She applies her skills and talent in the kitchen with a steady goal of reducing waste and maximizing the yield of our farm’s animals and produce.

 

Paige also serves as head of FarmFeedery, the catering division of WSF. She runs a meal program, cooks for our B&B guests, and develops projects to promote and extend the reach of the farm.   Paige continues to cultivate WSF’s relationship with its staff and community to embrace a local, sustainable lifestyle.

 

For recipe ideas or any other farm food needs, feel free to email her at paige@wssfarms.com!

Ulla Britt Roemer – Farm Staff

“If I had chosen the easy way, would I have learned anything?
I think not!“

Ulla works with​ ​all​ ​aspects​ ​of​ ​the​ ​farm’s daily​ ​operations​, displaying her passion for growing​ ​and​ ​sharing​ ​vegetables,​ ​flowers,​ ​and​ ​herbs.

 

​Ulla ​practices​ ​polyculture​: providing crop diversity in imitation of natural ecosystems.  She ​utilizes ​companion​ ​planting,​ ​crop​ ​rotation,​ ​and natural soil amendments​ ​to​ ​achieve​ ​a​ ​biodiverse​ ​environment.​ ​This​ ​benefits ​the health​ ​and​ ​well​-being​ ​of​ ​the​ ​plants,​ ​pollinators,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​people​ ​consuming​ ​the​ ​harvest.

mark-crisman-veterinarian-wss-farms copy

Dr. Mark V. Crisman, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM – Veterinarian

“I have dedicated my veterinary career to the general health, well-being and humane treatment of animals, along with educating my veterinary students in these same principles.”

Mark grew up in the Hudson Valley where his family raised Arabian horses. Mark and his sister (Linda Crisman Rapoport) were avid equine enthusiasts and carried this passion throughout their careers.

 

Mark received his doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1984, from the University of Warsaw, Poland. He received a Master of Science in Veterinary Medicine in 1987 from Washington State University after completing an internship and residency in large animal internal medicine. He became a Diplomate of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 1990. From 1987 to 2010, Dr. Crisman served on the faculty of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine where he was a Professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences and section chief of equine medicine and surgery. He is also certified in acupuncture by the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society. He has authored/co-authored over 85 refereed publications and book chapters. He was teacher of the year (2004) and served on a variety of committees in the college. Dr. Crisman joined Veterinary Operations with Pfizer Animal Health (Zoetis) in July of 2010. Dr. Crisman and his wife, Celeste, live on a farm in Blacksburg, Virginia with a menagerie of horses, cows, alpacas, goats, dogs and cats.

jacqui-campbell2-wss-farms

Jacqui Campbell MS, RD, CDN – Registered Dietitian

“My mantra is 'everything in moderation'!”

A lover of good food from a young age, Jacqui grew up in a culinary household surrounded by food and people who love to cook and garden. Her interest in nutrition grew when she began her high school job in the dining room at Canyon Ranch health spa, surrounded by the healthy living mantra. Jacqui completed her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition at UMass Amherst and her dietetic internship and master’s degree through SUNY College at Oneonta. Jacqui believes strongly in promoting a diet of whole foods and eating mindfully.  She enjoys helping individuals find a healthy relationship with food.

shep-dog-wss-farms

Shep – Head Sheepdog

“Arf! Arf! Grrrrr...”

Shep is our Maremma Sheepdog (Cane da pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese  “The dog of the shepherds of the Maremma and Abruzzese region” in Italy).

 

Used for centuries by Italian shepherds to guard sheep from wolves, Maremmas are known for their impressive dominance and lifelong dedication. Alert, dignified, loyal, brave, and determined, Shep also has enough of a goofball streak to fit right in with his surroundings.