Our Team

Johannah entered the world of agriculture as a Granor Farm intern during the 2019 season. Before rejoining the team in 2021, she worked in academia managing a statewide farm to school program. With her Master’s in Public Health from the University of Texas, Johannah is our resident southerner, but has quickly acclimated to life in the Midwest. After managing the farm team for three seasons, she now directs the agricultural department at Granor Farm. So while still working very closely with the farm team, she also guides the grain program, retail operations, and marketing. Off the farm, Johannah enjoys the Lake Michigan shore, local breweries, and hiking with her Border Collie.

Contact: [email protected]

Joseph hails from Bayou Goula, Louisiana. He grew up surrounded by sugarcane and crawfish ponds farmed by his grandfather. Carrying on this farming legacy, Joseph holds a Masters in Soil Fertility from Louisiana State University. He has worked in many sectors of horticulture and agronomy before joining Granor Farm in 2022. As the farm and field manager, he leads the farm team in all field operations to grow hundreds of varieties of vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers. Joseph also enjoys grilling, crafting cocktails, and working on his music.

Contact: [email protected]

Elizabeth is a transplant from Baton Rouge, Louisiana who joined Granor in 2023, where she discovered a deep love for working outdoors, growing beautiful things, and being a part of the connection of good food to the community. She is very excited to continue exploring these areas both in the field and store at Granor. When she's not at the farm, Elizabeth enjoys watercolor painting, making coffee, spending time at the lake, and reading.

Kaitlin, an avid nature lover, grew up exploring the deep woods and vineyards in her childhood backyard. She went on to earn her Bachelor's of Science in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Grand Valley State University. This created the spark that ignited her love for sustainable agriculture and responsible land stewardship. Kaitlin joined the Granor farm team in 2024 and brings experience managing greenhouses near Berrien Springs, where she grew up, and interests in composting and beekeeping. Off farm, you might catch her long distance running, playing a soccer game, at the beach, or behind a camera refining her photography skills.

These four are the backbone of our farm team and truly a joy to work with every day. Maurilio and Eduardo (father and son) joined our team in 2022 via the H-2A visa program for temporary agricultural workers. Sergio (Maurilio's brother) joined the team in 2023 and Fabian (Maurilio's youngest son) completed the farm crew in 2024. The H-2A program allows the farm to meet our needs for a seasonal farm crew after difficulty filling these roles locally year after year. They return to Granor each April and stay through October. Sergio also has extensive experience with Michigan fruit production which will allow us to expand our organic fruit offerings in the coming years. When they're not out in the field, they are keeping in touch with their loved ones back in Mexico, cooking meals together, or on an outing to Culver's.

Tucker is from Fowlerville, Michigan where he found his love for agriculture through working on a local farm, showing cattle in 4H, and visiting farms with his dad on veterinarian calls. He attended Hope College, and since then has worked for a large farming operation in his hometown and an ag tech start-up in Iowa. Tucker's career has been mainly focused on agronomy consulting and soil health, and he brings that knowledge to the farm to help continue Granor's legacy of soil health focused farming and environmental stewardship. When he's not on the farm, Tucker enjoys spending time with his wife, Abby, and dog, Chance, exploring the outdoors camping, hiking, and skiing.

Contact: [email protected]

Jake was born and raised in the Galien Three Oaks area and grew up with an agricultural background raising livestock on his family's farm. Jake began working with Granor grains program during his Junior year at River Valley High School. Since then Jake has been on and off the farm while attending Lake Superior State University, earning a Bachelors degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management. Jake enjoys working on equipment and farming from planting to harvest. Jake also enjoys implementing farming practices that have the best interest for the land and the local biota. When Jake has free time you can likely find him hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, or taking a roadtrip!

Madeleine, already an avid vegetable gardener and cook, joined Granor Farm in 2021 to further her understanding of how food grows and share her enthusiasm for local food. She grew up in Pennsylvania but fell in love with Northern Indiana when she attended Goshen College. Madeleine started at Granor overseeing the Farm Store where she learned the ins and outs of the entire farm. She then took that knowledge into her role as the Finance Assistant and now Director of Finance & People helping the farm run more efficiently across the board. When not at the farm, she enjoys traveling, hosting parties, and walks with her dog Finley.

Contact: [email protected]

Jen was born and raised in the Midwest but recently moved back from Oregon where she received her MPH from Oregon Health & Science University, focusing on Health Promotion. She is interested in food systems, decreasing food waste, and increasing nutrient-rich food access. In addition to expanding her education, Jen has always enjoyed working in hospitality and customer service. Outside of work, she can be found cooking with creative ingredient substitutions, dog sitting, and exploring her new home area.

Contact: [email protected]

Abra strives to make simple, delicious food that celebrates the Midwest. She has been cooking since 2006, from the storied Zingerman’s Deli, to chef driven restaurants in Chicago. In 2017, she left her position as Executive Chef at Local Foods to join the Granor team. As the Culinary Director at Granor Farm, Abra oversees multiple departments that help bring Granor ingredients to the table, which combines her love of Michigan, cooking vegetables and grains just-pulled from the ground, and sharing them with others. When not cooking, Abra still enjoys eating (often) with her husband, son and dog, Zuma, in tow.

Contact: [email protected]

Born in Chicago, Alex was raised in a family that loved cooking traditional and tasty Polish food. Her adoration for the kitchen began by watching, helping, and learning alongside her mother and grandmother. Alex attended College of Dupage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois where she studied both Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry. She has worked under industry masters like Josh Kulp and Christine Chickowski's of Honey Butter Fried Chicken and Sunday Dinner Club as well as then Boka Restaurant Executive Pastry Chef Meg Galus, eventually rising to Sous Chef at Sunday Dinner Club, experiential dining "speak easy" above HBFC.

In May of 2020, Chef Alex left the restaurant world to start Pickled Prince with her partner, Brian Greene. Together they focus on preserving our Midwestern peak season bounty to enjoy year round. When she’s not on the farm, you can usually find Alex with her nose in a cookbook, roller skating around Southwest Michigan, or spending time with her rescue dog, Marnie.

Contact: [email protected]

Anna Rafalski joined the Granor Farm in 2022 after working for many years throughout the local beverage industry. Anna was raised in Delaware, studied biology and French at Tufts and philosophy at Notre Dame. She owes her sense of hospitality to her mother, who throws the most elegant parties. When not on the farm, Anna enjoys riding bikes with her two children and walking in the local nature preserves with her dogs.

Contact: [email protected]

Jason Garland has worked extensively in the culinary world from restaurant chef to private chef. He taught for several years at the Chopping Block and The Kid's Table where he discovered his passion for educating others. He started at Granor Farm in 2022 to build on his knowledge of farming and how to prepare meal courses directly from the field. When not cooking, Jason loves exploring West Michigan and spending time with family.

Jill was born and raised in northern New Jersey, with a deep love and connection to food through shared meals with her family. Her curiosity in agriculture took root while studying nutrition science at George Washington University. After graduating and eager to understand how our food is actually grown, Jill pursued vegetable farming on the island of Molokai, Hawaii. Through the study of microbial systems in the soil, she began experimenting with microbial systems in wild yeasted breads, namely sourdough. Her passion for baking has taken her to both southeast Alaska and New York, specializing in wood fired bread production. Outside of work, Jill loves to practice yoga, experiment with fruit and vegetable ferments, and explore Southwest Michigan.

In Erin's many positions within the food industry, from line cook to butcher to baker, she has come to cherish the relationships that grow from the direct interaction with customers. Erin started at Granor in 2018 and since has connected with customers through her work in the kitchen, the field, and the Farm Store. She believes Granor has the tastiest vegetables and grains she has ever worked with and loves to teach our customers about all of the special ingredients she grows.

Born and raised in New Buffalo, Kaitlin Williams has been working in the Harbor Country food and beverage world since 2010 when she took her first job at Redamak’s as a high school student. Since then she has worked all across the industry and brings a love of home cooking from her garden to the field-focused Granor Kitchen. When not at work, you’ll find Kaitlin out and about often with her dogs in tow.

Born and raised in Illinois, Kirsten first fell in love with Southwest Michigan after spending summers in the area throughout her childhood. The region became her permanent home after joining the Granor team in 2022. While primarily working with the dining program, she can be found across the farm assisting both the Farm Store and farm teams. Kirsten has a passion for sustainability—particularly in the areas of environmental and food justice—and studied environmental science at Wheaton College in Illinois. In her free time, Kirsten enjoys reading and spending time with her family’s cats.

Leslie does just about everything around the farm, floating between Field, Store, and Dining Room providing support where needed. Born and raised in Three Oaks, Leslie comes from a long line of those who chose to call this little corner of Michigan their home. One set of grandparents moved to this area because the woods and the lake reminded them of Sweden. The other set of grandparents were a young couple from Chicago, wanting to start a family and raise them on a farm. They did just that when they purchased a farm originally homesteaded in 1836 off of Elm Valley Road. She says, “my fondest memories of growing up are of running around through sand, water and open pastures. I’m sure I didn’t appreciate my surroundings nearly enough as a little kid, but I definitely do now. I love visiting mountain states, but I can’t imagine living away from the dunes, the lake and its beautiful sunsets. From my earliest memories of tagging along with my grandfather and father on the farm, attending Three Oaks Elementary, River Valley Jr. and Sr. High School, venturing off to California for a brief stint of time, then coming right back to Three Oaks to start a family, and now working at Granor Farm, I feel like I’ve come full circle. I’ve never enjoyed a job and the people I get to work alongside with so much….ever!"