Jake Russell

DIrector of Community Food Resilience | Ext 116

JakeR@hilltowncdc.org

Jake is a young farmer and food system advocate living in the beautiful Pioneer Valley. He grew up in Denver, CO and went to school at UMass Amherst. He graduated in 2024 from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture with a bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Food and Farming.

Jake’s career aspirations have always orbited food, and his first dream was to be a chef. However, after working in food service in his adolescence and early adulthood, he decided that the life of a line cook was not for him and began intensely studying global food systems to better understand where the food he was cooking for so long came from. In doing so, he learned about the massive inequities in agriculture across the world, how our agricultural systems are taking a toll on our environment, and the massive monopolies and technological treadmills that take advantage of farmers on a daily basis. With this realization, he began searching for meaningful work in the food system where he could actualize his ideals of equity, dignity, and sustainability in the food system.

Jake recently joined us in March of 2026, and we are excited to see how he will connect with farmers and other food system workers in the Hilltowns to build a more resilient local food system.