Staff

Interlace Commons Staff

Meghan Giroux, MSc.

Founding Executive Director

Meghan is an agroforestry practitioner, service provider, and researcher with two decades of experience growing perennial crops in agricultural and nursery settings. Through her company, Interlace Agroforestry Farm LLC, and funding support from the USDA and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Meghan is developing a sixty-acre demonstration site that exemplifies ancient and modern forms of agroforestry, including the five USDA-defined practices. Meghan is the co-author of two forthcoming manuals on agroforestry. She has been a visiting lecturer at Yale School of the Environment, where she taught the science and practice of temperate agroforestry. She is committed to utilizing her background in natural resource management to help land stewards protect and enhance ecosystem function, increase biodiversity, and identify ways to improve land-based livelihood strategies.

Michael Cafiero MLA.

Landscape Designer

Michael is an ecological landscape designer passionate about connecting people, plants, and place. Confronting a rapidly changing planet, he designs for climate adaptation and ecosystem diversity, fully embracing the complexity of the living world. Founded in 2020, his studio is based in Brooklyn, New York, on Long Island’s glacial moraine. Michael holds a Master’s in Landscape Architecture from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. In 2020, he received the American Society of Landscape Architecture’s Award of Merit. In his free time, Michael can be found in his own garden caring for and experimenting with new plant combinations.

Rand Hagenstein

Consultant

Rand Hagenstein is an ecologist who has worked in non-profit leadership, conservation, and natural resource research and analysis in northern ecosystems for over 30 years. He comes to Interlace Commons from Regeneration North, Inc., where he served as co-owner and Chief Strategist, working on projects to promote natural climate solutions, food security, and ecological and community resilience. His previous posts include more than two decades at the helm of The Nature Conservancy, Alaska, where he served as Director of Conservation and then State Director. He is also currently the co-owner of Ebb Tide Ocean Farm, a start-up kelp farm in Alaska’s Kachemak Bay.

Ian Johnson, B.S.

Farm and Implementation Coordinator

Ian Johnson is a land steward and systems thinker with expertise in regenerative agriculture, sustainable land management, and data-informed decision-making. He holds a degree in Biological Science, which allows him to approach agroecological systems with both scientific insight and practical experience. Before joining Interlace Commons, Ian managed diversified farms and helped implement climate-resilient farming practices throughout Vermont. His hands-on experience includes a variety of tasks such as management-intensive grazing, pastured poultry, greenhouse production, carpentry, and systems design. In his free time, Ian enjoys carving spoons from unique pieces of wood, finding quiet joy in the shape and story of each creation.

Jess Reid, B.S.

Administrative Coordinator

Jess Reid has been a farmer, Peace Corps Volunteer, and Program Director for an urban gardening organization. She graduated from Saint Michael's College, where she studied anthropology with a focus on farming and food systems. After her academic experience, Jess pursued meaningful work on understanding how people cultivate and grow food, fuel, and fiber. As an Agriculture Extension Agent in Madagascar, she worked with farmers to facilitate regional tree plantings focused on erosion mitigation while providing educational opportunities for local schools. She loves engaging in community-focused solutions that support the land and the people and communities stewarding it.