Meet the Board
As a nonprofit organization, Farmers on the Square is led by a Board of Directors, each of whom is elected for a 2-year term. While the Market Manager handles day-to-day operations and communications, the Directors determine market policy, manage finances, and select the vendors who will participate from season to season. Our Board Members also work with community members on Committees covering Education & Marketing, Fresh Match & Fundraising, Governance, Vendor Relations, Retention, and Recruitment, and Finance.
Michele Landis (President)
Michele is the business owner of Simply Yoga and Fitness. She lends her expertise to our board, not only as the Board Secretary but also with the Fresh Match and Fundraising Committee. Michele's dedication to wellness aligns with the market’s goal of promoting high-quality, locally sourced food.
Lorenzo Varisano (Vice President)
Lorenzo Varisano, along with his wife Jessy, owns and operates Foot of the Mountain Farm in Concord, Franklin County. Foot of the Mountain Farm has attended the Farmers on the Square Market since 2018. Lorenzo is interested in the growth of Farms and Markets that result in healthier individuals and communities, as well as a healthier Earth. Lorenzo has a background as a Naturalist, Landscaper, Social worker, and no-till regenerative produce farmer.
Emma Stone (Secretary)
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Emma, Community Engagement Coordinator at the LEAF Project, brings an enthusiasm for local eating to our board. She believes in the power of young people and is passionate about making local food more accessible. On Wednesdays, you can find her at the LEAF stand alongside some of their youth crew selling a variety of produce grown on their farm in addition to all-local soups, smoothies, and preserves from their commercial kitchen. She is excited to continue growing the FOTS community in Carlisle!
Debby Griffith (Treasurer)​​
Debby has been involved with the market for 4 years, she served as Treasurer of the board from 2020- mid 2022 and has continued to support and shop at the market since. Debby works as the bookkeeper with several other agriculture non profits. Her passion for agriculture started as a kid spending a lot of time on her aunt & uncles farm in the midwest where she grew up. She looks forward to serving on the board and assisting wherever she is needed.
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Maddy Barrows
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Maddy Barrows is the owner of Charlie Bird Farm in Dillsburg, PA. Maddy was born and raised in central PA, and she is passionate about supporting the small farms and businesses that make our region unique. Maddy has a background in food and nutrition, and she can usually be found in the kitchen when she's not working on the farm.
Jolene Scott
Jolene is with Bouncing Goat Soap Co. She started her business as a life reroute in 2019, paired with her little goats, who make the perfect coworkers. Jolene is originally from Washington and moved to Pennsylvania in 2015. She now lives in Millerstown with her two girls, a herd of dairy goats, chickens, ducks, a Miniature horse, and her wonderful dogs. Besides chasing kids and kids she loves to paint, considers herself an intermediate gardener, loves cooking, baking, hiking, singing and just puttering around her farm. This is home for Jolene and her family, and she is thankful to be a part of the Farmers On The Square market.
Kirby Keammerer
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Kirby has been involved with Farmers On The Square in various capacities for over seven years now, most recently as the owner of Cookies by Kirby. She can be found crocheting anywhere she goes. Kirby is looking forward to contributing further to the vital community building of FOTS.
Jen McDuffie
Jen McDuffie moved to Carlisle, PA in late 2023 after a 20-year career in Public Health. She believes that wholesome, nutritious food and avenues for physical activity should be available to everyone in a community. She is a proponent of local farm to table, bicycle/pedestrian transportation, buying local and/or second hand whenever possible, and other practices that promote the sustainability of our Earth.
Seppi Garrett
Seppi Garrett is a native of Camp Hill Pennsylvania. Having been a social worker most of his adult life, things took a twist after his children were born, and he realized how corrupted our food system had become. He got his Permaculture Design Certification with the desire to grow as much of his own food as possible. It didn’t take long for him to realize that it was equally important for him to get to know the good farmers in his region, as providing his family with 100% homegrown food was an impossible task. 10 years ago he began working for Three Springs Fruit Farm and has been representing them at markets on and off since then. He is a foodie who loves cooking real food grown lovingly and locally.
Amer Chaudhry
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Amer moved from Delaware to Chambersburg when his wife, Jasmina Ademovic, got a job as a labor and delivery nurse at Chambersburg Hospital. They often invited friends and new acquaintances to their home, and Amer's love of cooking led to the opening of a food stand at the North Square Farmers Market in 2013, called the Falafel Shack. As the demand for falafel grew, Amer added a food truck to expand the business. Then, he opened the Falafel Shack restaurant on the Main Square of Chambersburg in the summer of 2018. Amer's love of farmers markets led him to open his Pizza Shack stand at the North Square Farmers Market in 2019 and in Carlisle’s Farmers on the Square market in 2024. They also opened a brick and mortar Pizza Shack in downtown Chambersburg inside Neighbors Food Hall in end of November of 2025. Amer joined the board of Farmers on the Square in January of 2026, to serve the community in Carlisle. He hopes to do his best to help our local communities and learn from my peers.
Sarah Bay Nawa
Sarah leads the community science farmer research programs at the PA-based non-profit Pasa Sustainable Agriculture. Previously, Sarah worked as a farmer in south central PA and worked her fair share of farmers markets. Sarah believes the local food system is a powerful force to keep our communities thriving, and looks forward to supporting FOTS, not only as a customer, but also as a member of the board. During the growing season, you can reliably find her outside, caring for the land, plants, and soil in her own garden.
Jason Whitten​
Jason is a lifelong Carlisle resident and serves on the board as a community representative. He works as a local insurance agent at Deibler Insurance Associates and was inspired to become more involved in the community through the Leadership Cumberland program. After years of attending and shopping at the farmers market, Jason decided to join the board to help support local farmers and expand access to fresh, locally grown, and sustainably produced food. He enjoys being part of an organization that brings farmers and neighbors together.
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Erik Smith (Market Manager)
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Erik is not a member of the Board, but has been in charge of managing the market as an employee since May 2023. Originally from Upstate NY, Erik graduated Dickinson College in 2022 and decided to stay in Carlisle rather than pursue his original plan of working abroad. Beginning with a position at FOTS vendor Honey Bee Friendly, Erik has developed a passion for food systems and aims to bring his community together around local food for a just and resilient future.