Kristin Hock | Executive Director & President
Considering Kristin’s first sentence was “I am playing in the dirt with the worms,” it’s no surprise she grew up to study wildlife conservation and environmental education. Her love of the outdoors has led to studying in Antarctica, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and sleeping under the stars across the continental US and the Big Island of Hawai’i. All of her work culminated into dreaming up Fostering Farmers.
Jess Sinkhorn | Vice President
With a background in both small and large-scale organic farming, Jess currently finds himself growing food for Fulfill, formerly the Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Jess helps a variety of community members grow their own fruits and vegetables as he teaches at food pantries, soup kitchens, and school gardens.
Laura Bagwell
Laura has worked in both corporate and non-profit sectors. She has volunteered for much of her life, focusing on environmental, social and gender equality issues. Before retiring at the end of 2021, she worked at a non-profit legal services agency for 19 years, providing free legal representation to low-income members of the community.
Melissa Smith
Melissa is a regenerative gardener and farmer who is passionate about teaching ways to grow food that lets our soil thrive with her company Smiling Soil. Through her work in the field and online, she helps communities find tools to grow resilient food systems while the food grown through these educational pursuits on her farm are donated to those in need.
Leslie Bobb
Leslie Bobb is an integrative nutrition expert, sought after speaker specializing in the gut-brain connection, and consultant to health care providers and business owners. Leslie’s insights have been featured in multiple national media outlets, leveraging her experience over the last decade in the nutrition and health space. Leslie is on a mission to empower individuals to advocate for and own their health and food decisions so that they can amplify their vitality and impact in life.
Taylor Naughton
Taylor Naughton graduated from Fordham University with a Master’s in Social Work. After a few years in the social work field, she pivoted to working on and managing organic farms. She now runs her own small farm business on her property in Central New Jersey while wrangling her 3 free range children. She is happy to be combining her social work and farming skills with Fostering Farmers.
