Our Team

My list of love for farming is lengthy (here’s some excerpts): eating meals that tell me what month it is, releasing trapped butterflies from the greenhouse,  having a sun-soaked tired body at the end of a summer’s day, reversing the transplant tractor, hot strawberries in my mouth, welcoming the yellow times of late summer, cozy office days in winter, the pulsing vibrancy of plants and people in June… so many delights, so many simple joys and tiny pleasures.  When I’m not working, I’m either spending time caring for and/or having fun with my three kids who amuse, challenge, and amaze me OR I’m doing something fun with friends – hockey and hiking are favorites.

I spent two seasons learning how to farm at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute.  In 2005, I started farming on my parents land in the town of Middleton.  I studied horticulture at UW Madison.  When I graduated in 2008, Cassie and I had established a thriving vegetable farm and purchased land of our own. I love to move my body.  I find great pleasure in fine motor skills.  Nowadays I spend a great deal of time operating tractors.  I laugh a lot, usually at my own brain.   I try to remember to play more, despite my initial appearance, it keeps me younger.  The technology that brings me up the most is called bluetooth.

Cat dad, professional dreamer, aspiring doer, originally from SW Minnesota.

Matt is a chill guy and the most AWESOME pack shed manager. He prefers his picture not to be shown, but is okay with me announcing to the world how great he is.

My name is Samantha Harvey (she/her) and I am from Portage, WI. I moved to Madison for school where I studied Sociology and Political Science. In my freetime, I love biking, going to concerts, reading, and enjoying Madison’s outdoor spaces. This is my 2nd season at Crossroads and I am looking forward to helping train and lead new farm crew members this season!

Samson is returning to Crossroads for a 2nd season, this time as an apprentice with Wisconsin Organic Farm Manager apprenticeship program. Samson is passionate about soil regeneration and his senior rat terrier. When not farming, he enjoys hiking, biking, and sewing. He named himself after the gorilla from the Milwaukee Zoo.

I’m an educator turned aspiring farmer with a deep commitment to sustainable agriculture. In 2021, I took a leap into agriculture, inspired by a love for regenerative practices and a vision for healing the land through natural methods. Now, I dream of opening a Farm Stop in Madison, Wisconsin—a space where small-scale farmers can thrive and neighbors can easily access fresh, local food. I see this as a way to uplift farmers, strengthen community connections, and make eating local food a simple, accessible choice for everyone. In my free time, you can find me competing in Ironman triathlons, fumbling my way through woodworking projects, or spending time with my wife, Allie, and our two daughters.

Forrest grew up in rural southwest Wisconsin. He graduated from Antioch College in 2015 with a fine arts degree. Since graduating college he has lived in Hawaii, Iowa and Nevada, before settling down in the Driftless Area. Forrest has spent the better part of the last decade as a cook, organizer, and food systems advocate. Most recently, he worked with the Wisconsin Farmers Union on the Wisconsin Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, a federally funded hunger relief initiative supporting Wisconsin’s small farms. Forrest is thrilled to join the Crossroads Community Farm team for the 2025 growing season.

I love growing healthy and beautiful food for our community! This is my fifth season as a farmer, with past farming experiences at Lovefood Farm (another awesome local organic farm), my own small operation Sunshine Salad Farm out at the Farley Center, and various WWOOF/volunteer experiences. I’m excited to learn about new crops I haven’t grown before, and to be a part of Crossroads’ mission to provide food for our community that supports the health of both people and planet!

Hey, I’m Connor. I grew up in Virginia, found a love of farming there and have traveled around the country farming and gardening ever since. I like to play banjo, fiddle and mandolin and I love to jam out with others when I can. I’m also a huge plant nerd and love to go on hikes to figure out what’s all out there.

I am from the Belmont/Platteville area of Wisconsin and have been growing vegetables since before I can remember in my family’s garden. In 2016, I graduated with a degree in Horticulture from UW-Madison and have since been working on organic vegetable farms. I have worked at Crossroads Community Farm on and off since 2020.  I enjoy trialing different vegetable varieties and especially love squash.

Hails from Somerset, WI. Descendant of dairy farmers. Studied physics at Carthage College when it was still a liberal arts school. Did not utilize his physics degree for very long. Loves literature, music, cinema, shooting hoops, making things, pacing, and gelatin dessert, among other things. Excited to begin a new chapter and grateful to be at Crossroads Community Farm!

Mercedes has been farming since 2017 and been at Crossroads in some capacity since 2019. She complains a lot about farming but is actually obsessed with it and always asks to come back each summer. Her favorite farm story is when she delivered a live laying hen instead of a whole frozen chicken to a customer during her first summer farming in Virginia.

 Natalia is a recent graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, where she studied Environmental Science. She is deeply passionate about local, seasonal produce and committed to reshaping our food systems through intentional, sustainable community farming. As a nature enthusiast who thrives outdoors and enjoys hands-on fieldwork, Natalia is excited to join the Crossroads Community Farm team this summer. In her free time, she also enjoys reading, cooking, and thrift shopping. 

Vegetable farmer, farrier, horse person, animal person. 3rd non-consecutive season at Crossroads.