CO-CHAIR

Pierre Friedrichs has been a dedicated member of Slow Food for 18 years, serving in roles ranging from Treasurer to Chair at Slow Food East End. He organized the "A Moveable Feast" fundraiser benefiting the School Gardens Project in partnership with the Joshua Levine Memorial Foundation, and co-launched the Chefs to Schools Initiative.

Pierre grew up on Mill Bank Farms, his family's 80-acre farm near New Orleans, where they cultivated their own food. This upbringing inspired his career in food retailing. He has worked as a corporate caterer at Rockefeller Center, restaurant owner, front-of-house manager, independent caterer, and private chef. Pierre is also a chef, farmer, and beekeeper active in local food communities known for diverse food producers embracing Slow Food principles.

Since April 2018, Pierre and his husband David have operated Overlook Farms in East Chatham, NY—a 125-acre property with alpacas, chickens, guinea fowl, ducks, and pigs.

Pierre continues his commitment to Slow Food as a member of the Slow Food USA regional council for Upstate New York, Vice-Chair of Slow Food New York State, and co-chair of Slow Food Hudson Valley.

CO-CHAIR

Phil is a farmer originally from New Jersey and is the Director of Farm Operations at Sky High Farm in Ancramdale, NJ. Phil originally ran a vegetable CSA in Mendham, NJ with his brother, and eventually transitioned to working with livestock at non-profit farms in the Northeast. For the last 7 years, Phil has worked in the emergency food system through donating products grown on-farm to local food pantries battling food insecurity in their communities. Phil is Slow Food Hudson Valley’s Co-Chair and supports the chapter’s mission through his operations experience and systems thinking. Phil is passionate about connecting with other farmers in his community and building a support network through meaningful farmer-to-farmer relationships. 

TREASURER

Anna

Anna Chapin is an accountant by training and has served as CFO of Blacklight MA, a media buying agency, for over 17 years. She brings financial insight, and a commitment to transparency and sustainability to her role as Treasurer of Slow Food Hudson Valley.

Outside of her professional work, Anna is a passionate gardener, cook, and steward of the land. She previously ran her own business, Stone Bridge Cider, where she crafted small-batch hard cider using apples grown on her Hudson Valley property. She raises chickens, guinea fowl, and quail, and is especially devoted to composting and building healthy soil as a foundation for resilient food systems. Anna is also engaged in native species restoration, with a special love for the American Chestnut.

She believes that food is a powerful force for connection, culture, and resilience, and is proud to support the mission of Slow Food through both her hands-on practices and behind-the-scenes finance work.

SECRETARY

Jacqui Rose first discovered the benefits of local, healthy food at age eight when she was tasked with preparing dinner twice a week for her father and brother while her mother pursued a graduate degree at night. Her “signature dish”—roasted chicken stuffed with lemons and oranges—remains a staple in her repertoire to this day. This early experience sparked a lifelong interest in cooking, fueled by her love of eating. For Jacqui, food has always meant community, whether during extended family celebrations on Long Island, resisting an unhealthy meal plan in Michigan dorms, or hosting dinners for colleagues and friends during her 27 years in Washington, DC. In 1999, encountering the Slow Food movement in Italy affirmed her belief in using local, seasonal, and organic ingredients, and in savoring the process of preparing and enjoying food. She credits her late husband Lew, who discovered the Hudson Valley as the perfect retirement destination in 2015, and she has called Red Hook home ever since. There, Jacqui enjoys exploring local farms, vineyards, restaurants, and distilleries, and has formed a close group of friends—her “framily”—who share her passion for cooking, eating, and entertaining. When not in the kitchen or hosting, she spends much of her time reading (especially angst-filled Southern novels), quilting, sewing, practicing Pilates, and attempting to discipline her two large dogs: Sadie, a rescue pit/lab mix, and Taffy, a mischievous yellow Lab.

BOARD MEMBER

Robin Touchet first learned about the Slow Food movement through a wine job in Oregon in the early 90s. She then spent a decade in Italy, where the Slow Food snail of approval figured daily in her shopping and dining choices. She learned to embrace seasonal eating, anticipating the arrival of the season’s first strawberries and asparagus, and coming to appreciate their brief windows of availability. Robin loved being immersed in the Italian culture, traveling and learning about regional specialties and how local people preserve their traditions. Food and wine then became windows into agriculture and culture and she brought those passions back home with her, working in wine distribution for over a decade. Robin and her husband Kevin put down roots in the Hudson Valley in 2012 and founded Branchwater Farms in 2014. They grow grains using organic, Biodynamic and regenerative farming principles, which they then turn into spirits in the old dairy barn they converted into a distillery in 2020. They also raise chickens and ducks for meat, eggs and entertainment. Robin is excited to help promote the Slow Food mission of good, clean and fair food for all with her Hudson Valley community.

Mona Talbott and her life partner, Kate Arding, co-founded Talbott & Arding Cheese and Provisions in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Mona began her career cooking in British Columbia reforestation camps, eventually graduating with highest honors from the Western Culinary Institute in Portland in 1993.

She joined Chez Panisse Cafe, where she learned to value simplicity, provenance, and the connections forged around food. After five years, she cooked in France before becoming a private chef and caterer in New York City, where she also discovered the Hudson Valley.

In 2006, Alice Waters selected Mona as Founding Executive Chef of the Rome Sustainable Food Project at the American Academy in Rome, where she built a kitchen rooted in Roman food traditions and served as both chef and educator.

 Her five-year tenure included publishing two cookbooks and features in major publications.

 In 2014, Mona and Kate opened Talbott & Arding, offering housemade foods that highlight craftsmanship and seasonal ingredients.

COMMUNICATION/SOCIAL MEDIA

For over three decades, Mike Fish has worked at the intersection of media, storytelling, and brand strategy. His career began in New York City, where he built a foundation in advertising, media planning, and communications across both agency and in-house roles. From national retail campaigns to editorial calendars and digital content, Mike has shaped messaging for a range of lifestyle brands with a focus on clarity, authenticity, and connection.

A longtime creative rooted in the Hudson Valley, Mike also spent time in local media at Radio Woodstock, where he contributed to copywriting, social media, and broadcast planning and sales — deepening his ties to the region’s vibrant community.

Today, Mike is the co-founder of Pogliani Select, a Hudson Valley-based importer of artisan, Italian single-estate olive oils, balsamic vinegars, and regional culinary products. Together with partner Walter Pogliani, he leads communications and brand development, blending his media background with a passion for sustainable agriculture and Italian food heritage. Pogliani Select works closely with small producers across Italy and collaborates with farms, chefs, and green

Franki is a livestock farmer from Orange County, CA and is the manager of Liberty Farms in Ghent, NY. Franki has a deep passion for livestock welfare and production and specializes in raising sheep in particular. While in college at University of San Francisco, Franki encountered Slow Food during her study abroad semester in Florence, Italy and has always been a food lover and advocate for fresh, locally-grown ingredients. Franki believes in being a supportive mentor in the livestock farming community in the Hudson Valley and genuinely enjoys helping others overcome obstacles on their farms and providing advice. She is a supportive member of the board and helps by sharing resources and connections she has made since she started farming here. 

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Daniel Pucci is one of the world's leading cider experts. In 2015 he was a founding beverage manager at Wassail, NYC's first cider restaurant. He is the author of American Cider a Modern Guide to a Historic Beverage, (2021, Pengiun Random House)  a book that charts the the path of apples and cider through America's history from slave plantations to in the Southeast, and westward European expansion to consolidated irrigated orchards and the role that cider played in both the historic and contemporary revival. As of 2024 he took over as publisher of Malus, a print-only cider/apple focused publication. He also produces the Hudson Valley Cider Symposium now entering its 5th year in 2025

In 2017, Pucci started Wallabout Hospitality, to assist restaurants and other food, and hospitality business. Wallabout builds the necessary operating structures and systems for the industry, including operations, financial management, human resources, project development. Pucci works with clients of various sizes, up and down the Hudson Valley, New York City and further afield to stabilize and grow food businesses. 

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Julie Fels has been a Hudson Valley resident for over 30 years. A 1992 graduate of Bard College with a degree in literature, Julie fell in love with the Hudson Valley and decided never to leave. A librarian for many years, Julie and her husband, Theo, founded Feisty Brown, a design and communication studio in 2017. Julie is Lebanese on her father’s side and wanted to share some of her favorite foods with residents of Columbia County, where food from the eastern Mediterranean is underrepresented, so in 2022 Julie and Theo began Hamrah’s Seven Spice, a traditional Lebanese foods business that showcases local and organic meats and produce in their products. At this time, Hamrah’s sells their food at both the Kinderhook and Hudson Farmers Markets and at the Hawthorne Valley Farm Store. Julie has two children: Felix is graduating from Bard College Conservatory of Music with a dual degree in Horn Performance and Philosophy this year, and Phoebe is finishing her second year at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Advertising and Marketing Communication. Julie and Theo live with their two labradors, Bee and Juniper, in Kinderhook and love gardening, cooking, reading, playing backgammon, and sometimes just doing nothing.

BOARD MEMBER

Joshua Rosas is a vegetable farmer here in the Hudson Valley. Originally from Houston Texas, Joshua began farming there 8 years ago. Recently moving to the Hudson valley to manage Rigor Hill Farms annual vegetable production. Rigor Hill Farm supplies the Michelin starred restaurant, one white street in Manhattan as well as it neighboring market, aptly named after the farm. Recently Joshua was part of the Farm team at rigor hill farm when the restaurant and farm received a green Michelin star. Recognizing it efforts in sustainablility, seasonality and locality.

Nicole's interest in animal behavior and husbandry began while she was working at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. This experience inspired her to study Animal Science at Cornell University, where she also worked on a small hog operation and interned at the Groundswell Center for Local Food and Farming. In 2017, Nicole joined the Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming as a livestock apprentice. This non-profit organization supports food and farming changemakers in New York's Hudson Valley and beyond. In 2018, she moved to New Zealand to work on sheep, beef, and deer operations across various land sizes. During her year there, she gained a global perspective on meat production and developed an appreciation for the local culture. In 2019, Nicole returned to Glynwood as the Assistant Livestock Manager. She currently is the Farm Director of the Livestock Operation and Farm Outreach, overseeing Glynwood's certified Animal Welfare-Approved livestock operation. In this role, she manages herd health and nutritional care while teaching apprentices about five species in a pasture-based system.

Valerie is a recent transplant to the Hudson Valley and a writer and editor specializing in the interconnections of food, wine, culture, and environmental stewardship. Her work appears regularly in Noble Rot, SevenFifty Daily, and several other food and wine-focused platforms. Valerie has written widely on topics that reflect Slow Food values, including biodynamic and regenerative viticulture, the preservation of native grape varieties and endangered foods, farm labor practices, and traditional foodways. She is also the co-founder and co-editor-in-chief of TRINK magazine, a publication that covers the wine cultures of German-speaking Europe. Most relevantly, she has a deep and abiding interest in responsible agriculture and in promoting the flourishing of regional food systems. As a Slow Food Hudson Valley board member, she aims to strengthen the organization’s voice through engaging communications on the intersection of community with the universal values of good, clean, fair, local food.