Board Members
Bart Berg was born and raised on Bainbridge Island. Bart is the founder of a local landscape architectural firm, Bart Berg Landscape, working principally on the island for 33 years. Bart joined the board in 2005. He serves chairperson of the projects committee. He initiated Sunday Farm Walks at the Suyematsu-Bentryn Farms and is the regular leader of monthly Saturday farm work parties. Bart is active in the Bainbride Island Metropolitan Park District’s trail advisory committee promoting and building trails on the island. He also has acted in many productions at Bainbridge Performing Arts and in local vocal performance groups. Bart received the Phyllis Young award from the Bainbridge Island Land Trust in 2005.
Ginny Brewer joined the board in 2008 and currently serves as chair of the fundraising committee. She has been on Bainbridge Island since 1978. She ran a small business in Winslow and worked as an ESL instructor at Olympic College for 15 years. Past volunteer experience includes serving on, including shifts as chairperson, the Bainbridge Island School District Multicultural Council, Bainbridge Island Arts and Humanities Council and Public Art Committee. Ginny is an avid gardener and can often be found walking her dog around Battle Point Park.
Christy Carr is a wetland biologist and planning consultant having whacked her way through island ecosystems since 2001. As a parent of a spunky and farm-focused six year old son, Jasper, Christy is deeply committed to the future of agriculture and local food on the island. Christy joined the board in 2006 and is currently the president. Christy serves on the site committee, and as the liaison with Friends of the Farms’ education partner, Global Source Education, in efforts to explore and expand K-12 curricular opportunities for agricultural-related education programs. Christy enjoys spreading the good word about local food and farming.
Pamela Grinter is a shareholder in the law firm of Riddell Williams P. S. Her practice includes business and tax law as well as assisting tax exempt organizations with corporate, federal and state tax matters, including organizing nonprofit corporations, obtaining and maintaining federal tax exemption and reorganizations. With her family on Bainbridge Island since the 1950′s, Pamela moved to the island in 2001. Pamela joined the board in 2010 to participate in the community by supporting Bainbridge farmers and increasing access to locally grown food. She also currently serves on the board of the Seattle Children’s Theater. She is a past board member of the Woodland Park Zoo Society, new Beginnings for Battered Women and their Children, and Provail. Pamela is also pro bono counsel for a variety of nonprofit organizations, including the Art Museum on Bainbridge Island, Kids Discovery Museum (Bainbridge Island), Furrytale Farm (Bainbridge Island), and Seattle Tilth, among others. Pamela currently serves as treasurer of Friends of the Farms.
Emily Magnotto grew up on Bainbridge Island. She first experienced gardening with her mom and dad while still a child. Later, while studying abroad in Italy and France, she enjoyed the food culture there and became more aware of the importance of knowing where food comes from. Emily owns Terra Bella Farms, a small local farming and food production business on Bainbridge Island. Emily’s best friend Rachel manages the farming aspect of the endeavor and Emily creates delicious breads for sale a the island’s Farmers’ Market. She greatly appreciates how Friends of the Farms is helping to make it possible for small farmers to get started and thrive. It has been a crucial source of support for Terra Bella Farms. Emily has served on the board of Friends of the Farms since 2011.
Brian McWhorter migrated to the West Coast in 1974, landing in Eugene, Oregon. He founded Butler Green Farms which has been in operation throughout Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap for over 25 years. Brian’s farm business includes direct-to-customer sales through his Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and the Farmers’ Market and sales to local restaurants and grocery stores. Brian currently operates at seven locations, utilizing various sites that may otherwise have remained idle, helping to preserve farmland and healthy, sustainable farm practices. Brian grows just about everything you would expect to find fresh and close to home, in addition to raising pigs, cows, lambs and chickens.
Karen Molinari joined the board of Friends of the Farms in December, 2011. Karen has lived on Bainbridge Island for the past 20 years and has been active in land preservation as the past Executive Director of the Bainbridge Island Land Trust and as a private consultant. While working as staff to the Kitsap County Food and Farm Policy Council, Karen helped to develop a County Farm Preservation Plan. She is excited to contribute to the sustainability of working farms on Bainbridge Island.
Bobbie Morgan is a retired speech/language pathologist who has been on the island since 1994. In 2001 she co-founded the Natural Landscapes Project, an environmental outreach and education nonprofit organization, and currently serves on the advisory board of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. Bobbie joined the Friends of the Farms board in 2009. She is vice-president of the board and currently serves on the fundraising and outreach committees. She sees that “re-localization” is coming, and believes that keeping farming alive in our community is one of the essentials for a viable future. Bobbie loves to read about sustainability and co-founded the Environmental Book Club. For more fun, she listens to all kinds of music, from opera to bluegrass and loves to eat local food cooked by her husband.
Dave Shorett has lived on Bainbridge Island about 28 years, joining the board in 2010 in an effort to foster farming on the island. Dave has also served on the Bainbridge Island Open Space Commission, Wyckoff Committee and Bainbridge Island Metropolitan Park District Board. Dave also writes about his avocations, having published four books on fishing and co-authored a book about island walks with his wife, Alice.
Ryan Vancil is the owner of Vancil Law Offices, PLLC. His professional experience emphasizes land use and environmental litigation on behalf of citizen groups, individuals, and environmental organizations. Ryan has been a board member since 2003, and served as president for two of those years. Ryan is currently chairperson of the legal and policy committee working to develop farmland policies, management plans and farmer leases.
Bestey Wittick is the founder and owner of Laughing Crow Farm on Bainbridge Island. A New Jersey native, Betsey first discovered the island in 1984 and began farming on her own in 1990. She specializes in a variety of crops including heirloom potatoes, onions, and garlic and has success experimenting with peaches and grain. Betsey started working with Gerard and JoAnn Bentryn at Bainbridge Island Vineyards and Winery in 1989. In the ensuing 20-plus years among the vines, Betsey has learned to love mentoring, educating and generally getting people involved in the grape growing process. Betsey is also consistently active in local planning and policy efforts, community events, and educational programs with local school children.
Friends of the Farms has a number of committees that work on specific projects. Committee membership is open to non-Board members. If you are interested in joining a committee, please contact info@friendsofthefarms.org to find out how to become a member of one of our committees. We would appreciate your involvement.
Friends of the Farms Committees
- Executive
- Outreach
- Site
- Projects
- Philanthropy
