Stacey Cooper
Deputy Director / Director of Agriculture
Stacey joined the Cedar Circle team in February of 2022 as the Director of Agriculture.
Most recently she was an Organic and Small Farm specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) in Oregon and had previously worked as a Soil Conservationist in Orford, NH. Bringing experience in farm production and management in addition to soil health and farm conservation, she made the move back to the Upper Valley to be closer to her family.
After earning her Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Landscape Ecology from Antioch New England, her heightened awareness of the role of agriculture in climate change and pending food security issues led to her to seek work with Vegetable Ranch, LLC in New Hampshire where she became manager of a 15 acre organic vegetable farm. In 2015 the Concord Food Coop hired Stacey on to start a new organic farm on historic Shaker land with the goal of providing more local organic produce for the Coop. She implemented a no till permanent raised bed system at the farm and taught workshops on no till systems, vegetable production and home gardening.
In her work as both a farm manager and a conservationist, she has focused intensely on soil health and regenerative agricultural practices, working with other farmers and gardeners in the development and adoption of sustainable growing methods that are scale appropriate.
Being a long-term renter, Stacey exercises her green thumb and support of the local system by growing vegetables for her family in a community garden and preserving local foods at home.