Jeremy Laurange – Director of Retail
Jeremy has been working at the Farm Store for nearly 14 years. He started as a granola baker while studying art at Columbia Greene Community College before taking on a full time position as POS Administrator. After taking on various management roles within the Store, Jeremy was promoted to Store Manager in the fall of ‘15. Jeremy is a life-long Columbia County resident and currently lives in Chatham with his wife and two young children. In his spare time, he likes to take on creative endeavors and explore all the biking and hiking trails in the area.
Chandra Strompf – Operations Manager
Chandra is an alumna of Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School. After graduating in 2003, she spent some time in Lake Tahoe CA and Olympia WA. She moved to Harlemville after having her daughter, and settled in to raise her in the valley. She has worked at the Farm Store on and off for about 13 years, and has experience in nearly every department.
An accomplished artist, Chandra enjoys making and selling peg dolls. She loves learning from local artists, and has acquired many skills in this way, including glass bead making and leather work. She plans to add quilting to her list in the near future!
James Mannix – Chef
Dana Wagner – Food Service Coordinator
Dana has more than 22 years’ experience in the retail natural foods sector, most of which has been during her tenure at Hawthorne Valley Farm Store. Her experience doesn’t start there, though. Good food and agriculture runs in her blood. Dana grew up on a family farm where she learned the ropes from her father, a professor of agriculture at Central Missouri State University. After college, Dana moved to Greenwich, CT and worked for 10 years as a corporate travel coordinator for United Parcel Service Corporate Headquarters.
Dana’s retail marketing degree from CMSU served her well when in 1993, she moved to the area to allow her two small children the opportunity to attend Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School. When she became store manager in 2010, Dana played a pivotal role in growing Farm Store sales at 8% annually from 2010-2015.
Tristan O’Neill – Senior Buyer
A 2005 graduate of Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School, Tristan has worked at the Farm Store on and off for more than a decade. During those years, Tristan gained experience in all aspects of natural foods retailing, including stocking, receiving, buying, cooking, cleaning, cashiering, and managing floor staff.
After graduating in 2009 from the Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, Tristan spent a few years working in public radio before returning to Hawthorne Valley in 2012. He served four years as the Farm Store’s perishables buyer, where he led the refrigerated and meat departments to 47% and 66% growth respectively during that time span. Tristan was promoted to head grocery buyer in the summer of 2016, and is now responsible for frozen, bulk, and grocery purchasing as well as managing the other buyers.
Tristan brings passion and enthusiasm to work each day, and is proud to help generate revenue to support Hawthorne Valley’s mission of integrating education, agriculture and the arts. But beware, this office prankster spares nobody.
Grace Thalasinos – Perishables Buyer
Megan Gambacorta – Produce Buyer
