Two agricultural leaders will be stepping into new positions at the Farm Hub this fall. K Greene, who currently leads the Farm Hub’s Seed Growing Program, has been named the Director of Seeds and Engagement, and Paul Rogé will join the Farm Hub in December as Director of Research and Education.
Working closely with team leaders across the farm, these roles will significantly advance the Farm’s research, education, and public engagement initiatives to catalyze positive change towards a regenerative regional food system.
In his new role as Director of Seeds and Engagement, K Greene will lead our public engagement and communication efforts across departments and with our broader community. The Seed Growing Program will continue and expand under K’s leadership, building on its strong foundation to further integrate seed stewardship into our mission of fostering a resilient food system. K will step into the new position full-time in mid-October.
Paul, as Director of Research and Education, will set and guide the Farm Hub’s research strategy and educational vision, advancing bold, land-based inquiry rooted in curiosity, experimentation, and deep listening. An agroecologist, Paul will be relocating to the Hudson Valley from Minneapolis where he has, most recently, been a Senior Program Officer at the McKnight Foundation.
About K Greene…
K has over 20 years of experience in transforming regional and national farming systems. With a deep passion for seeds, plants, soil, and people, K has been instrumental in driving change and innovation within the agricultural sector. For the past eleven years, K has been an integral part of the Hudson Valley Farm Hub.
Beginning with a single jar of local beans at the Gardiner Library, K’s work has grown into a lifelong commitment to reimagining how communities relate to seeds. K co-founded and directed the Hudson Valley Seed Company, growing it from a small 2-acre project to a successful 30-acre enterprise. His innovative approach to seed packaging, collaborating with artists to tell the stories of seeds, has been showcased in over 150 venues across the US and abroad. An accomplished speaker, K has delivered keynotes and lectures at conferences and institutions such as the Organic Seed Growers Conference, New York Botanic Garden, and University of Wisconsin-Madison. His insights have been featured in notable media outlets including Civil Eats, Wall Street Journal, and NPR.
K has trained libraries across the country to establish their own seed libraries, advancing community access to seeds and knowledge. His work has also included extensive teaching, lecturing, and mentoring within the farming and food systems community. For K, seeds have always been more than crops, they are vessels of memory, resilience, and connection. The collaborations he has nurtured through the Seed Growing Program will remain a cornerstone of the Farm Hub. As Director of Seeds and Engagement, K will carry this work forward, expanding its scope and deepening local community connections while honoring the strong foundation already in place.
Introducing Paul Rogé…
Paul Rogé brings more than 20 years of experience in agroecology research, education, and nonprofit leadership. He will join the Hudson Valley Farm Hub following over four years as a Senior Program Officer at the McKnight Foundation, where he led the advancement of agroecological science within the Global Collaboration for Resilient Food Systems program. In this role, Paul managed a diverse grant portfolio across 10 countries, focusing on soil health, ecological pest and disease management, and agrobiodiversity.
Paul’s prior academic research at UC Berkeley and Michigan State University spanned the Americas and Africa, with publications in leading journals on topics such as soil health, smallholder perennial grains, and climate resilience among small farms in southern Mexico. Paul holds a PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from UC Berkeley and is deeply connected to a global network of researchers, educators, farmers, and entrepreneurs working to advance agroecological food systems.
Paul is also a dedicated educator and nonprofit leader, having co-founded Agroecology Commons and developed curricula for beginning farmer training programs. He has taught food systems courses at Merritt College and UC Berkeley, coordinated urban agroecology programs, and served as vice chair of Merritt College’s curriculum committee. His hands-on farm management experience includes operating an insectary for an edible insect company, managing a mid-scale vermicompost cooperative, running a demonstration farm and year-round CSA program, and conducting multiple agronomic experiments.
Fluent in four languages including Spanish, Paul lived in Oaxaca, Mexico for two years during his doctoral fieldwork and has long collaborated with Spanish-speaking farmers in California.
Looking forward…
“We are so looking forward to working with K and Paul in these capacities,” says Julianne Schrader Ortega, the Farm Hub’s Managing Director. “The Farm Hub is truly fortunate to have these wonderful individuals bringing their deep expertise and commitment to uplifting all the existing wisdom and experience on the farm as we collectively foster innovation, connection, and resilience across the regional food system.”