MEET THE TEAM

Chickadee Creek Farm is run by a team of dedicated farmers.
The farm team is composed of hard-working individuals who have a passion for practicing sustainable agriculture. Farming is wonderful work, and we're grateful to be able to grow quality, organic produce for your table.

Jess

Jess Niederer grew up on the 80 acre Niederer family farm on Titus Mill Road in Pennington, NJ. She graduated from Cornell with a degree in Natural Resources and worked in conservation biology, ornithology, disaster relief, and development work. After traveling far and wide during her college years, Jess started Chickadee Creek Farm in 2010. Today she owns and operates the farm with the dedicated farm team.

Jeff

Jeffrey B. Hill manages high tunnel maintenance, irrigation, and order packing, as well as field crew management and lots of tractor work. Jeff also works the Princeton Farmers Market. Jeff has been working on farms in one capacity or another since 2005. He's been here at Chickadee since 2020. Born and raised in Hopewell Boro, when not farming he and his son Jamie enjoy exploring the local streams, rivers, and woods, and creating all kinds of art. Jeffs favorite pastime is wood-working. Jeff’s favorite vegetable is sweet salad turnips because they are the most fun to Harvest!

Kat

Kat manages the greenhouse and microgreens and works the Morris County Farmers Market. She began farming in 2021, and started at Chickadee Creek Farm in September of that year. Her farming goal is to someday have her own farm, where she will grow organic veggies and provide education to children about the importance of organic farming. She was born in Massachusetts. Outside of work, Kat loves listening to music and spending quality time with her friends. Her favorite vegetable is arugula because it’s a flavorful green that can be used in lots of dishes!

Anna T

Anna T works the Denville Farmers Market and helps with cut flowers.
Anna started her farming journey in 2021, and has worked at Chickadee Creek Farm ever since. She has also worked at a dairy farm and loves working with livestock, too! Her farming goal is to practice focused and intentional farming. Anna is originally from out west, but has lived in New Jersey since 2020. When she’s not farming, Anna enjoys mushroom foraging, crafting, leather tanning, and preserving foods. Her favorite veggie is onion; It has such a complex and sweet flavor. When the mood strikes, she loves taking big bites out of a whole bulb (crazy, I know!)

Hannah

Hannah manages harvest and cut flowers and works the Denville Farmers Market. Hannah transitioned to farming from academia in 2021 and will never look back! She loves cut flower production and hopes to continue growing in that direction with her partner, Anna T. Hannah moved to NJ from California in 2018, but is happy to call central Jersey home now. Outside farming, she loves to forage for things to eat in the woods (especially mushrooms) and take photos of nature. Her favorite veggie is garlic because you can use every part of it and it’s super good for us! Sometimes the farmers joke that she smells like garlic (in a good way!)

Anna H

Anna H works the West Windsor Farmers Market in the winter. Anna farmed in NJ in 2014, at a small farm outside San Diego in 2022, and started at Chickadee in 2023. She grew up in Bucks County, PA and is happy to be back in the area after having been away for the past few years. She enjoys many outdoor activities including hiking and backpacking, and also dabbles in watercolors. She refuses to settle for one favorite veggie, because why not choose them all?

Scott

Scott Van Kuiken, manages our high tunnel production, crew, and ends up doing a lot of our tractor work! Scott is currently on a sabbatical . Scott started farming in 2012, and has been at Chickadee Creek Farm since 2017. He’s from Grand Rapids, MI. Scott's hobbies outside the farm include biking and board games (his favorite is Agricola). His favorite crop to grow is tomatoes, because of how involved and detailed they are to grow, plus the flavors, shapes, colors, heftiness.

Joe

Joe manages transplanting and vehicle maintenance, works the West Windsor Farmers Market in the winter, and worked the on-farm market in 2023. Joe started farming in 2023 after ten years in automotive restyling. He’s from Hainesport, NJ. Hobbies outside the farm: Joe plays the bass in the band The Forestview Movement! His favorite veggies are sweet potatoes: they’re sweet, nutritious, and great for pie.

Margret

Margret manages everything to do with our bustling spring plant sales! You can also find her helping you get through the checkout line at the Pennington Farmers Market stand. Margret is from the Netherlands but has been a Pennington resident for the last 20 years. Hobbies outside the farm: gardening with native plants!

Sophie

Sophie C. is our lead transplanter, perhaps our fastest greenhouse potter, and does a lot of our tractor work in the field. She is testing out the idea of working the Denville Farmers Market this summer. Sophie began farming in high school at her school's farm, and has since worked farm stands, farmers markets, and on other production farms. She started with Chickadee in the winter of 2024.