Grow Food Northampton Announces Addition of Three New Board Members

NORTHAMPTON — Local food and farming justice nonprofit organization Grow Food Northampton announced the addition of a cohort of three new members to the organization’s board of directors.

The new members — Dan Cannity, Hellen Muma, and Mark Seifried — bring a diversity of personal and professional experience to the work of governing Grow Food Northampton, and a deep commitment to the values and work of the organization to both feed community members who are experiencing hunger and establish a robust and just local food system for the Greater Northampton area for the long term.

Cannity has been active in social justice causes for most of his life and served as co-chair of the Northampton Policing Review commission. As a self-described foodie, he frequents Grow Food Northampton’s Tuesday and Winter markets in search of things to try. He is excited by the possibilities and community-building spaces Grow Food Northampton is creating and is proud to help support these efforts.

Muma is a public health professional and public health policy associate with the Springfield Food Policy Council, where she works to advance equitable food access and strengthen local food systems. Her work focuses on addressing systemic barriers to food access and supporting policy and advocacy efforts that center community health and equity. She earned a bachelor’s degree in public health from UMass Amherst in 2023 and a master of public health degree in epidemiology in 2024.

Raised farming alongside her Kenyan immigrant parents, Muma’s connection to food and land is deeply personal and informs her approach to public health work, which is grounded in the belief that access to nourishing food is a right, not a privilege, and that community-led solutions are essential to building just and resilient food systems.

Seifried has been an organic gardener and involved with community gardens and local farms since the 1980s. As a former restaurant operator and food pantry and soup kitchen manager, he has a passion for building community around wholesome and delicious food. He currently serves as pastor and teacher of Haydenville Congregational Church, leads a private spiritual companion practice, and is a community organizer and listening circle facilitator.