Our Team
The BFA team is the backbone of our organization. We believe that our success is only possible through deep collaborations, partnerships and team work. Our staff and allies enable us to take up the mantle of the day-to-day work to achieve our mission of increasing quality in food, and to empower growers around the globe through our open source tools of information.
BFA Core
Dan Kittredge
Founder
Executive Director
Dan has been an organic farmer for more than 30 years. He grew up on Many Hands Organic Farm in central Massachusetts with his parents, Julie Rawson, NOFA-MA Executive Director, and Jack Kittredge, publisher of Natural Farmer. After working globally in the late 90s and early 2000s with farmers, NGOs, and researchers across India, Russia, and Central America, Dan returned to the U.S. and in 2010 launched the BFA in order to ignite a movement around food quality.
Dan has become one of the leading proponents of “nutrient density,” and works to demonstrate the connections between soil health, plant health, and human health through workshops and speaking engagements around the world, the annual Soil and Nutrition Conference, and an increased presence online through social media, a YouTube channel, and numerous webinars and podcasts.
Dan launched the Real Food Campaign, now the Bionutrient Institute, that, with open-source science partners Our-Sci and FarmOS, are leading the effort to identify and increase nutrition in the food supply. The Bionutrient Institute has engineered and released a hand-held consumer spectrometer, the Bionutrient Meter, designed to test nutrient density at the point of purchase and bring transparency to the marketplace. Via the Bionutrient Meter, the goal is to empower consumers to choose their foods based on nutrient quality and thereby leverage economic incentives to drive full system regeneration.
Sarah Seng
Development
Director
Sarah is the Development Director at the Bionutrient Food Association (BFA), where our mission is to define and democratize nutrient density across 20 key food crops. Our goal is to ensure that the standards we develop remain in the public domain—accessible, open, and equitable for all.
At BFA, we see nutrient density as one of the most transformative levers in the food system. Emerging research highlights a powerful link between soil health and the nutritional value of food, with strong evidence that lower chemical inputs and greater biological activity result in more nutrient-rich crops. This isn’t just a scientific breakthrough—it’s a systems-level opportunity.
By establishing nutrient density as a measurable, actionable metric, we aim to shift how food quality is understood, valued, and rewarded. When adopted in corporate and sustainability reporting, nutrient density has the potential to change land management practices, improve farm profitability, increase pest and disease resistance, and deliver more flavorful, nutrient-rich food to consumers.
Sarah’s background spans engineering, agriculture, education, and governance, and she approaches development through a systems-thinking lens—connecting strategic frameworks with on-the-ground realities. A key area of focus in her work is the intersection of global sustainability standards and economic systems, especially how they shape capital flows and market access. She is deeply committed to ensuring that farmers—particularly those at the grassroots—have access to the tools, data, and context they need to thrive in an evolving global food economy.
Outside of BFA, Sarah serves as Treasurer on the Board of Food Connect Shed Pty Ltd (Australia), a community-owned food hub. In partnership with the Food Connect Foundation, she’s working toward a bold goal: to significantly increase local food production in Brisbane by the 2032 Olympics, as part of a long-term regional resilience and food sovereignty strategy.
At the heart of all her work is a simple belief: food is a first language—a universal connector between people, cultures, and ecosystems. Whether through nutrient density research, sustainability reporting, or grassroots education, Sarah is committed to helping build resilient food systems that nourish both people and the planet.
If you’re working at the intersection of food, sustainability, systems thinking, or community resilience—or if you're curious about nutrient density as a tool for transformation, or would love to support our work—please reach out.
Shawna Lyons
Operations
Shawna loves adventure and challenge. One of her favorite quotes is “this is the way we’ve always done it” because she sees that as a ripe opportunity for change and growth. She recently helped a local non-profit keep from closing its doors by identifying an additional area of need that launched a new direction for the organization and restructured a high input farming program by developing a living soil system, greatly reducing labor needs and inputs. She looks at the world through the lens of "we are where we are by choice and we can get to where we want to be by choice" nothing has to stay the way it is.
Shawna has been involved in growing food for over 25 years-from an apprentice to a homesteader to a farm manager and now a consultant- She has turned her suburban backyard into a mini-farm complete with rabbits, chickens and over 50 varieties of crops. She has a degree in Soil and Crop Sciences with a focus on Organic Agriculture. Once she was introduced to the BFA, she never looked back. She is honored to be supporting communities built around nutrient dense foods and regenerative farming practices.
Adam Parsons
Art
Direction
As Creative Director for the Bionutrient Food Association, Adam shapes the visual and narrative identity of the organization, translating complex ideas about nutrient density and soil health into clear, compelling messages. His work ensures the mission resonates across audiences—from farmers and scientists to consumers and advocates. Adam leads creative strategy and execution across media, guiding campaigns, educational tools, and brand storytelling. By connecting science with emotion and design with purpose, he helps build a cultural movement that redefines food quality as a vital, human experience.
Erica Campbell
Communications
Strategist
Erica works with BFA on communications strategy and implementation. With 25 years of experience in strategic planning, evaluation, nonprofit management, community development, and policy in agriculture and food systems, Erica is passionate about building better foodways. She most recently co-founded InCommon Group, a strategic food systems consulting firm.
She was part of Vermont’s early local food and farm to school movement, including serving as the director of Vermont Farm to Plate, leading a statewide policy implementation coalition of 350 organizations. She has developed several regional food system plans, including the Regional Food Systems Plan for Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom (2011) and Essex County, NY Farmland Protection and Food Systems Plan (2022), as well as a local land use planning tool, Sustaining Agriculture and several peer-reviewed journal articles. Erica is also an expert in food systems and agriculture policy ranging from conservation to food security, having worked as a policy advisor for Senator Bernie Sanders and as the Policy & Education Director for Kiss the Ground. Erica has a masters of science degree in Community Development and Applied Economics from University of Vermont. A Sixth generation Vermonter, she now splits time between Kansas City and her home state.
Ayesha Ali
Communications
Strategist
Ayesha Ali supports BFA with communications strategy and implementation. Her career has focused on the intersections of agricultural policy, food systems, and climate mitigation. She is co-founder of InCommon Group, a strategic food systems consulting firm. She previously worked as the Policy Manager for Kiss the Ground where she managed the Regenerate America and led all campaign communications. Prior to that, she held roles as a Research and Editorial Associate at HUI Research, conducting qualitative research on the relationship between increased environmental awareness in Sweden and national consumption trends for the 2019/2020 national trade report; and as a Public Relations and Communications Assistant at Prime Weber Shandwick, where she served as a copywriter and editor for multiple international campaigns and conducted research on public and private efforts in Sweden to address and/or achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals. Ayesha holds a B.A. in Legal Studies from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.A. in Global Environmental History from Uppsala Universitet, where her research centered around agricultural production and global food supply chain policies. Ayesha lives in California, splitting time between the Bay Area and Riverside.
Rachel Jackson
Graphic
Designer
Rachel has a love for all things outdoors, including a focus on the health of the food systems that feed us. She previously worked as the Marketing & Communications Manager for Pipeline Foods, a supply chain company for organic grains. Rachel resides in Montana, across from a wheat field, and is devoted to playing her part in expanding access to healthier food that is food for both the earth and the humans and animals inhabiting it.
Alessandra Follesa
Accounting and
Finance Director
As Accounting and Finance Director, Alessandra Follesa is dedicated to fostering accounting and financial health and sustainability, ensuring we achieve our strategic objectives. Alessandra holds a double MBA in Professional Corporate Management and Corporate Finance from University of Pisa, which equipped her with advanced expertise in financial analysis, strategic planning, and corporate governance. Throughout her career, Alessandra has provided tailored financial solutions that drive business growth and operational efficiency since her proficiency encompasses budgeting, financial forecasting, payroll management, and risk assessment, enabling organisations to navigate complex financial landscapes with confidence. When she’s not navigating the complexities of finance & accounting, she’s either exploring new cultures, exotic cuisines or diving somewhere by the coral reefs.
BFA Board
Dan Kittredge
Bionutrient Food Association
Amanda Pinelli
Bionutrient Food Association
Derek Christianson
Brix Bounty Farm
Lindsay Rebhan
Ecological Design
David Forster
Forster Soil Management
Nigel Sharp
CEO, Tiverton Agriculture Impact Fund
Our Core Partners
Our-Sci Team
Greg Austic
Researcher
Greg coordinates implementation of the observational study and partner labs, development of the BI meter, and the software infrastructure to maintain and analyze the data.
Open technology advocate, co-organizer of the GOSH and the GOAT. Jack of all trades capable of getting an idea off the ground quickly and inexpensively.
Dr. Dan TerAvest Ph.D.
Soil Scientist
Dr. Dan TerAvest is a Soil Scientist and co-founder of Our Sci LLC. For the past 5 years he has been bridging the divide between tool development and user experience, coordinating between technical and user teams in the US, Africa, and Australia to develop appropriate tools and methods. Dan is currently leading development of SoilStack, a smart soil sampling app to quantify soil carbon at the field and landscape scales.
BI Role:
Dan developed and led the Bionutrient Institute’s grower and citizen science partner programs prior to 2021. He also implements the Bionutrient Institutes distributed data collection pipeline, ensuring that partners can capture the sample metadata (how the food was grown, labelled, etc) needed to build a robust library of food, soil and management data.
Nick Cronan
Strategic Advisor
Nick is a designer, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Branch Creative, an award-winning San Francisco-based Industrial design studio. For over 20 years, he has been bringing elegantly designed and engineered products to market that have a positive and lasting impact on people and the world around them. He specializes in solving complex challenges that lead to groundbreaking experiences. He is committed to working with scientists, farmers, and environmentalists, to build products and experiences that work with nature, not against it.
Role:
Nick is advising the Bionutrient Institute on their next-generation meter to help as many people as possible learn about the importance of nutrient-dense food.