Justine Gray Leads Community Garden Efforts at Duke Farms

The University of Vermont has named Justine Gray as its new Community Garden and Programs coordinator at Duke Farms. Gray takes on this role to expand the institution's agricultural outreach and educational initiatives.

Gray brings more than 15 years of hands-on experience to the position. Her professional background includes managing a farm and retail market. She has also taught marketing to regenerative farms across the county. Before joining the university system, she worked at a historical farm that utilizes turn-of-the-century practices, including farming with horses.

Currently, Gray manages the largest community garden in the county. She views this role as a central part of her work at the 2,700-acre living lab. Her daily responsibilities involve coordinating programs that bring people directly to the soil.

Gray’s professional goals focus on making farming and gardening accessible to everyone. She specifically aims to connect small-scale farming and gardening with efforts to reduce food insecurity. Her work seeks to bridge the gap between local agricultural production and community nutritional needs.

Gray earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Ithaca College. She now serves within the Institute for Agroecology at UVM. Her appointment adds a focus on community engagement to the university’s existing agricultural research and teaching portfolio.

Residents and students in the area can expect new programmatic updates under her leadership. The university did not announce a specific start date for new community workshops. Gray continues to manage the existing garden infrastructure while planning future educational activities.