Ellen Conti (she/her) – Farm Director
A New York native, she grew up playing in the woods and learning about nature and science. She is excited to share her love of learning and farming with our apprentices while leading the farm. Ellen and her dog Amelia look forward to making connections with the community here and contributing to the farm’s mission. Outside of work she enjoys walking in the woods, mountain biking, spending time with friends and family, reading and cooking.
Ella Schwarzbaum (she/her) – Education and Food Justice Director
Ella is a New York City native who came to agriculture as she learned more about the industrial farming system that provided most of the food around her. Ella majored in Environmental Studies at Binghamton University and received a masters in Childhood Education, General and Special Education (grades 1-6). After teaching elementary school science in the South Bronx it was time for a change of pace, and she has been farming in the Hudson Valley ever since. She is very excited to continue combining her love of education and farming as part of the Phillies Bridge Farm Project family! When she is not farming, Ella is often dreaming of goats or working on a crochet project.
You can reach Ella education@philliesbridge.org
Jazmine Langlitz (she/her) – Admin & Finance Director
Jazmine is the administrative director in her seventh year at Phillies Bridge Farm. Beginning her tenure with Phillies Bridge as the camp director, Jazmine moved into the administrative office in 2020. A Hudson Valley native, Jazmine attended SUNY New Paltz and fell in love with the town. She went on to receive her Masters Degree in Education from Endicott College in Beverly, MA. She enjoys teaching math, among other subjects, and is intrigued by creating connections to nature in education. In her spare time, Jazmine explores liberty training with her horses, Pax and Nami, and hangs out with her family while camping, hiking, and skiing. She is looking forward to a beautiful and fruitful 2025! She can be reached at info@philliesbridge.org.
Taylor Hopkins – Assistant Farm Manager Taylor is going into her second year here at Phillies Bridge. Born and raised in New York, Taylor grew up working in the family ice cream business where she developed a passion for connecting with the local community. A graduate from LIM College in NYC, Taylor worked 10+ years as an expert in supply chain management before shifting her career to farming. When not farming, you can find Taylor spending time with her dog Otis or baking delicious vegan pastries. Taylor is most looking forward to applying regenerative farming techniques this year.
Leah Yaker – 2025 Farm Apprentice Growing up in Northern New Jersey, Leah has always had a passion for outdoor adventure and went out of her way to connect with nature whenever possible. She completed her B.A. in Communications with a minor in Organizational and Community Leadership at the University of Delaware in 2021. Since then, she has worked many jobs in the outdoor education industry across the country and most recently has spent two seasons on a regenerative farm and community in Massachusetts. Leah is so excited to be back closer to home for the 2025 season growing her passion for sustainable agriculture and delving deeper into food system reform. In her free time, she’s cooking, playing ukulele, practicing yoga, hiking, or painting.
Kaela Kleinman-Chiang (she/her) – 2025 Farm Apprentice
Kaela was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. In 2021, she moved to the Hudson Valley to attend Bard College, where she fell in love with Upstate New York. She majored in Environmental and Urban Studies with a minor in Anthropology, specifically focusing her studies on food anthropology and animal agriculture. Throughout her time at Bard, she worked part-time on both a fiber farm and a dairy farm, deepening her understanding of sustainable farming practices. Now, she’s excited to be part of a vegetable operation. In her free time, Kaela enjoys rock climbing, hiking, creating art, and spending time with animals!
Sophie Foster – 2025 Farm Apprentice
Sophie discovered her interest in farming after college, when she moved from Massachusetts to the Western United States to pursue work in the conservation field. She fell in love with the connection to nature that working with the land fosters, and found that farming allowed her to build upon that relationship with the environment as a steward of the land. After a
fair share of exploration and adventuring out West, Sophie had her first introduction to farming at a farm- based boarding school in the Adirondacks, and saw how it can be at the center of community. She believes in farming as an intersectional approach to addressing climate issues, our food system, community connection, and the way humans interact with land. She is looking forward to working hard, learning, and becoming a more skillful farmer while at Phillies Bridge, and to be living in, and exploring the Hudson Valley!
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hyllis Cosenza (she/her) – Nature Nursery Lead Teacher Phyllis Cosenza has over 20 years of experience in education. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, and now immensely embraces her current residence in Rosendale for several years with her family. She holds a Professional New York State Department of Education Teacher license in early childhood for general and special education, from birth through second grade. She has previously been employed as real estate agent, financial planner, provider for early intervention of special instruction, applied behavior analyst, special education itinerary teacher, Pre K teacher, and high school substitute teacher. Phyllis strives to foster a positive, safe and conducive environment for child development. She aspires to provide creative, quality support and strategic planning for children to fulfill their objectives/goals. Phyllis offers various modalities of learning, customizing to each individual’s needs for their preferred means of learning. With a concentration on scaffolding each child’s strengths, she will provide an outlet for them to show growth and meet both their academic and social milestones. An aim to collaborate with families, other providers and administrators is Phyllis’ utmost focus towards the betterment of each individual child.