Board of Directors
Lauren Bowne
secretary
Lauren Bowne has guided her strong passion for food & agriculture into 20 years working and studying to make communities healthier and more connected to their food supply. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts with a journalism degree focused on farmers and their experience with community supported agriculture, she went on to law school at UC Davis to gain policymaking experience. Following her studies she spent 7 years working as a consumer health advocate at Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports Magazine. After starting a family and living an urban lifestyle, she and her husband moved with their young son to Sonoma County to pursue a life of rural harmony and cheesemaking. Lauren joined the Farm Trails board in 2012 just as the family started Gypsy Cheese Co., which grew for 3 years. When an opportunity arose at the local nonprofit, School Garden Network, she spent 2 years leading the organization as Executive Director. She is currently the In-Kind Donations Manager for Food for Thought.
Through Lauren’s 13 years sitting on the Board of Directors of Sonoma County Farm Trails she has worked intimately with farming community to highlight the bounties of Sonoma County. She has been committed to Farm Trails through significant transitional periods and is the catalyst in developing the much-loved Artisan Tasting Grove for the Gravenstein Apple Fair.
Duskie Estes
Director
Duskie Estes and her husband, John Stewart, are the chefs, ranchers, and farmers behind Black Pig Meat Co., making amazing brown sugar dry cured bacon and snout-to-tail products from pasture raised pigs and operating a farm-to-table food truck, The Black Piglet. For 19 years, they were chef-owners of Zazu Kitchen+Farm in Sonoma County until a flood destroyed their restaurant in 2019. They are dedicated to ethical sourcing. Their accolades include: San Francisco Michelin Guide for over a decade, Slow Food Snail Awards, Good Food Awards, Grand Cochon’s King+Queen of Pork, Star Chefs’ Sustainability Award, Top 50 Restaurants in the Bay Area, Best Chef of Seattle, James Beard Award, and more. On their farm, they raise pigs, goats, sheep, and chicken. Duskie is also known for numerous appearances on Food Network, PBS, OWN, and Discovery (including Next Iron Chef, Guy’s Grocery Games, Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, Guy’s Ranch Kitchen, Beat Bobby, Alex v. America, Burger Truck Brawl, Guy Hawaiian Style and more). Duskie serves as Vice Chair of the James Beard Awards Committee and is thrilled to now be on the Board of Sonoma County Farm Trails. From 2020 through 2024, Duskie was formerly the executive director of Farm to Pantry, sharing over 8 million servings of local produce to feed marginalized families. She has participated in Chef’s Cycle for No Kid Hungry 4 times, riding 300 miles with over 200 other chefs. This past year, she received NorCal Public Media Farm-to-Community Leader Award and CVNL Heart of Sonoma County Leadership Excellence Award.
Alexandra Fox
treasurer
Alex is the owner of Food & Farm Tours, guiding locals and out-of-town guests through the bounty of our local food shed on day excursions to the leading purveyors in Northern California’s sustainable and regenerative agriculture scene. She is a 3rd generation San Franciscan and Marin County native passionate about connecting people to the land and their food source. After working for a decade in the organic food industry, including stints at Straus Family Creamery and CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers), Alex has fostered intimate connections with top purveyors making renowned artisanal products in Marin and Sonoma counties, from cheese and oysters to wine and spirits. Her extensive knowledge of sustainable, organic, and regenerative agricultural practices began with a BA in Environmental Studies/ Sustainable Agriculture from UC Santa Cruz and continued to grow throughout her career in the food industry. She holds an MBA in Sustainable Enterprise from Dominican University and has consulted with food and agriculture businesses big and small from the Agricultural Institute of Marin to Preserve Farm Kitchens. Alex is a true foodie and agricultural enthusiast, always hungry to check out the newest spots in town. She believes wholeheartedly that restoring people’s connection to food can change the world.
Jonathan Rosenblum
Director
Jonathan Rosenblum brings more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership to his role as Deputy Director of Food For Thought, a food bank providing medically tailored groceries and meals to individuals with serious health conditions and expectant mothers across Sonoma County. Deeply committed to both community impact and local agriculture, Jonathan is eager to advance Farm Trails' mission by blending his nonprofit expertise with his passion for Sonoma County’s rich agricultural heritage. A resident of Valley Ford, Jonathan enjoys life on the rural Sonoma Coast with his wife and two children, where he draws inspiration from the region's farming roots to help further Food For Thought's mission and provide a rich environment to raise his children.
Alan Siegle
President
Alan has been farming for over 45 years. In the early years of Farm Trails, Alan was a regular participant in the Gravenstein Apple Fair as a partner in Bennett Valley Farm. He was a co-founding partner in Sonoma Compost Company, which began in 1985, and operated the county-wide organics composting program from 1993 thru 2015. Alan served on the Sonoma County Planning Commission from 2004 to 2008 and is currently on the Board of West County Health Centers. He presently owns and manages an organic walnut farm in Colusa County. He and his wife, Shelley Brown, are co-chairs of our Zero Waste Team at the Gravenstein Apple Fair. Thanks to them, the Fair is a leader in zero-waste event production.