Building Community
. . . one green space at a time
Local musicians play at the Sunday Putney Farmers Market
Our Roots
We love open spaces. We love our community! And, we’re working hard to make sure everyone has a green space to play, garden, shop weekly for local crafts and healthy food, and enjoy fresh air in so many ways. Together with the Housing Trust, we strive to create a vibrant neighborhood and help keep the land happy and healthy.
Our journey began in June of 2020, as we collaborated with Windham & Windham Housing Trust to design a landscape that seamlessly integrates housing with open, green space for public enjoyment. Today, Windham and Windsor Housing Trust owns the property and is set to begin construction of mixed income housing this year. Meanwhile, at Green Commons of Vermont, we are fundraising to acquire the parcel that has been home to the Garden and Market since 2010, ensuring a future where housing and open, green space can thrive together.
Join us and enjoy the adventure!
Our Team
Meet the passionate folks nurturing our community’s future!
Justin Bramhall
Director
Justin joined the Green Commons of Vermont board in January of 2024. He has been a board member of the Putney Farmers Market since 2020 and has served as the Chair since 2022. Justin is honored to be a part of GCVT mission to help secure land access for the farmers market, community gardens, and the greater Putney community.
Justin moved to Putney in 2019 in order to start his regenerative farm, Leaping Bear Farm. He is also the Property Manager of Sun Hill Farm. He grew up in southeastern Pennsylvania where his favorite thing to do was to play soccer. After moving to Arizona to study at Prescott College and continuing to live for 15 years, he moved back to the east coast after stumbling upon the unique position being offered at Sun Hill.
Justin cares deeply about building resiliency, whether it is with the surrounding community or within the soil. He has dedicated his focus in growing nutrient dense food in a way that also improves the environment. He strongly believes that this is the future of agriculture and is proud to be a part of the regenerative agriculture movement.
Justin is a life-long learner. He enjoys the thrills of fatherhood, being outside in nature, connecting with people, and listening to the best band in the world, Phish!”.
Alexis Doshas
Secretary
Alexis Doshas joined Green Commons of Vermont in August of 2020. She has called southern Vermont her home for the last 15 years and really can’t imagine herself anywhere else. A huge reason for that is community, food, and nature. Like many of us, she grows food, tends plants, stewards land, and communes with the green world. She has a background in horticulture and conservation and works with Native Plant Trust, the country’s oldest plant conservation organization. In addition, she runs Forest Garden Farm, a small scale medicinal herb farm and farmstand, specializing in native and locally adapted herbs.
Marisa Miller
Treasurer
Marissa joined Green Commons of Vermont in January of 2024.
Tom Deshaies
President
Tom is a founding member of Green Commons of Vermont and also is a Garden Steward of the Putney Community Garden.
I moved to Vermont in 2004 and joined the Putney Community Garden at its inception in 2010 and became an active garden leader in 2011. I’ve been a garden manager ever since.
As someone who loves being part of a strong community, I’ve been a long-time supporter of the Putney Farmers Market and the Putney Food Coop. I firmly believe in supporting and promoting easy access to local, healthy food for current and future residents of our community.
When news came out about the sale to Windham & Windsor Housing Trust of the property that the community garden and the farmers market uses, I connected with several members of the community to work with representatives of Windham and Windsor Housing Trust to create a neighborhood setting for housing and open space. As collaborative discussions of a village design looked promising, I joined other community members to form Green Commons of Vermont whose goal is to acquire and protect the portion of the property the garden and market use.
I am currently an officer of Green Commons of Vermont, working alongside an energetic group of individuals to ensure the community aspect of the property continues for a very long time.
Louise Garfield
Director
Louise’s involvement on the Green Commons board began in 2020. She has contributed photographs, writings — especially for the complex application for IRS 501(c)(3) status–and volunteered for the many tasks relating to fundraising and Putney oversight of the land acquisition.
Tending two plots in the Putney Community Garden, she counts garlic, sunflowers, peppers, and raspberries among the fruits of her seasonal labor, sometimes joined by three grandchildren. Various artistic pursuits and travel to salt water, northern latitudes, and the Southwestern deserts round out a happy life in retirement, tuned to the seasons and circles of life.
She eagerly awaits the opportunity to “grow” the common. The addition of paths, sitting areas, native plants, and particularly the creation of play parklets for children, will expand opportunities for fun and community activities in a space with much agricultural history in the heart of Putney.