sarah simon
environmental planner
The Horsley Witten Group is pleased to announce that Sarah Simon, environmental planner, has joined our team. Raised in Wellesley, MA, Sarah grew up with a love of dance and books. She also enjoyed plants and gardens from an early age, and wondered what it would be like to have a deeper relationship with land and nature than what she experienced in the suburbs.
Sarah earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Comparative Literature with certificates in creative writing, dance, and urban studies from Princeton University. She has a Master of City Planning with a focus on environmental policy and planning from M.I.T.
As the manager of a student garden in college, she caught the “farming bug” and worked as an apprentice on a vegetable and dairy farm in Maine. A move to New York was in her future, so she found a rewarding opportunity leading the Common Ground Farm in Beacon, NY. Over her five years on the farm, she managed a team of farmers and five acres of vegetable production, as well as expanded the organization to run farmers’ markets and food access programs. The farm also sold fresh produce and offered cooking education in the public schools. Sarah worked to upgrade farm infrastructure by raising money for a new tractor, colorful delivery van, and metal deer fence.
Sarah continued her career by transitioning to supporting other farmers and the local food economy while moving back to Maine. She worked as a farm viability program director for the Maine Farmland Trust. She created a new climate resilience program at the land trust, which supports farmers in developing climate adaptation plans for their farms and provides grants to help farmers implement their adaptation projects, including agroforestry practices, improved water management, and renewable energy generation.
During graduate school, Sarah participated in internships with the National Park Service and the City of Portland, ME. She is happy to call Portland her home. When she is not working, Sarah enjoys playing with her young son and cat. She also dances with a local contemporary dance group and likes to spend time cooking and eating with family and friends. Welcome to HW, Sarah!
