We wish to honor Jay in perpetuity. Our ground truth is that if it were not for his incredible vision and leadership Just Roots would not be what it is today! We love the story of Jay’s involvement which began with him looking for town land upon which to farm. He approached Mayor Bill Martin who suggested that Jay talk to a community group that had formed called Just Roots. Jay attended a meeting and saw a need he could fill: leadership to help Shepard the grand vision of this group of citizens which was to find space for people in our community to grow their own food and to make more locally grown food available for all people. Jay offered to volunteer his time and extensive experience for six months. Ten years later he officially retired. In those ten years, Jay helped to build the foundation for impact. Through his leadership Just Roots became a legal not-for-profit organization, gained a long term lease on town owned land, invested in infrastructure to create a community farm on that land, built capacity for staff and volunteers, grew a network of support and resulted in a food access organization that is now recognized as a leader in food access in Massachusetts. Just Roots is eternally grateful to Jay for his vision, leadership and good humor over the years. We look forward to seeing him often with his orange hat and his bright smile on the farm. Thank you Jay!