Isabel Sanchez- Henrriquez, Central West Regional Coordinator, Extension Migrant Education Program
Sanchez- Henrriquez is a proud Nicaraguan living in Vermont since 2018. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from St. Michaels College.
Sanchez- Henrriquez has been a teacher for nine years and it has been very a rewarding experience for her. She is excited to continue working in education in her new home.
Sara Riegler, Farmworker Education Hub Coordinator, Extension Migrant Health & Education
Sara Riegler is the new farmworker education hub coordinator, and is based out of the Morrisville Extension office.
Before joining UVM, Riegler spent seven years as an organic vegetable farmer in Massachusetts. She earned a Master of Science in International Agricultural Development at the University of California Davis. She has lived and worked in several countries in Latin America.
Riegler is excited to support Vermont’s farmworkers in achieving their educational goals.
Abigail Augarten, Agronomy Specialist, Extension Champlain Valley Crop, Soil and Pasture Team
Abigail (Abby) Augarten has joined UVM Extensions Champlain Valley Crop, Soil and Pasture Team as an Agronomy Specialist. She will work with farmers in the Champlain Valley and Connecticut River Valley, to provide agronomy outreach and technical assistance to improve farm viability and water quality.
Augarten received a bachelors degree in international agriculture from Cornell University, and a masters degree in agroecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was a research and outreach specialist with UW Extensions Discovery Farms Program, performing on-farm agriculture, water quality and soil health research and outreach. She also served two years in the Peace Corps in Senegal as a sustainable agriculture extension agent.
Augarten is excited to be in Vermont and loves trail running, hiking, gardening, reading, and knitting.
Anna Elewski (they/their), Soil Health and Water Quality Outreach Specialist, Extension Champlain Valley Crop, Soil and Pasture Team
Elewski moved to Vermont after working on a small, organic vegetable farm near Mount Hood, Oregon. Before farming, Elewski has worked for the USGS doing salmon conservation research on the lower Columbia River. They earned a bachelors degree in biology, with a concentration in conservation ecology, from Vassar College in 2021.
Elewski is passionate about building sustainable food systems and community-centered responses to the climate crisis. Their work will focus on natural resource conservation and agronomy outreach to support farmers in the Lake Champlain Basin.