Meet the Farm Team
Mike Wissemann
Owner
Mike has been living and working at the farm since his high school days. He began working with Charles Warner while he was studying at Northfield Mount Hermon School. He graduated from UMass in with a degree in Plant and Soil Sciences. Mike quickly engaged his farming dreams, buying the farm and running the Millstone Farm Store across the street in his early twenties. In his lifetime, he has seen Warner Farm transition from production of primarily potatoes and onion plants to a diversified model of vegetable and fruit production, a transition he takes great pride in. Encouraged by the increasing youthful interest in agriculture as a way of life, he is excited by new opportunities at the farm.
David Wissemann
General Manager
Other than Mike, no one knows Warner Farm better than Dave. He has spent most of his childhood playing in the dirt and running through corn fields here at the farm. He grew up watching his father and Grandpa Warner farm this land and is happy to be continuing the family business as the tenth Generation of Warners to farm in the Pioneer Valley! Dave attended The College of Wooster and majored in Wildlife Biology. While he loves farming, his other passion is observing and studying wildlife. This love of wildlife has brought him to all parts of the country including the Great Plains of South Dakota and the mountains of both Montana and California. He can often times be caught watching the various wildlife that lives around the farm and was excited to discover a pair of bald eagles that nest on the edge of our farm!
Jess Marsh Wissemann
“Farm Wife” and Co-Creator of Mike’s Maze
Jess married into the Warner Farm family in 2014, but her love of farming started at a very young age picking peas and strawberries in her grandfather’s garden. She managed the Warner Farm CSA for 4 seasons from 2010-2013 and now runs her own sign painting business, Hired Hand Signs. Also the creative force behind Warner Farm and Mike’s Maze, Jess spends all of her spare time helping to beautify and promote the farm. Jess can often be found greeting customers at the farmer’s market and in the U-Pick strawberry fields, taking photographs for our website and facebook page, and scheming up next year’s maze design!
Lacey Arnold
Wholesale Manager
Lacey is a transplant to both the Pioneer Valley and to the world of farming. After growing up in New Jersey and studying Broadcasting, she worked in public access TV before embarking on a new life path. After a year-long road trip, traveling the country and hiking our National Parks, she found her passion for plants, trees, and other beautiful growing things. Upon return from her travels she joined the Warner Farm team, starting out as a Mike’s Maze employee, and rising to her position today. Lacey is thrilled to share her love of plants, food, and life itself with her community and to connect folks with fresh, local produce grown with lots of love.
Deena Blum
Direct Market Manager
Deena has been passionate about food and farming since she was a teen. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Deena graduated from Mount Holyoke with a degree in Environmental Studies, and after moving to Connecticut for a two year farming apprenticeship, she has been farming in the Pioneer Valley ever since. Deena is a huge foodie and loves everything farm-to-table – you can always find her in the dirt or in the kitchen trying new recipes and cooking for her friends. Deena is excited to be joining the Warner team and can’t wait to keep building community, feeding people, and bringing them closer to where their food comes from!
