Heather Surprenant

Heather Surprenant of Barnard, Windsor County, Progressive/Democrat, was raised in Randolph, Vermont. She has been an activist for women’s rights from an early age, and her passion to help those who have been marginalized was cemented during her time as an undergraduate at Smith College, where she received her BA in government. After graduating, she moved to San Francisco, California, to immerse herself in human rights work. There, she interned with the Women’s Economic Agenda Project (WEAP) in Oakland, working to ensure economic dignity for low-income women and their families through education, training, and advocacy. It was at this time her interest in food sovereignty and climate justice become central to her passions. She began working at an organic farm in Half Moon Bay, Ca., and worked to understand the intersections of our agricultural system and how access to land and locally grown food is determined by one’s race, class, and geographic location. After two years living in the Bay, she moved home to Vermont to continue farming and working to improve the vibrancy and equity of our local food system. She currently co-owns Moonlighting farm in Barnard with her best friend, where they grow vegetables for wholesale and CSA markets.