Duke Farms Employee Melissa Almendinger; Woman of the Year

Chances are you’ve seen her in the Duke Farms Orientation Center or the Community Garden. But her other haunts include flea markets, garden centers, and her own backyard that’s abundant with fresh veggies, berries, fruits, native plants, and even her own chicken flock. Who are we talking about? Duke Farms Community Garden Coordinator Melissa Almendinger, of course.

A Rutgers alum, Melissa graduated from Cook College with a degree in Natural Resource Management. She was the former Executive Director of the NJ Invasive Species Strike Team and joined the Duke Farms family in 2014, quickly taking the Community Garden under her wing. This year, she’s adding Somerset County Woman of the Year to that list of achievements.

So just what does a day in the life of Woman of the Year look like? Melissa manages nearly 500 gardeners in the community garden and runs extensive education programs, teaching about 50 classes per year to spread knowledge on organic gardening. She’s dipping her feet into the digital realm, too; she works with the Duke Farms Communications team to produce video gardening tutorials. She is the founder of the Giving Gardens program at Duke Farms and manages local produce donations; last year, she helped organize volunteers to grow and deliver 4,100 pounds of donations to local food banks and shelters. Since 2015, the giving program has donated over 12,000 pounds (6 tons) of donations; to put that in perspective, that’s the average weight of an orca whale.

Through her position, Melissa is determined not only to make fresh, organic food an attainable commodity, but to make gardening an accessible pastime for all. She advocated for gardeners with disabilities to create accessible planting space for gardeners with physical challenges. Through her organization and rallying efforts, Duke Farms' accessible plots are expanding every year. A great big salute to Melissa for her dedication, commitment, and achievements; past, present, and future.