Megan McDiarmid (she/her)

Megan brings a wealth of experience in culinary arts, hospitality, and animal care to her role as Kitchen Team Leader at Gould Farm. Before joining the Farm, she spent 8.5 years managing a horse barn while working as a pastry chef at Prairie Whale in Great Barrington. When the pandemic reshaped the restaurant industry, she transitioned into private cheffing, curating personalized meal plans for families while also offering a bed-and-breakfast experience on her property.

Her culinary journey has been anything but conventional. Megan spent a decade living in Alaska, working as a chef in a remote fly-in eco-lodge where she not only prepared meals but also guided guests in foraging and sustainable food practices. To refine her skills, she later attended the University of Alaska’s culinary program, where she also embraced electives like figure skating and yoga. In winter, she commuted to school and work by skate-skiing through Anchorage’s dark, snowy mornings.

Beyond the kitchen, Megan is a trained Biodynamic CranioSacral therapist, a practice that aligns with her deep belief in creating safe spaces for healing and transformation. This perspective extends to her lifelong passion for horses. She has two equine companions, both of whom came to her with trauma, and she has been dedicated to their slow, patient rehabilitation. Her research into natural hoof care and holistic equine wellness has led her to explore innovative approaches to horse health, emphasizing movement and natural healing processes.

Megan's decision to apply to work at Gould Farm was a deeply personal one. Her younger brother struggles with addiction and mental illness, giving Megan an immediate connection to the Farm's mission. This connection deeply expresses her sense of purpose -- offering care, nourishment, and community to those who can benefit from this model of healing.

Megan now calls nearby New Marlboro, Massachusetts, home after a journey that has taken her from British Columbia to Alaska, Texas, Brooklyn, and New England. Whether in the kitchen crafting meals with care, tending to her horses, or fostering spaces of restoration, she sees her work as a way of putting compassion into the world—caring for others, just as she does for her animals and the land.