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Our Team

Andy Fisher

Executive Director
andy at eco-farm.org
Andy Fisher has been a leading force for social justice in the anti-hunger and food movements in the US since the mid 1990s. He co-founded and led the primary American food systems alliance, the Community Food Security Coalition for 17 years. He has played a key role in the growth of farm to school, local food policy, and community food assessments. In 2017, MIT Press published his first book, Big Hunger, which exposed the unholy alliance between corporate America and anti-hunger groups. He has Masters degrees in Environmental Policy and Latin American Studies from UCLA. He is too lazy to farm, but loves to tinker in his community garden plot. He’s obsessed with finding the perfect fig, and remains an unapologetic fan of the Dodgers.  

 

Abbie Erskine

Office Manager & Communications Coordinator
abbie at eco-farm.org
Abbie has over a decade of experience working in the non-profit sector as a Program Coordinator, Wellness Center Manager and Administrative Assistant. She is passionate about organic food, living harmoniously with Mother Earth and creating a sustainable future for the next generation. She connects with the greater community through running her own Massage Therapy and Holistic Wellness business. She believes self-awareness and mindfulness leads to taking care of ourselves, the Earth and each other. Her past experiences include working with Habitat for Humanity and Mount Madonna Center for many years. 

 

Katie Hershfelt

Food Program Coordinator
katie at eco-farm.org
Katie is a passionate local food and farming advocate, business owner, consultant, and community builder with 15 years of experience as a trusted resource and strategic partner in building food system resilience. In 2013, she launched Cultivate Events, where she creates experiences that tell the stories of our local food movement. Her deep ties to the food system stem from her tendency to spend two too many hours at the farmers market, pull over for anything that resembles a farm stand, and be on a need-to-know basis with everything local food.
 

Dina Izzo

Sponsorship & Exhibitor Manager
sponsors at eco-farm.org
Dina has been involved with EcoFarm in some capacity for the past thirty years. She served on the Board of Directors for ten years and has been part of the planning committee for twenty five years. Dina is the founder of BluDog Consulting, a company that teaches beginning farmers basic marketing and sales techniques both one on one an in a classroom setting. Clients include Multicultural Exchange of Sustainable Agriculure (MESA), Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA), Center for Land-Based Learning, and a host of farmers and businesses.
 

Nancy Jensen

Program Director
nancy at eco-farm.org
Nancy has spent most of her career implementing programs in higher education to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in areas of recruitment and retention. She has over 15 years of experience working at UCLA.  After obtaining her Master's degree in Counseling there, her roles on campus included serving as Counselor for Political Science and Film undergraduate programs, and as Recruitment and Admissions Director for Public Policy and other graduate programs.  As a health and fitness enthusiast, she has studied public health, and has completed a certificate in integrative nutrition, which she continues to study. She is an avid runner who loves to cook and to learn about sustainable food systems, especially where our produce is grown and sourced. On weekends, she enjoys supporting her local farmers markets, and playing beach volleyball in Playa del Rey.
 

Joyce Rice

Scholarship & Work Trade Coordinator
joyce at eco-farm.org
Joyce has been attending EcoFarm Conference for the last 15 years, as an attendee and most recently as a super-volunteer. She is passionate about food, farming and education. Joyce has over 25 years of experience working at UC Santa Cruz. Her jobs on campus included serving as the Company Manager for Shakespeare Santa Cruz, the Environmental Studies Undergraduate Advisor and Staff Program Manager for Student Sustainability. She spends time between upstate New York and California and is happiest being with her family & friends on both coasts, kayaking on rivers and growing food in her garden.