Our Team

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

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 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.

 

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 at eco-farm.org