Email: info@wwoofusa.orgWWOOF - USA
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BOARD MEMBER BIOS... Autumn Allabach is a founding and current board member of WWOOF-USA. She became involved and interested in agriculture and sustainable food systems while leading an organic gardening program for elementary school children. While obtaining her BA in Community Studies from UC Santa Cruz, Autumn worked on several organic farms in California, Hawaii, and British Columbia. As an undergraduate, Autumn interned as a naturalist at an urban wildlife hospital, propagating native plants with children to create habitat. She has worked with the Wild Farm Alliance, whose mission is to promote a healthy, viable agriculture that helps protect and restore wild Nature. As a research assistant, Autumn helped in the production of the book, “Farming with the Wild” published by Watershed Media in 2002. She has done environmental work in the Caribbean, and is very interested in issues involving global industrialization of agriculture and its affects on biological and cultural diversity. Autumn is now pursuing a Masters in Education and Teaching Credential with aspirations to integrate concepts of ecological agriculture into school science curricula, and provide opportunities for young students to develop positive relationships to the natural world. Jessica Brodie graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz with a Bachelors of Arts in Community Studies. Her field work has included internships at the Homeless Garden Project and Women's Organic Flower Exchange in Santa Cruz. Her main field work was a six-month internship with WWOOF New Zealand in which she worked on ten organic farms on both the north and south island. Her thesis focused on bioregionalism and the state of genetic engineering in New Zealand at the time of her field work. Jessica has worked as an activity leader for developmentally disabled adults at the Clausen house in Oakland, California. She is currently a recreation coordinator at the Jewish Home for the Aged in San Francisco, California. Ryan ‘Leo’ Goldsmith is a founding and current Board member, and has a market garden called Sol Food Farm in Sebastopol, CA (Sonoma County). After experiencing WWOOFing 'Down Under' in the mid-90s, he strived to create the same opportunity for an agri-cultural exchange here in the U.S. Inspired by amazing WWOOFing experiences, Leo graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in Ecological and Sustainable Agriculture, and apprenticed on what became the first farm in our first directory. After graduating from the Natural Gourmet Cookery School in Manhattan, he ran a sustainable business known as Daily Harvest Catering, which worked closely with local farmers to create organic, gourmet, and vegan cuisine. Completion of a Permaculture Design Course has added to his purpose of responsible restoration of and cooperation with patterns in nature. Community connection with local farmers and their products remains his mission, currently operating a CSA, managing a farmers market, and hosting farm dinners at Sol Food Farm. Leo believes in celebrating the return to a bioregional lifestyle, where we dream, build, and enjoy the fruits of our labor and the earth's bounty within our locality. He hopes that you enjoy your inspiring opportunities as WWOOFers and WWOOF hosts. We at WWOOF-USA work hard and have fun providing you with the opportunities, and thank you. Sherin Larijani is
a founding and current board member of WWOOF-USA. She received her
BS in Conservation and Resource Studies from UC Berkeley. Her emphasis
was in Environmental Health with a focus in ethnobotany, integrative
biology, sustainable agriculture, and environmental education. Sherin
has worked with the Hesperian Foundation on the Community Guide to
Environmental Health book project. She has also worked with UC Berkeley's
University and Jepson Herbaria, Sierra Institute, University Students
Co-Operative Association, and the CRS Organic Student Garden. More
recently Sherin has worked at Prevention Institute, a non-profit national
center dedicated to improving community health and well-being by building
momentum for effective primary prevention. Sherin's work at the Institute
has focused on The Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity
Environments and Building Bridges: Linking Public Health and Sustainable
Agriculture Amanda Slayton has been a board member of WWOOF-USA since its early stages as WWOOF- California. She has a BA in environmental studies from UC-Santa Cruz with a focus in sustainable agriculture. Currently she is working on her MA in education, and hopes to synthesize these two disciplines in her future work. Mandy first experienced WWOOF during her travels to New Zealand. She is dedicated to sustainable agriculture and making it accesible to all. Jonathan Wilson is a founding and current board member of WWOOF-USA. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in December of 2002 with a BA in Environmental Studies and American History. While in school, he focused on a range of environmental justice issues related to sustainable agriculture and the environment. He served on the steering committee of the UCSC Student Environmental Center in its inaugural year and helped to build the foundation of the organization. He has also worked with the Pesticide Action Network, North America (PANNA). PANNA is a non-profit dedicated to reducing the use of agricultural pesticides worldwide. While at PANNA he contributed to the Genetically Engineered Foods Campaign. Jonathan was exposed to WWOOF through his friends, and then through his travels in Costa Rica where he WWOOFed on many organic farms. Currently he is working as a ceramic artist and community gardener, and is contemplating graduate school where he hopes to do research on developing a WWOOF demonstration farm for students and international travelers. |
