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About
Food Roots

Founded in 2006, Food Roots has built a collaborative community among farmers, processors, educators, agencies, nonprofits, farmers markets, schools, restaurants, local governments and all those interested in making our local food economy stronger.

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Our Team

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Executive Director +

Program Manager: Marketplace

Lindsay Ward

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Lindsay is the Executive Director and Marketplace Manager at Food Roots and has worked here since May 2023. Lindsay has a graduate certification in Nonprofit Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science. Lindsay joined Food Roots because she was excited to combine her passions for small-scale farming, locally sourced foods, and environmental conservation to contribute positively towards a thriving community ecosystem. Lindsay’s favorite part of working at Food Roots is the conversations she has with producers, because they have knowledgeable and unique perspectives on collaborative work, connecting community members, what they need to succeed, and of course, on growing and making delicious food! When not at work, Lindsay enjoys experimenting with creating dessert recipes in her kitchen, trail running with her dog, and, now that she finally has the space—growing food in her own garden! Lindsay believes that cooking and sharing beautiful food brings people together and inspires and nurtures their souls.

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Development Director

Carol Parks

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Carol is the Development Director of Food Roots and has worked here since August 2021. A native Brazilian, she was living in Florida prior to moving to Tillamook to work at Food Roots. 

Carol has a M.S. in Sociology and Sustainable Agriculture from Iowa State University and a B.S. in Agricultural Operations Management from the University of Florida. She has a passion for local food because she believes it has the power to connect us to our environment and build communities that are resilient against food insecurity and economic instability. When not at work, Carol enjoys being home with her son Joaquim, her husband Devon, and her 2 dogs Wizard and Phoebe, and 3 cats Xena, Tarna and Boku. 

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Interim Development Director

Emily Cordo

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After serving on the Board of Directors for nine months, Emily joined Food Roots as the Interim Executive Director and, later, as the Interim Development Director. Before Food Roots, Emily had a diverse career but worked primarily in legal aid and nonprofit management. Her passion for local food arises from spending the summers of her childhood digging potatoes and peeling beets at her grandparents’ family farm. Emily is owned by an extremely self-satisfied Bengal cat named Gus and enjoys gardening, creative writing, and SCUBA diving in places with warmer water than Tillamook County.

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Program Manager: Farm to School

Brooke Hieserich

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"Raising whole young people is like raising good food. It is a sacred practice; it requires waking each day and seeing things anew, responding to the moment, listening, paying attention, observing." ~Michael Abelman.

Brooke is the Farm to School Program Manager at Food Roots and has worked at Food Roots since February 2023. After studying French and American Literature at the University of California Santa Cruz and apprenticing in Ecological Horticulture at the UCSC Farm and Garden, Brooke earned an M.S in Leadership for Sustainability Education and M.Ed + Oregon Teaching License at Portland State University. Brooke still thinks Nature is the most compelling Poet and Teacher! Along with teaching as craft and sacred practice, Brooke regards food as central to her family culture and heritage. Brooke comes from dairy farmers on her father's side, and there are enthusiastic home cooks, bakers, gardeners, eaters, and tradespeople on all sides. Brooke is passionate about local food and school food systems for the joy, possibilities, sense of place, and sense of purpose a hands-on education in nourishing food and nourishing community promotes in learners of all ages. Brooke loves swimming, surfing, books, baking, bass guitar, farmer’s almanacs, fruit trees, dogs, friends, and family.

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Operations Coordinator +

Program Manager: Local Food Equity +

Program Manager: Farm and Food Business

Sam Butler

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Sam started her career in food systems selling strawberries at a roadside stand where, admittedly, she ate more berries than she sold. Since then, her business acumen has improved and her love for local food has only deepened. She’s worked all over the food industry, from farmers markets and soup kitchens to ranches and dairy farms. Most recently, she spent a year volunteering in Mexico where she learned that corn is magic. She holds a Master’s degree in Food Security and Development and in November 2023 joined the Food Roots team as the Administrative Assistant. She has since moved into the Operations Coordinator role and the Program Manager of Local Food Equity and Farm & Food Business. Outside of work, Sam can be found poking around tide pools or watching newts in the woods with her partner and her big, fluffy dog, Scout.

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Individual Development Account Administrator

Lainie Koch

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Lainie is the IDA Administrator at Food Roots, and has worked here since March 2013. A native New Yorker, Lainie moved to south Tillamook county in 1979 to teach at Neskowin Valley School, and “graduated” nearly thirty years later. She is a passionate gardener, cook, forager, knitter, and walker. She has been growing and buying local and bulk food since her co-op manager/university days in Wisconsin and Ohio.

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Marketplace Associate

Ariel Wolf

Ariel joined the Food Roots team in April 2022 as a Farm to School Educator and is now a Marketplace Associate. Ariel grew up on a subsistence farm in North Dakota alongside her mother and two sisters. Her mother was a Mother Earth News reader and environmental activist from New York. She taught her how to raise food for their family using sustainable farming practices and how to steward the land. Ariel studied freshwater ecology in Minnesota and then moved to Oregon in 2008 with a comparative interest in learning about ocean ecology and the unique microclimates of the Pacific Northwest. After a few years on the coast and experimenting with the extended growing climate here, she delved into the world of farming. She is happy to be at Food Roots where she can utilize her background in farming, education, and customer service.

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Marketplace Associate

Hannah Davis

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Hannah is a Marketplace Associate and Farm to School Educator at Food Roots and has worked here since May 2024. Hannah has a Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Science and over five years of experience growing food in both individual- and community-based settings. Hannah developed a passion for local food when she started volunteering at an educational garden site and outdoor kitchen in Eugene, Oregon in 2018. Hannah joined Food Roots because she is passionate about decentralizing the food system and increasing community access to locally produced foods. Outside of the office, she enjoys trail running, hiking, and kayaking.

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Marketplace Associate

Daveigh Stubbs

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Daveigh is a Marketplace Associate at Food Roots and has worked here since April 2024. She has a widely varied background, including restaurant work, farm work, and activist organizing. Daveigh joined Food Roots because she loves the land and waters of Tillamook County and believes that a strong and resilient community must be based in a strong, resilient food system that engages with the land in a conscious and reciprocal way. When not at work, Daveigh enjoys the continual pursuit of wild foods and can generally be found fishing, foraging, or hunting somewhere in the county.

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Board of Directors

Erica Johnson - Board Chair 

Kate Beeler - Vice Chair

Kate Cloran - Secretary

Dave Anderson - Treasurer

Ken Henson

Renee Aufdermauer

Natalie Mallis

Effy Barnes

Esther Stanford

Board members are actively involved in organizational governance. Some but not all duties include:

 

  • Attend monthly board meetings

  • Serve on board committees, including fundraising, finance, DEI

  • Support relationship building with donors and partners

  • Provide support to and oversight of the Executive Director

We welcome candidates with a variety of skills and backgrounds. In particular we are looking for candidates with accounting, fundraising, human resource, or legal experience. We also prioritize candidates who are connected to food systems, organized labor, cultural organizations, communities of color, and current or former SNAP recipients. Young entrepreneurs are also strongly encouraged to apply!

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Community Partners

This community helps make it happen.

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