Adam is the Farm Manager and is responsible for overseeing all areas of production, including crop fields, food forest, vineyard, animals, and composting.

Adam is a skilled Pacific Northwest farmer, originally from Portland, OR. With over 17 years of farming experience he’s managed both his own and others’ farms in the Willamette, Methow, and Snoqualmie valleys. Prior to joining Coastal Roots Farm, he managed Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center where he oversaw the production of 30 acres of mixed vegetable crops and supplied product throughout the region to over 600 members of Oxbow’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, local grocery and restaurant businesses, and hunger relief organizations. Adam also worked in close collaboration with agricultural researchers from area universities and was involved in studies to minimize tillage and optimize nitrogen levels in organic farming systems.

Both as a farmer and engaged citizen, Adam has long been a strong local food systems advocate and has been instrumental in increasing the supply of healthy, fresh, locally-grown produce to hunger relief agencies in the Puget Sound region.

Nikki is the Farm’s Assistant Vegetable Production Coordinator where she is supports all levels of vegetable production, and prepares and maintains the fields from planting to harvest.

Prior to joining the Farm, Nikki worked at Wild Willow Farm as a community farmer. She also served at the Farmer’s Market Manager for local company OH! Juice.

When she’s not farming, she loves hiking—the taller the mountain the better—camping, and traveling. Her greatest accomplishment to date is completing the Camino de Santiago.

Ricardo Lopez is the Coastal Roots Farm’s Community Farmer where he works as a supporting member to all of the Farm team’s efforts.

Prior to joining Coastal Roots Farm, Ricardo attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where he earned a degree in Plant Science, with a concentration in Nursery & Greenhouse Production. While at Cal Poly he worked at their Horticulture Unit managing the nursery production team where he helped produce plants for the campus landscapes.

Ricardo is an avid home cook and in his free time can be found enjoying the outdoors through hiking, fishing, and kayaking.

Katherine Favor is the Farm’s Vineyard Coordinator, where she is responsible for the care and maintenance of all aspects of the vineyard. In addition, she supports the planning and maintenance of the food forest and develops educational programming for community participants and staff.

Prior to joining Coastal Roots Farm, Katherine served in the Peace Corps teaching permaculture, agroforestry, and environmental conservation practices in rural Paraguay. She holds a B.S. in Viticulture from California Polytechnic State University of San Luis Obispo and has wanted to be a farmer since the age of five.

When she’s not digging her hands in the dirt, you can find Katherine painting, hiking, or floating in the ocean.

Annelise is the Farm’s Communications Manager where she is responsible for developing, managing, and implementing the Farm’s communications and outreach strategies. She writes, edits, and shares content for internal and external communications; designs marketing initiatives; and manages the Farm’s social and digital media tools.

Prior to joining the Farm team, Annelise worked for an international development organization that alleviates rural poverty through sustainable agriculture. She earned her BA in English Literature and Spanish, and her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. She also edits and writes for a variety of print and online publications.

Leilani is the Foundation’s Director of Finance and Grants Administration where she oversees the Foundation’s financial management and analysis including human resources, risk management, and grants administration.

Prior to joining Leichtag, she spent nine years at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, a place-based community building operating foundation.

Vanessa is the Foundation’s Grants and Operations Manager where she oversees grant administrative processes from concept to evaluation, analyzes strengths and limitations of grantees and prospects, monitors performance of active grants and prepares funding analyses that capture the program rationale and expected measurable outcomes, and prepares and participates in the assessment and evaluation of the effectiveness of program strategies.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Vanessa served as Grants Manager at The San Diego Foundation responsible for managing donor-advised grant making for the organization. In this role, she also worked with donors to align their philanthropic goals with community needs.

Sharyn Goodson is Leichtag’s Director of Philanthropic Strategy where she is responsible for leading funder partnerships, developing giving opportunities for community members, overseeing a new giving circle initiative, managing a portfolio of grants, producing special educational programs and initiatives and looking at ways that Leichtag Foundation can increase its impact and leverage across funding areas.

In April 2010, Sharyn was hired as the Leichtag Foundation’s first Program Officer. Beginning in 2012, Sharyn also began to manage the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego’s philanthropy programs and served as the lead contact for major family funds and foundations. Her most recent role at the Jewish Community Foundation was as its Vice President of Philanthropy.

Laura Diede is the Foundation’s Office Assistant and Receptionist where she is responsible for helping with office operations.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Laura worked for Athena San Diego as Program Assistant, as a Community Manager for 10 different HOAs, a General Manager at an architectural survey company and as a manager of the Farmington Woods Pro Shop.

Damian Valdez is the Farm’s Assistant Operations Manager where he is responsible for developing farm-wide policies and procedures; creating and evaluating the Farm’s food safety plan, organic certification, OSHA implementation; training Coastal Roots Farm staff and volunteers on operational and safety procedures; and assisting in the general development of Coastal Roots Farm.

Prior to joining Coastal Roots Damian was the head farmer for San Diego City College’s sustainable urban agriculture lab, Seeds@City Urban Farm. Damian taught students and interns the skills necessary to be successful out in the field. An active member of San Diego’s farming community, he designed downtown San Diego’s Smarts Farm, implemented a 12-acre orchard in Oceanside, and taught classes with the San Diego International Rescue Committee.

Sara is the Farm’s Social Enterprise Manager where she is responsible for developing and supporting social enterprise initiatives, as well as cultivating strategic partnerships and coordinating the Farm’s impact evaluation efforts.

Prior to joining Coastal Roots Farm, Sara worked as the Programs Manager for a sustainable conservation ranch in Colorado owned by The Nature Conservancy. Previously, Sara worked as the Partner Development and Management Specialist for Grameen Foundation’s Bankers without Borders program where she worked with corporate partners to build skills-based employee volunteer initiatives aimed at accelerating the scale and progress of social enterprise organizations working to alleviate poverty around the world. Prior to Grameen Foundation, Sara worked for Ashoka’s Youth Venture, helping to implement programs aimed at encouraging young people to become change makers and improve their communities by starting their own social enterprises.

Aaron is the Farm’s Infrastructure and Compost Coordinator where he supports the development and maintenance of all operational infrastructure including vehicles and equipment, oversees the implementation and maintenance of the compost program, and assists in the general development of Coastal Roots Farm.

Prior to joining Coastal Roots Farm, Aaron’s background focused on business startups and business administration. In 2009, Aaron started GRNS, a business that inspired homeowners to transform their landscapes into edible gardens. This venture brought him into the world of agriculture and into a passion for farming that has not gone away.

LyOr is the Farm’s Food Forest Coordinator where he is responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance, and programming on the 8.5 acre food forest and silvopasture.

Prior to joining Coastal Roots Farm he worked in Israel designing, maintaining, and installing food forests. Previously, LyOr worked with Planting Justice (where he still serves on the Board of Directors) as a Permaculture Designer and Educator, managing urban garden installations and co-facilitating classes with the Insight Garden Program in San Quentin. He also co-facilitated classes with inmates in a collectively designed sustainability, self-sufficiency, and personal transformation program called The Green Life.

Ross MacFarland is the Farm’s Community Farmer where he is responsible for all duties farm related, from seed to table and everything in between!

Prior to joining Coastal Roots Farm, Ross worked for an organic vegetable farm in upstate New York doing all things food related. Most recently he worked as a beekeeper at a local apiary where he harnessed the energy and love of the bees to make that sweet delicious honey and pollinate all the flowers of the world.

Ellie is the Farm’s Vegetable Production Coordinator where she manages the production of all vegetable crops, supervises community farmers, and supports task development for vegetable production volunteers and interns.

Prior to joining Coastal Roots Farm, Ellie spent a year traveling and working on farms in Kenya. Since then she has worked with a number of farms and CSAs and has developed a passion for sustainable agriculture and the communities built around it.

Nora Feldhusen is the Farm’s Educational Program Manager where she is responsible for volunteer coordination, school and youth group coordination, holiday celebrations, tours as well as family and intergenerational programming.

Prior to joining Coastal Roots Farm, Nora was a co-founder and the manager of PeerCorps Detroit, where she worked with Jewish youth to build meaningful relationships with communities throughout Detroit through service and learning.

Charlene is the Foundation’s Executive Vice President of the Leichtag Foundation. She is a frequent speaker, presenter, and writer about topics pertaining to philanthropy, Jewish community trends and social change. She is on the board of the Jewish Funders Network, formerly served on the board of San Diego Grantmakers and has served on many committees and councils. Charlene spent 18 years working for the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego in increasingly responsible positions including serving as President and CEO of the organization.

Charlene won the 2013 JJ Greenberg Memorial Award, an international prize given to one outstanding philanthropic professional under the age of 40 each year.

Jim is the President and CEO of Leichtag Foundation, a position he has held since 2007 when the Foundation became independent. Prior to that appointment, Jim served as General Counsel of the Foundation from 1995-2007 when he was practicing as an attorney.

Jim’s professional background and diverse community leadership experience catalyzed the Foundation’s purchase of Leichtag Commons. He is a mentor and takes particular pride in being a champion of young leaders. He is a frequent presenter about the power of place in community engagement and in developing new models of social change.

A longtime San Diegan whose community activism dates back to his youth, Jim draws upon many years of volunteer leadership experience in the nonprofit sector. Currently, Jim serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Funders Network, an international organization dedicated to Jewish philanthropy and social enterprise. In past years, he served as President of the Board of Seacrest Village Retirement Communities and the Quail Botanical Garden Foundation doing business as San Diego Botanic Garden and as a member of the San Diego Foundation’s Board of Governors.

Adam Berman founded Urban Adamah in Berkeley in 2010 and currently serves as its Executive Director. From 2002-2009, Adam served as the Executive Director of the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in the Connecticut Berkshires. While at Isabella Freedman, Adam founded ADAMAH: The Jewish Environmental Fellowship, a three month leadership training program for Jewish young adults that integrates Jewish learning and living with sustainable agriculture, green living skills, teaching and contemplative spiritual practice.

Currently, Adam serves on the Board of Directors of the David Brower Center, Wilderness Torah, the Jewish Federation of the East Bay, and on Advisory Boards for the Teva Learning Center and Adamah. He teaches widely on issues related to Judaism, ecology and civic leadership. Adam holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley and a B.A. in Environmental Policy from Brown University.

Daron is the Founding Director of Coastal Roots Farm and the Leichtag Foundation’s Director of Agricultural Innovation and Development, where he manages the strategic planning, community engagement and operations of the 67.5 acre Leichtag Commons property. He is also leading a number of Leichtag Foundation’s national and international farm-based initiatives such as a the Urban Land Institute’s Food and Real Estate Project, Jewish Community Farming Field Building efforts and an American Public Garden study on food and agriculture programs at public gardens.

Daron is a nationally recognized organic/biodynamic farmer, educator, speaker and eco-entrepreneur. He is the author of the acclaimed book Citizen Farmers: The Biodynamic Way to Grow Healthy Food, Build Thriving Communities and Give Back to the Earth. He is the founder of Farmer D Organics and Farmer D Consulting and has spent the past 20 years designing and building biodynamic farms and gardens all over the country.

He continues to provide community farm consulting services through Farmer D Consulting at Leichtag Commons.