Sophia Lyles

Sophia is a great cook and enjoys baking cookies and making pasta. She also is a soccer player.

Genevieve Kessler

Prior to joining Coastal Roots Farm, Genevieve worked as an elementary school Garden Educator in Portland, Oregon. Gen graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies – Health and Society. Outside of work, she enjoys going on walks, baking Challah, learning Spanish, and doing various arts and crafts activities.

Valerie Chouhan

Val is the Farm’s Field Trip Coordinator and Outdoor Educator. She supports curriculum development, teaches programs, and works with teachers across the county to bring their classes to Coastal Roots. Val has been an environmental educator for 9 years and has supported summer camps in the Bay Area and San Diego. Outside of work, Val loves cooking, listening to music, and trying new coffee spots.

Gillian Crow-Juarez

Gillian is a current student at Cal Poly SLO, where she studies Agriculture Education and Communication. She loves the outdoors and recently went backpacking in Costa Rica.

Megan Freeman

Megan is one of the Farm’s Education Mangers and supports the Bishul Bichutz and Shomrei Adamah Program Specialists during Summer Farm Camp. She loves bringing her professional experience of being a farmer and working with kids of all ages to support farmers-in-training in developing their own love of food and the environment. In her free time, Megan likes to go to the beach and make ceramics.

Jay Friend

Prior to joining Coastal Roots Farm, Jay worked with her school to help younger students adjust to being at a new school. She participated in Girl Scouts from Kindergarten to 6th grade, and helped parents to grow their children’s young, curious minds to stay curious to learning more.

Keelin Grubb

Keelin’s responsibilities as Farm Educator and Volunteer Coordinator include supporting the education department with programs, including camps, field trips, After School, Nature Play, and volunteering.

Prior to joining Coastal Roots, Keelin worked on a goat dairy, at Zachary’s Pizza, and loves to babysit. Keelin recently graduated from UC Berkeley (Go Bears!), where she studied Sociology and Gender and Women’s Studies. She loves to do yoga, puzzles, paint, and explore new places. Keelin enjoys being in the kitchen trying new recipes, jamming out to Maggie Rogers in her car, or catching the sunset in her hammock.

Sharon Israeli

Prior to joining Coastal roots Farm, Sharon worked in Biotech and Academia as a Product Manager for reagent kits and instruments used in nucleic acid analysis of biological samples.

In her spare time, Sharon spends time with her kids and family, discovering cities and the great outdoors. At home, she tends to her passionfruit vines and loves to cook. Indoors, she tends to her cinephile needs.

Adele Ledovskikh

Prior to joining Coastal Roots Farm, Adele worked at Liberty Station Ice Rink, where she was a ice skating coach assistant. Adele is a competitive figure skater and has qualified for nationals twice. She is fluent in two languages, and can read and write in Hebrew. She also enjoys travelling.

Shyree Lopez

Prior to joining the team at Coastal Roots Farm, Shyree worked for SD Audubon Society where she supported habitat restoration efforts across coastal wetlands. Her work included native plant restoration, invasive species removal and community engagement.

Shyree has a degree in Sustainability from San Diego State University and is passionate about environmental stewardship. In her free time, she loves to go to the beach, go on hikes with her dog, and spend time with friends and family.

Jami Macleod

Jami is one of the Farm’s Outdoor Educators. She is a local San Diegan who loves sharing her passion for sustainability and agriculture with our community, especially the younger Farmers-in-Training. Jami is also an ice skating instructor and is grateful to spend time in the sunshine here on the Farm!

Nika Masuzawa

Prior to joining Coastal Roots Farm, Nika studied public health and environmental policy at UCSD. Much of her studies focus on

Linnea McMahon

Linnea enjoys playing soccer, beach volleyball and running track. She also loves to ski and paint. Last summer, Linnea worked for OcuSci, Inc. sorting and packaging.

Sierra Miller

Sierra Miller was born and raised in San Diego. She attends Gonzaga University, majoring in business with a minor in psychology. In her free time, she enjoys exploring nature with her friends.

Kim O’Donnell-Boyd

My name is Kiwi Kim and I am the Outdoor Cooking (Bishul Bachutz) Specialist. I look forward to spending time cooking with your kids in our unique outdoor kitchen introducing them to some wholesome farm-fresh flavors.

 I strive to bring a creative and welcoming energy as we harvest, chop, mix and bake some fun memories all summer long.   When I’m not at the farm, you can find me on a local trail, at the beach, or on a pickleball court enjoying the wonderful Encinitas climate with family and friends. 

Paige Olimpio

As a Camp and Enrichment Assistant, Paige supports the planning and implementation of Jewish and Farm educational programming and events for Coastal Roots Farm. Prior to joining our team, Paige worked at The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education as an Education and Camp Coordinator, where she planned and taught hands-on and interactive environmental education lessons and activities.

Paige studied Environmental Science at the University of Vermont. She loves spending time outside, reading, and travelling!

Sharone Oren

Sharone is one of the Farm’s Education Managers and is responsible for running Coastal Roots Farm’s summer camp program. Prior to Coastal Roots Farm, Sharone worked as an elementary school teacher and outdoor cooking specialist at a sleepaway camp. Outside of work, Sharone loves to cook, read, and go on hikes with her family and friends and her dog, Lola.”

Janie Overland

Janie is an Outdoor Educator at Coastal Roots Farm where she supports summer camp, field trip programs, public farm tours and other activities on the farm.

When she is not on the farm, Janie works as the Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator at the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. She graduated from Lewis and Clark College with a degree in Environmental Studies and Poli Sci.

In her free time, Janie loves to surf, read in the sun, throw pottery on the wheel, eat lots of yummy food, and giggle tons.

Claude Pate

Hi, my names Claude. The kids will know me as Corn Claude here on the farm! I’ve been with Coastal Roots Farm as an Outdoor Educator for two years.

During our camps here on the farm I get the pleasure of teaching and leading students in ways which, I hope, help them develop a deeper connection to the natural world around them. When I’m not at camp you might find me running, surfing, or searching for new and life bringing music!

Kyle Rippel

Kyle is a junior in high school who enjoys being outdoors surfing, fishing, or playing with his three dogs. He also volunteers with local high school baseball teams to coach younger players.

Colette Rossow

Colette will soon attend Wellesley College in Massachusetts to study biology and environmental science. In high school, Colette led the school’s gardening club and eco club, educating her fellow students on the importance of regenerative gardening and climate activism.

She is a loves nature and grows cut-flowers in her backyards. She enjoys doing musical theatre and spending time with her two cats.

Daniel Schwartz

The name is Dandelion Daniel, the loudest roaring flower you ever did meet. He is an outdoor educator here on the farm making sure kids leave with smile after a day of joy and fun learning and farming and our practices on the farm. Before joining the team at Coastal Roots Farm, Daniel was enjoying life in different parts of the world learning about different cultures and teaching a variety of topics to youth and adults in the health and nutrition world as well as farming. When not at the Farm, he’s usually enjoying outdoor activities, soccer, making and appreciating art, crafting, and cooking.

Caroline Sullivan

Caroline graduated from UCSB with a degree in Environmental Studies. She loves surfing, hiking, and diving, and conducted marine research on the Great Barrier Reef. Prior to joining Coastal Roots Farm, she taught outdoor education to preschool and kindergarten at the Native school, and outdoor science to 5th graders.

Noelle Threat

Noelle enjoys spending her time outside at the beach surfing, playing with her chickens, hanging out with her friends, going to thrift stores, or playing basketball.

Kimberly Tomlinson

Kimberly has worked in education for the past decade. Her background includes a combination of traditional and non-traditional education experience. Kimberly served as an ELL teacher, reading interventionist, and kindergarten teacher in Washington DC.

Following a cross-country move, Kimberly pivoted into the world of non-formal education by serving as an Education Manager at the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum from 2016-2021. Kimberly joined the Coastal Roots Farm team in 2021 where she shares her passion for the integration of play and exploration into outdoor education spaces.

Kimberly enjoys spending time with her family and friends exploring beautiful San Diego County!

Katherine Wilches

Katherine received an Associates Degree from Mira Costa College as a Child Development Teacher. Katherine loves spending time outdoors with her daughter and enjoys dancing and listening to music.