Title: Virginia SARE and Small Farm Outreach Program Assistant

Bio: Marian is a local food system educator and facilitator with nearly 20 years of experience in intergenerational community organizing. Marian stands on the shoulders of her family who have lived and farmed in the Shenandoah Valley for many generations. Her agricultural experience includes working on diversified vegetable farms in Virginia, Ohio, Maine, Central America, as well as urban farms in Philadelphia. Marian completed an apprenticeship with the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) in 2009 and a Permaculture Design Certification from the Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute in Guatemala in 2013.

Marian has designed community-informed programming with children, students, and adults on topics such as nutrition education, sustainable farming methods, ecology and herbal medicine. In her current role, she is developing and supporting a network of sustainable, small producers in a 9-county region of Northwest Virginia. She loves to spend time with her family, cooking, playing music, dancing, biking and rollerblading. Marian believes that food and culture are at the core of community well-being and is committed to co-creating a world where we all belong.

Approaches: Participatory education, agro-ecology

Areas of emphasis and educational programming: Small-scale agriculture, Farm to Table, Community Viability

Education:
B.A. Comparative American Studies, Oberlin College
Professional Certification, Spanish Translation & Interpretation, University of Massachusetts
Currently pursuing Masters Degree in Natural Resources, Virginia Tech