Chris and Isia, Crack in the Sidewalk Farmlet
Chris and Isia are urban farmers and foragers on a 1/2 acre lot in SE Atlanta. In addition to their farming and gathering, Isia teaches weekly yoga classes in our EAVFM Learning Garden and Chris leads walking tours of fruit and nut trees in East Atlanta.
Shane Little, Avenue Realty
Shane Little is a Consultant, Realtor, and Broker with seven years of experience as a National Commercial Appraiser and is the Founder of Avenue Realty, Inc which is based in the heart of East Atlanta Village. Shane is the longest standing sponsor of the EAV Farmers Market. Shane is active in the community and a lover of the arts. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Out of Hand Theater Company based in East Atlanta.
Jeff McCord, Bound to be Read Books
Jeff McCord is the owner of Bound To Be Read Books, a mostly used/general bookstore in East Atlanta Village. Jeff is a native Atlantan who likes to say that he has never gone very far in life. He was born at Georgia Baptist Hospital (1959), graduated from Georgia State University (B.S, political science), works a career job at the State Capitol (Georgia Technology Authority) and lives in Grant Park (with cult personality Jef Blocker). He believes in the value and importance of local community!
In reality, Jeff has traveled extensively, having worked in London, completed a studies abroad program in Germany, and done months of missionary outreach in Central America and the Caribbean. Leisure travels have also aken him far and wide.
Jeff has served many community organizations: as Vice-President of the Grant Park Neighborhood Association, President of the Capitol Area Kiwanis Club, a member of the Clayton County Headstart/Community Services Board, and chair of the Administrative Council of Jones Memorial Methodist Church. He is now a member at St. Paul United Methodist Church, where the choir kindly lets him sing with them occasionally.
Besides reading, his hobbies include bicycling, photography, camping and home repairs.
Laird Ruth, Community Leader
Laird has a Masters of Public Health (MPH) in International Health and Development in Monitoring and Evaluation from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. He currently works as a Micronutrient Specialist for the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. His focus involves supporting the planning, organization, implementation, analysis and dissemination of international nutrition survey data. Laird develops and analyzes information on micronutrient (vitamin and minerals) surveillance systems that the CDC is setting up in Kisumu, Kenya and other places. In addition, he works with the World Health Organization and UNICEF to provide training and facilitate workshops to develop micronutrient national plans of action for Middle Eastern and African countries.
Prior to coming to CDC, Liard set up a micronutrient surveillance system during a two-year study on vitamin and mineral supplementation for pregnant women in the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya. He grew up on an acreage near Lincoln, Nebraska where we raised chickens, goats, horses and other pets. They usually had a garden, and he learned everything from fertilizing with manure to freezing and canning vegetables there. He worked with several people to help set up the community garden in Brownwood Park and is passionately interested in community organizing and mobilization to improve mental and physical health and overall nutrition.
Jonathan Tescher, Georgia Organics
Jonathan Tescher currently serves as the Farmer Services Coordinator for Georgia Organics, and he recently graduated with is MBA from Georgia State University in May of 2009. He helped start the EAV Farmers Market in 2006 and lead the process for the market to be the first in the state to accept food stamps in 2008. At Georgia Organics Jonathan will coordinate the Farmer to Farmer Mentoring Program and has developed an urban agriculture mentoring program that launches in 2010. His favorite part about the EAV Farmers Market is the community of neighbors, businesses and farmers that have all lend support to set it up for success.
Glynis Ward, Community Leader
Glynis Ward is an East Atlanta resident and passionate gardener and advocate. Her small, community based company Electric Garden Design fosters clients to adapt more sustainable, thoughtful gardens and homes. She teaches gardening and sustainability classes at Oakhurst Community Gardens, lectures and writes about gardening for several publications. Closest to her heart is the garden of Holy Comforter in Ormewood Park where Glynis and her friends garden for food and for faith.
Judith Winfrey, Local Food Activist and Leader of Slow Food Atlanta
The granddaughter of a Georgia sharecropper and daughter of a professional caterer, Judith Winfrey has devoted her life and career to the advocacy of good food since 2003.
Beside her role the Assistant Program Director of Wholesome Wave Georgia, she is the former Manager of the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market. She also holds the position of Assistant Maitre d’ and Director of Fruition at Atlanta’s Restaurant Eugene working under James Beard-Nominated Chef Linton Hopkins.
Judith co-founded The Local Farmstand in 2005 and Love is Love organic Farm with her sweetheart Joe Reynolds in 2007. Judith and Joe also founded and manage the Small Farms CSA. Judith is the Leader of the Atlanta chapter of Slow Food International, and has been Chairperson of the Live Auction Wine Committee for the High Museum Wine Auction since 2000. She is the former Membership and Administrative Coordinator for Georgia Organics.
Judith holds a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Applied Linguistics from Georgia State. In her sparse free time, Judith likes to listen to records and cook at her home in Grant Park.
To contact our advisory board members, please email info(at)farmeav.com