Rachel Doty
President
Originally an East Coast urban dweller, where she was raised to appreciate hard work and community service, Rachel has made the Pacific NW her home for nearly 20 years, 15 of which have been immersed in the local food scene in Eugene, OR. Rachel’s interest in food systems stems from her love of cooking and eating, and her anthropological studies of the ways in which people interact with their environments and with plants. Rachel has played many roles in the local food system, including farmer, processor, cook, buyer, salesperson, importer, and supply chain manager.
A former board member for Lane County Farmers Market and current board member of the American Herbal Products Association, Rachel also volunteers with the Master Food Preservers of Cottage Grove, teaching classes in canning and other methods of food preservation for the home cook and gardener. Rachel is excited to be working with WFFC to improve access to local foods in our community.
Faye Sofranko
Board Member
Manager of Education & Operations at Positive Community Kitchen
She brings deep roots and experienced entrepreneurship to the many community-focused roles she’s played along her journey toward decolonized food systems, including the launch of the Local Artisan Collective in St. Petersburg, Florida, to encourage local small businesses to cross-promote each other.
Raised in St. Petersburg, she called the city home until moving to Eugene in 2022. During her time in St. Pete, she explored culturally-diverse foods and blended that curiosity with her passion for canning and farming – bringing both to the community to connect people and places for the greater good.
Faye earned multiple Best of the Bay Awards in the Tampa Bay area, as well as national press, upon founding and operating The Urban Canning Co. The brick-and-mortar location sold her jams, pickles, beer mustards, and ferments and offered space to share her love of good food and education about natural food preservation. Today, Faye focuses on her love for teaching, using her collective experience to make tangible change in her community.