Amber Friedman
President
Program Manager, FOOD For Lane County

Growing up in a small rural town in Alaska, local food was not always accessible. Except for meat from hunting and fishing, most food had to be shipped in from the “Lower 48”. The result was high prices, low quality, and lackluster variety (especially for produce). Having seen firsthand the inefficiencies and inequities of our national food systems, I believe that systemic change is necessary to move towards a sustainable and just food system. I am thrilled join the Willamette Farm and Food Coalition in supporting this important work for our communities and planet. The interconnected nature of food, poverty, health, and community both fascinates and inspires me. I bring to the board, a decade of nonprofit sector experience, a passion for poverty alleviation in all of its forms, and an appreciation for the beauty and abundance of the Willamette Valley.

Jenni Timms
Treasurer
Owner, Fair Valley Farm

Growing up in Texas, the highlight of my summer was our annual visit to family in Eugene. I remember snacking on cherries at the farmers market, picking fresh veggies and berries in my grandfather’s garden and preparing delicious meals with my grandmother. Little did I know that years later I would be farming in the same area that first sparked my love for fresh, locally grown food. I have seen firsthand the impact that WFFC makes, as it was pivotal in helping us reach local eaters when we started our small farm. I am proud and honored to be a part of an organization that does so much to help spread the local food message through our community.

 

Hayley Park
Secretary
Co-Owner at Underground Seed Co.
Technical Coordinator at the Organic Materials Review Institute

Hayley is a self-described farmer-scientist. Over the past 10 years her various jobs and studies have carried her to vegetable, flower, seed, and research farms in both Colorado and Oregon. Currently, she’s working on a Masters in Plant Breeding and Genetics at Oregon State University where her research focuses on breeding plants for organic systems, plant-microbe interactions, and farmer-participatory projects. Broadly, she hopes to contribute to larger, ongoing efforts to build a resilient, accessible, local food system. She is inspired by the work the WFFC does to achieve this goal, and is honored to be a part of an organization taking concrete steps to improve the local foodshed for all members of our community.

 

Marena Anspach

Since coming to Lane County in the mid '70s, Marena has been part of the local food system, first working in retail and then spending the last 25 years in the wholesale grocery industry.  Her profession in organic and specialty grocery sales exposed her to so much about food sourcing and production. The bounty of our area has much to offer and now in retirement, her goal is to keep connecting the local population with wholesome and nutritious food sources.  Marena believes that connecting with WFFC will give her the opportunity to utilize her personal interests and career skill set to continue our mission to help our community thrive with boundless access to this rewarding and abundant food system with which we are blessed.

 

Rebecca Fallihee
Owner/Clinical Nutritionist, GUTSy Performance Nutrition
Nutrition Educator, OSU Extension Lane County

Many of my most formative memories were of food and farm life, and linked with them, an intricate understanding of all the effort it takes to get food to the table; the constant early mornings and steps it takes to get milk from the cow to the cereal bowl, the endless hours of picking green beans and gathering ground cherries, the fleeting season of raspberries and the need to pick the ripe ones before my siblings got to them, the ritual night checks during lambing season, and especially, the sheer joy of taking whatever of-the-season abundance and creating something wonderful to eat and share in the kitchen. Over the years, I explored those early lessons further through teaching agricultural science, then garden, cooking and nutrition education, and finally through assisting others as a clinical nutritionist. I see local food and farming as a connection—connecting each of us to our ecosystem, each other, and ultimately our own health and wellness. I’m honored to contribute to an organization that continues to foster these connections within our local food system. 

 

Rachael Ward MPH, PMP
Program Coordinator

Rachael Ward has served as the Program Coordinator for WFFC since January 2020. Prior to her current role she was the Event Coordinator for Fill Your Pantry in Fall of 2019. Rachael brings a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector at the intersection of nutrition, agriculture, and public health. When she's not working with WFFC, Rachael serves as a Project Manager for Farmers Market Coalition where she helps farmers markets, farm stands, and CSAs offer nutrition incentive programs (like Double Up Food Bucks) across the country.

 

Patrick Newson
Farm to School Procurement Hub Consultant

Patrick grew up in Pleasant Hill, and there has rarely been a year in the past twenty where he wasn't doing some sort of farm or food project. After nearly a decade working in viticulture and wine distribution, Patrick now works on a fruit and nut orchard and is also pursuing berry farming and cider-making along with teaching, writing, and community organizing. As the leader of our Farm to School Procurement Hub work, he is eager to help children get better access to healthy, local food.