Senior Market Team
Rebecca Chávez, Director of Agricultural Programs
Rebecca is a food systems expert with over ten years of experience leveraging community-based and systems change within local and global agricultural supply chains. She is passionate about food sovereignty and about leveraging the joy of mealtimes to influence community engagement, local economies, public health, and our natural environment. A Mexican-American native of Washington, DC, Rebecca is motivated to collaborate with our region’s diverse and intersectional communities in co-creating a more equitable food system. She holds a Master of Public Health degree in Health Behavior from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the UNC-Chapel Hill.
Katie Wolffe, Senior Markets Manager
Prior to joining FRESHFARM, Katie worked for seven years as the executive chef of a Maryland catering company. Through state and local government contracts she was able to see issues of food equity and access, and her desire to work in that area increased. A culinary school degree and a political science degree have led to an interest and passion for food policy, equity, and local supply chains. Eight years spent working in the grocery industry also informed her knowledge about why local food can be so difficult to get in front of consumers. Katie cultivates a vibrant front yard vegetable garden in her suburban Virginia neighborhood so that her three kids can refuse to eat locally grown vegetables right from the source. Katie’s goal is to help create and strengthen a local food system that is accessible to all and truly connects farmers and all the people who have a right to access healthy nutrition for their families. Favorite market product: Don’t get in between Katie and fresh peaches in the summer.
Aminat Adebule, Food Navigation Manager
Aminat works on both the farm stand team and as the administrative specialist for the admin team. She loves to be part of making an impact in the community!
Mazat Guarcax, Farmer & Producer Engagement Coordinator
Before joining FRESHFARM, Mazat was a market vendor for a year at the Downtown Silver Spring and Dupont markets. He loves to be outside, especially during the spring, summer, and fall seasons. He enjoys working at market and offering great customer service. He’s so glad to be part of the FRESHFARM team! Favorite market product: hot peppers
Marcella Ortiz, Farmers Market Staffing Manager
Marcella joined FRESHARM in 2017 as an intern for the Market Share program. From there, she became a substitute manager and eventually a full-time market manager. She has been in the food scene for over eight years and has a passion for local food and food access. Marcella is currently studying graphic design and aims to help small farms build their brands and websites. Favorite market product: Italian Veenies from Just AJ’s
Hannah Owens, Markets Personnel Manager
Hannah worked in retail management for over 12 years and enjoys leading people and watching them accomplish their personal and professional goals. She graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. Hannah is excited to be a part of FRESHFARM and be able to provide access to local foods and support local farmers and businesses. Favorite market product: apples – all varieties!
Evan Paramore, Market Operations Manager
Evan thinks food is the most powerful conduit for conversation and connection. The opportunity to support food-centric spaces within their community drove Evan to FRESHFARM, where they joined the team in March 2021. Over the past few years, Evan has loved building relationships with neighbors, farmers, and producers as they facilitate a variety of market programs. When they aren’t at a market, Evan is a Segway Tour Guide, proud leopard gecko father to Atlas, and amateur cake baker. Favorite market product: sweet cherries
Molly Cullen, Senior Market Operator
Molly joined FRESHFARM after graduating from the University of Virginia, where she studied environmental science and global sustainability. Molly’s studies in local food systems and sustainable agriculture led her to farmers markets! She enjoys working directly with farmers, local food producers, and customers to help make local food more available and accessible. Favorite market product: peaches
Halie Ebert, Senior Market Operator
Halie previously worked at farmers markets before joining FRESHFARM. She started as a market sub and eventually became a market operator and is now a senior market operator. She is excited to work with FRESHFARM on their mission to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to those who need them and also work with small farms and businesses to help them grow. Favorite market product: peaches
Sam Greenhouse, Senior Market Operator
Mid-Atlantic Grain Stand Team
Eizel Luna, Grains Program Manager
Eizel loves food and the way food can be the bridge through all barriers. Her career started in pastry kitchens and transitioned into farming, food rescue, and now with FRESHFARM. As an avid traveler, food was often the only way to connect with the many people she met. This love and passion drive her exploration of food access and food justice today. When not working on the Grains Program, you can find her tending to her balcony garden, foraging, or slacklining. Eizel is excited to provide a safe and welcoming atmosphere to all joining the local grain movement. Favorite market products: canteloupe, corn, and chocolate milk
Victoria Cornetta, Grain Stand Specialist
With a diverse background spanning food service, horticulture, nonprofit work, and providing direct client services to underserved communities, Victoria’s journey to FRESHFARM reflects her unwavering fascination with food origins and accessibility. From planting her first vegetable in Vanuatu during her Peace Corps service to assisting refugees in accessing nourishing foods, her path has been defined by a commitment to equity. Victoria’s current role in a local public garden deepens her connection to horticulture and community. FRESHFARM’s focus on the nexus of agriculture and food equity resonates with her passions, as she aims to contribute her multifaceted expertise to promote inclusive local food systems. Favorite market product: kombucha
Chelsa Gumbiner, Grain Stand Specialist
Chelsa is a prepared food vendor with prior farmers market experience in Seattle, Washington. She is excited to get involved in the DC community and get to know FRESHFARM and fellow market farmers and producers better.
Dylan Howes, Grain Stand Specialist
Dylan is excited to learn more about both local ingredients and farming. Favorite market product: kimchi
Connor MacCartney, Grain Stand Specialist
Connor is interested in learning more about where our food comes from and how to support the people feeding the DMV. He has been baking sourdough bread for a few years and really notices the difference when using locally grown and milled flour. Favorite market product: Deep Roots Milling Gold Bread Flour
Annie McDonnell, Grain Stand Specialist
Annie is finishing up her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology at George Washington University. She is interested in disparities in food access and building community to provide healthy and accessible foods. She is always excited to meet new people at the Grain Stand, find new recipes and learn more about local food systems! Favorite market product: tomatoes and sourdough bread
Isa Zambrano, Grain Stand Specialist
Isa is the Community Green Spaces Manager at City Blossoms. She loves working with kids and nature and is applying for her MPH in food systems and nutrition work. FRESHFARM is very aligned with her history with public health, and she is excited to get to know local organizations in DC that are doing similar work. Favorite market product: summer tomato with some pasta from the grain stand!
Substitute Grain Stand Specialists: Margaret Belford, Natalie Chait, Nick Crowley, Xicha Guo, Grace Harmon, Millie Knowlton, Sybil Mahone, Cecelia Michalowski
Market & Farm Stand Staff
Kali Boehle-Silva, Farm Stand Operator & School Farm Stand Operator; Substitute Market Staff
Kali has worked in food systems and education for a long time. Markets are a place where so many members of a community come together, and Kali loves supporting farmers as they get local food to people, and ensuring that everyone feels comfortable and at home at markets. Favorite market product: peaches
Chantel Brooks, Market Operator: Union Market District
Chantel has been a long-term advocate for healthy, fresh, accessible food options in communities facing health disparities. She appreciates that FRESHFARM is consistently researching and implementing new ways to make markets equitably accessible for the DC Metro area. Favorite market product: apples
Kennedy Brooks, Market Operator: Monroe Street
Xavier Bure Quijano, Market Operator: Columbia Heights
Joanna Dimas, Market Staff: Downtown Silver Spring
Joanna is a California native, extrovert, and food lover. She grew up in Marin County and loved attending the farmer’s market with her family. Growing up, she did not realize that the farmer’s market was a place for everyone to attend; she thought it was only for those who could afford to shop there or for people with wealth. Now, as an adult, she realized the market is truly for anyone. Joanna loves the farmer’s market and tries to go whenever she can. The market has become a part of her life and routine. It has been a place of comfort, a home away from home. Joanna’s personal experience with the market is why she am a member of the FRESHFARM team. She hopes to help others feel welcomed at the market and offer any support she can in this new role. Favorite market product: Turkey Breakfast Sausages from Back Creek Farms
Jillian Everly, Market Staff: Columbia Heights
Jillian has a background in wildlife conservation and anthropology, so working within communities for the benefit of our ecosystems has always been a passion of hers. FRESHFARM understands the interconnection among economic, social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts. Jillian sees FRESHFARM doing great work to simultaneously benefit underserved communities and support sustainable farming practices, and is excited to be a part of that mission! Favorite market product: Pastries, any and all fruits and veg
Vanessa Garcia, Market Staff: Columbia Heights
Vanessa is passionate about increasing food access in our DMV communities. From a young age, she began learning how to grow produce in her mom’s backyard garden in Wheaton, Maryland. She discovered the importance of sharing their harvest with neighbors as a way to foster community and promote food sovereignty. She is excited to be part of the FRESHFARM team where she can play a role in our local food system and to connect with regional farmers and market-goers. Favorite market product: Berries
Glenn Hall, Market Staff: Uptown
Karey Harrigan, Market Staff: Mosaic
Karey studied Nutrition at GMU for several semesters where she learned about the impact and importance of our food system, culinary and nutrition sciences, and food policy. She also volunteered with DC Central Kitchen and Fairfax County farmers markets, which continued to spark her passion for nutrition and food access and systems. Upon moving to the Oakton area, she began to visit the local FRESHFARM market and knew she wanted to get more involved in this work. Karey is very excited about giving back and supporting her community through our local farmers markets. Favorite market product: pickles or any tomato variety
Anne Haynes, Market Operator: Arlington
Anne was a regular customer at the Dupont Circle market has always prioritized buying local seasonal produce, and was interested in joining the team that provided these markets! Favorite market product: peaches, when in season
Price Holman, Farm Stand Operator
Price joined FRESHFARM to meet new people and spend time outside. He is deeply aware of the food access issues in Washington, DC, specifically east of the Anacostia River, and wants to do his part in remedying the issue. Favorite market product: tomatoes
Jennifer Jones, Market Operator
Jennifer was drawn to FRESHFARM by the organization’s mission! She worked in international health development for most of he career and enjoyed discovering many different foods during work trips. Jennifer grew up in rural Upstate NY where she had a huge veggie patch and small apple orchard. Favorite market product: peaches
Jenny Jourdain, Farm Stand Operator
Jenny joined FRESHFARM driven by a passion for creating equitable access to sustainable food and community engagement. Prior to FRESHFARM, she volunteered throughout the city. What inspires and resonates with Jenny about FRESHFARM is the mission and vision to create a positive impact on both individuals and the environment through the promotion and access to fresh, locally sourced food. Jenny is excited to be a part of the FRESHFARM team and contribute to the organization’s mission of fostering resilience, equity, and sustainability in our regional food system and its commitment to Washington, DC. Favorite market product: beets
JaNeya Lee, Farm Stand Operator
JaNeya has always loved food, and while growing up she and her family always visited the farmers market on the weekend. As she learned more about food, JaNeya was drawn to professional roles in food education, eventually leading her FRESHFARM. In addition to being the Cesar Chavez Farm Stand Operator, JaNeya is a FoodPrints Assistant Teacher. Favorite market product: white peaches
Tiffany Letona, Market Operator: Reston
Tiffany first started working with FRESHFARM as a volunteer at a couple Mosaic market events. After learning more about how the organization provides fresh food to the community and educates youth on healthy eating, she was inspired to find out how she could get more involved. She joined FRESHFARM as a Market Operator where she can regularly support her local markets. One of the best parts about this job is that she can be a positive role model for her two young kids showing them how you can make a difference in your community. Favorite market product: peaches
Yuval Lev, Market Operator: Dupont Circle, Mount Vernon Triangle, Reston
Yuval has been managing the Mount Vernon Triangle Farmers Market since 2021 and also worked for the Pop Up Food Hub and FoodPrints teams. When he isn’t at the market, Yuval works as a Resident Teacher with Urban Teachers, an organization committed to dismantling racial and socioeconomic barriers in urban education. He believes care and support for our community are crucially important and is proud to contribute to food access initiatives, along with making the market an enjoyable community event for all. You can find him dancing along to market tunes and petting every dog at MVT on Saturdays! Favorite market product: tomatoes of all kinds
Erica Lonesome, Farm Stand Operator
Sofia Machado, Market Staff: Columbia Heights (Wed)
Sofia was drawn to FRESHFARM by the opportunity to work with community building, and to contribute to a more sustainable, equitable, and empowering food system.
Allie Mannheimer, Market Operator: Downtown Silver Spring
Allie studied nutrition in college and she loves working with farmers & producers who are part of a network that supports healthy eating and the local economy, while giving people in cities access to nutrient-dense foods from farms close to home! Favorite market product: sourdough bread
Jamie Nickel, Market Operator: Uptown
Jamie works in food and agriculture research at a national and international level. She joined FRESHFARM to become more involved in local and community-led food access efforts. Favorite market product: tomatoes
Cristina Nolasco, Market Operator: By the White House, CityCenterDC, H Street NE
Before joining FRESHFARM, Cristina volunteered and worked with organizations that focus on education access and promoted sustainable projects. She has learned with time that she loves working with people and connecting them to opportunities that promote growth and improvement. What she enjoys most about FRESHFARM’s work is its mission to implement programs of inclusion for nutrition and wellness. Her work at FRESHFARM has also taught her about a plethora of fruits and vegetables that she otherwise wouldn’t have known about, and she is extremely excited to share this with her community! Favorite market product: eggs
Dominique Ortiz, Market Operator: Rosslyn
Dominique was born and raised in France where she always had a vegetable garden, and her parents raised chicken, rabbits, goats, and lambs. That’s how she developed a passion for fresh and healthy food, with her mom preparing flavorful meals with homegrown vegetable and foraged items such as mushrooms and all kind of greens growing wild nearby. When she came to the US in 1986, the food culture was very different and she missed the weekly markets, fresh baked goods, and fresh produce. She is thrilled to see that we’ve come a long way since then and is proud to be able to play a little part in it with FRESHFARM. Making fresh and healthy food accessible to more people, and knowing where it comes from and how it is grown, are very important pieces in the puzzle of food sustainability. Favorite market product: anything grown or made with love
Reanetta Perkins, Market Staff
When completing her studies in nutrition, Reanetta worked with an organization where she created low-cost, fresh recipes for program participants with a focus on foods that are readily accessible, in-season, and colorful. Prior to joining FRESHFARM, she worked with FRESHFARM staff on WIC initiatives. Favorite market product: popcorn
Jacob Rasmussen, Market Operations Associate
Jacob grew up going to farmers markets when he was younger and knew that I wanted to work for FRESHFARM once he learned of it. Favorite market product: apples
Kim Rodriguez, Market Operator: Arlington
Camila Rosales, Market Operator: Oakton
Camila studies Business at GMU and is involved in numerous sustainability organizations including Impact Fellows at the Costello School of Business and the Food Recovery Network. She came to FRESHFARM to gain experience with interacting with farmers and producers across the DMV food system. Also, she loves to work outdoors. Outside of being a market staff, Camila likes to write, attend Zumba, play volleyball, skateboard, and watch the Food Network. Favorite market product: hot food and apples
Max Sarvello, Market Staff: Union Market District
Max lives on the same block and was previously a regular at the FRESHFARM Union Market District farmers market. Favorite market product: eggplants
Pam Simon, Market Operator: CityCenterDC, Downtown Silver Spring
Pam traces her love of markets to childhood visits to Baltimore’s famed Lexington Market with her grandmother. She was introduced to FRESHFARM on the opening day of the Penn Quarter market. After retiring from a career in Early Childhood Administration, she became a FRESHFARM volunteer in 2015, working with the Market Share program learning about issues relating to the growing of food and the food system. She enrolled in the University of Vermont’s Breakthrough Leaders for Sustainable Agriculture Program to both broaden and deepen her understanding of food systems. After nearly three years as a Downtown Silver Spring market volunteer, Pam became a Market Operator in 2020. She has worked with many dedicated individuals doing the hard work to support farmers and increase food access for low-income communities. Favorite market product: strawberries and peaches (for taste and fragrance!)
Lara Speer, Market Staff
Lara has always enjoyed growing and consuming her own food and was raised to value fresh and local produce. When she moved to DC, she wanted to get involved with a community that shared those values. Lara began volunteering and loved the FRESHFARM community, so she decided to increase her involvement by becoming a staff member. Favorite market product: a fresh bunch of kale
Ben Spriggs, Market Operator: H Street NE
Ben was drawn to FRESHFARM through his passion for local food sourcing.
Chi Wang, Market Staff: Downtown Silver Spring
Mariyah Whitley, Market Staff: Monroe Street
Mariyah has worked at farms growing food and she’s passionate about food access and education for all people. Favorite market product: Croplet muffins from CropEats
Sam Zeno, Market Operator: Columbia Heights
FRESHFARM plays such a pivotal role in community-building in the DC area. Sam was drawn to this role because she would love to be part of that community building at market. Sam is from a small Massachusetts town of 5,000 people, so strong and connected community is really at the core of her being. Her full time job is in conservation policy, so the ability to work in equitable fresh food access really aligns with Sam’s interests and passions. Favorite market products: Sourdough bread, apple cider, cucumbers, squash flowers
Emily Zomoroudi, Market Staff: Columbia Heights (Wed)
Favorite market product: DMV empanadas (all season!), yellow squash (summertime), white peaches (summertime)
Substitute Market Staff: Hadley Ackerman, Gracemary Allen, Andee Baker, Lyric Brown, Aubrey Broxson, Avneet Chhabra, Kaitlyn Cline, Hannah Daly, Eunice Dollete, Hala ElBarmil, Jillian Fan, Aaron Frederick, Lauren Fung, Natalie Grandle, Charlotte Greenberg, Silvi Grodstein, Melissa Gurevitch, Rob Hofmann, Khadija Jahfiya, Annie McDonnell, Brian Partida, Stacey Pirtle, Caila Prendergast, Ray Rizzo, Cynthia Sanchez, Willa Shiel, Jade Silverstein, Katie Wiseman, Kristin Wood