Staff and Board

Andrea is passionate about equitable resource access and has found herself doing that work in a variety of spaces, primarily within the worlds of environmental justice and food systems. Andrea is originally from Santiago, Chile, where she first spent time on farms. She was raised on the east coast where that relationship to nature and farms continued. She believes that nature has been her constant, as someone who immigrated to the US and navigated different worlds at a young age. She continues to find familiarity and grounding when stewarding land. Prior to farming full time, andrea spent many years working as an organizer and facilitator, primarily around issues of housing access and climate justice. In her free time, andrea likes to play music, experiment with crafts, and go dancing.

Brianna is new to Portland, originally from Southern California, and was called here by the promising vision and purpose of PSU’s Leadership for Sustainability Education graduate program. Brianna’s focus is on building supportive and enriching learning communities for young people and community members. She believes in co-creating learning spaces with students that center education as a tool of transformation, and teaches from her values and lived experiences as a Black woman with deep connections to the earth. She is so grateful to be working with the kiddos at Zenger Farm!

Grace grew up in the Portland metro area, where she spent most of her time enjoying the rain while her nose was buried in a book. With a B.A. in Psychology and an M.S. in Theater, she’s a curious artist at heart and is always exploring new mediums and ways of experiencing the world. She’s performed an eclectic combination of roles in the education, non-profit, food, and theatre fields, but found her passion in creative and professional writing. Grace loves crafting narratives that can shift perception and action towards creating a more just and healthy world. When she’s not writing grants, she’s probably working on her novel, reading fantasy, or inventing new recipes to share with her family and neighbors.

Kale grew up in Northern Indiana amongst the cornfields and maple trees. While their access to nature growing up was limited to small parks and the line of trees in their neighborhood she considered a mystical forest, Kale grew to love the natural world around them and set out to explore more of her. While Kale was earning their BA in environmental and marine science, she saw the glaring disparities between access to environmental education and the dangers of Western Colonial relations to land. Her goal became to make environmental education more accessible to marginalized communities, so they pivoted their focus and earned their MA in environmental education. Since then, they have led field trips on a nature preserve in Indiana, led marine science camps on an island off the coast of Maine, and worked as a teacher in residence on an educational ranch on the coast of Northern California. It was there that she fell in love with sustainable food systems and connecting to nature through food. They are excited to continue that work at Zenger Farm.

Teiah Henry is a Garden and Outdoors Educator dedicated to helping students of all ages strengthen their relationships with the earth. Their previous work included teaching positions at Annalee and Leapwood Elementary Schools in Los Angeles Unified School District with Garden School Foundation, a non-profit devoted to bringing garden education into public schools, as well as a position as Garden Coordinator at LAUSD’s Wonderland Elementary School, where their responsibilities including empowering students to design their own garden space, leading cooking classes and community garden days, and maintaining a variety of green spaces. Teiah was Garden and Animal Care Specialist at Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp for four summers, held Naturalist positions at Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, and interned as an Outdoor Leader at Outward Bound Adventures. They have certifications from University of California’s Master Gardener and California Naturalist programs and National Association for Interpretation’s Interpretive Guide program and are a member of the National Association of Interpretation, California Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education, and American Camp Association. In their free time, Teiah enjoys cooking for friends and loved ones, going to arts and community events, and connecting with other educators who seek to create liberatory learning spaces.

Jayanika Lawrence, who grew up on the island of Guåhan, holds a BA degree from The Evergreen State College, where they focused their studies on the decolonial movements of indigenous and local communities, as well as the impact of colonization and militarism. Her commitment to this work is rooted in her deep practice of living into long-term solutions that transform violence and nourish the agency and dignity of all people. Jayanika is passionate about co-creating with others to envision and cultivate a more liberatory and loving world through environmental stewardship and access to healthy food. In their free time, they enjoy somatic mindfulness practices, creating pottery, and reading science fiction.

Born in Bern, Switzerland and raised primarily in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kai made her way to Portland, Oregon in 2017. Kai has been a gardener since her teens and is especially passionate about seed saving and pathways to food sovereignty. While obtaining a B.S. in Sustainability with a focus in food systems from Goddard College, she was inspired to merge her passions of growing food with working with children to shape the world around her. She grounds her teaching principles in self-directed learning, inquiry-based exploration, and co-creating the learning experience with kids. Throughout all of her work, Kai centers curiosity, experimentation, and a commitment to learning with the Earth. When her hands aren’t in the soil or playing with kids, Kai enjoys traveling, dancing, biking, and experimenting in the kitchen.

Danni, a Portland local, finds inspiration in her family’s heritage from Temple, Oklahoma, where self-sufficiency and farming were fundamental. Her goal is to revitalize this legacy, providing sustenance to her community while honoring her ancestors’ strength. Outside of agriculture, she enjoys hiking, making music, and attending live performances, valuing moments of creativity and bonding with loved ones. Danni is dedicated to redefining safety for Black and Brown communities through self-sufficiency and autonomous systems, recognizing that land access and stewardship are central to all liberation efforts.

Isaiah started his work based education young, at age 12 he began his first construction job roofing in Boston, Massachusetts where he was raised. Soon after he began getting involved in the world of food, honing culinary skills and understanding the role of food in community wellness. His journey has taken him all across the country, providing traveling meal service to groups doing anti-racist work, and learning from everyone he’s met along the way. Returning to his birthplace (Portland)  just a couple years ago, Isaiah was called here to continue his work in the agricultural world. Zenger Farm is a place that allows him to fully embody the intersection of food, social justice, and community without compromise. He lends his expertise to the movement of good food for all through the thoughtful care and excellent handiwork he provides to the grounds and facilities on the farm.

Jae was born in Seoul, South Korea, but grew up in a suburb of the Twin Cities. After graduating with a B.A. in Dance and Arts Management from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, Jae made the journey to Portland to pursue dance, theater, and visual arts. Once in Portland, they immersed themselves in different racial justice and community-based organizations and decided to change careers and pursue food justice and community organizing. They are deeply committed to food, trans, and gender justice. When Jae isn’t working, you can find them baking, dancing, hiking, or painting.

Avery (they/she/he) is a queer community organizer, facilitator, birth/death worker, and multi-disciplinary artist. Avery is a proud descendent of Lipan Apache, Nahua, Mexican, Sicilian and Scottish peoples. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Globalization, Environment, & Policy, where she researched Indigenous resistance movements and the ongoing effects of colonization on our climate. Avery first came into food justice through local grassroots initiatives in Tampa, FL in 2015 and has been in love ever since. He also has over six years of experience in public speaking, event planning, and leading a variety of workshops as well as a lifetime of love for learning about the world around him. As an abolitionist and anti-capitalist, Avery firmly believes that moving with joyfulness and a deep reverence for life is vital in all pursuits. When they are not working, you can find them sharing food with their friends, reading/writing sci-fi, urban foraging, curating art spaces, and swimming on sunny days.