Our team structure is open and dynamic. Our current active team members comprise folks from across Virginia Cooperative Extension. Below is a list of team members involved and their backgrounds.
- Jayesh Samtani, Assistant Professor and Small Fruit Extension Specialist, Hampton Roads AREC, Virginia Tech, Co-Chair, CLRFS PT.
- French Price, Value Chain Coordinator, Virginia Cooperative Extension.
- Kim Niewolny, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural, Leadership, & Community Education, Virginia Tech, and Director, VT Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation.
- Eric Bendfeldt, Extension Specialist, Community, Local, and Regional Food Systems and Associate Director, VT Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, Virginia Tech/Virginia Cooperative Extension.
- Rebecca Gartner, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent, Culpeper County and Co-Founder, of George Washington Carver Food Enterprise Center.
- Marcus Comer, Extension Specialist and Associate Professor, Local Food Systems, Virginia State University.
- Theresa Nartea, Extension Specialist and Associate Professor, Marketing and Agribusiness, Virginia State University.
- Thomas Bolles, Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Prince William County.
- Joanne Jones, Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Charlotte County
- Reza Rafie, Extension Specialist, Horticulture, Virginia State University.
- Kenner Love, Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Rappahannock County.
- Mizuho Nita, Associate Professor in Fruit Pathology, Alson H. Smith, Jr. AREC, Virginia Tech.
- Andrea Wann, FCS-SNAP Ed Extension Agent, Washington County.
- Beth Sastre, Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Loudoun County.
- Todd Scott, Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Campbell County.