Sierra Doehr (they/she) is a Filipinx-American who owes everything to Saticoy since moving to Azahar Street in 2011. Since then, they have found themself at the intersection of food security and racial equity as a health educator and farmer. Sierra was a Social Justice Fellow with Social Justice Fund for Ventura County (2021-2023) and a Community Food Systems Fellow with The Vital Village Network (2022-2023). Her favorite vegetable is kang kong aka water spinach!

Matthew Ruiz-Parra, a local resident of Ventura County, started volunteering with Saticoy Food Hub in May 2023. He has found himself surrounded by fields and agriculture his entire life, and has always carried a sense of pride with him about farming and farm land history. He has previously worked in conventional agriculture, including time as a pesticide handler, but now finds himself as a Food Hub Associate with Saticoy Food Hub, supporting the ever growing need for a true organic and sustainable future for Ag in Ventura County. His favorite fruit is a pineapple!

Lauren Weichert (she/her) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and moved to Camarillo, CA at age 9. She graduated from UCSB in 2018 with a BS in Environmental Studies. She lived in Goleta and worked in ecological restoration for 3 years after graduating. In October 2021, Lauren moved back to Ventura county to work at an organic farm. She now calls Santa Paula home and is excited to be a part of the Saticoy community. She is passionate about food justice, building resilient food systems, and native plants. Her favorite vegetable is garlic because of its ability to make any meal better.

Myrna (she/her), born and raised in East Los Angeles, is passionate about soil health and regenerative agriculture. With a background in social media and firsthand experience working alongside farm workers, she has developed a profound appreciation for sharing stories of our interconnected relationship with stewarding the land. Pursuing her BA in soil science, she aims to aid farmers in adopting sustainable practices that align harmoniously with nature and, most importantly, supporting underserved communities affected by food insecurity. Myrna's favorite fruit is guava, as some of her fondest memories revolve around climbing guava trees in her childhood home.

Emma Burke (she/they/he) was born and raised in the Bay Area of California. She grew up climbing trees, following deer trails, and munching on sour flowers. In 2024 she graduated from UCSB with a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Studies, where she learned about the impact of conventional agriculture and discovered her drive to develop local food networks and support regenerative practices for a healthier planet. She spent time working as a volunteer and education coordinator for a non-profit hydroponic farm in Santa Barbara and plans to bring this passion for community engagement into her work at the Saticoy Food Hub. Her favorite fruit is a mangosteen!

As a UC Santa Cruz alumna, Brenda received an academic background in Global Environmental Justice Studies and Agroecology, spending much time at the Alan Chadwick Garden and the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) Farm on campus. At these sites, she studied pollinatorbehavior, sustainable agriculture, and organic gardening methods. It was also at this campus that she engaged with surrounding community gardens and learned the tremendous importance of food sovereignty. Some of her interests include ethnobotany, photography, and multi-media collage making. Recently, she has been researching various decolonial ecological theories such as ecopedagogy which have helped her (re)discover and (re)define her relationship to land, institutions, and have been allowing her to explore a more embodied knowledge. Her favorite fruit is prickly pear!

Jaycee Sacdalan (she/her) is from Arcadia, California and graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.A. in Environmental Studies in 2024. While at UCSB she began working on farms such as Ebbys Organic Farm and at farmers markets and was inspired by their dedication to growing healthy, organic food for people, despite overwhelming obstacles such as land insecurity and drought. She felt inspired to continue supporting small scale agriculture through her work, and hopes to run her own regenerative farm one day. She also has an ecological restoration background working with UCSBs Cheadle Center and Channel Islands Restoration and hopes to explore the intersection of land healing work and agriculture. Her favorite fruit is Mangosteen.

Syg (They/Them) is new to SoCal as of 2023. They joined Saticoy Food Hub through Oxnard College's Community Leaders Fellowship Program. They aspire to transfer to UCSB in the Fall of 2026 to pursue a degree in Music Composition. Syg has volunteered with CAUSE/CAUSA and the Community Roots Garden. During their free time, they enjoy cooking, arts & crafts, and exploring public parks. A book Syg recommends everyone read is "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. Their favorite fruit is a Papaya!