What attracted you to Community Food Advocates?

I was first introduced to CFA as a member of the Good Food New York Coalition through my previous work with Catskills Agrarian Alliance and Star Route Farm. The rigor, expertise, and strategy that the team holds made me an instant supporter of the work, but the care and commitment to community that they prioritize in building and stewarding that coalition is what sealed the deal for me. To me, this is something that exists across all of CFA’s program and policy areas and it’s special to be part of an organization that balances principle and community care with sharp strategy.

Why does food justice work matter to you?

Everybody eats: food is a key aspect to our daily survival. It is also central to our relationship to our cultures and communities and marks celebration, joy, and a sense of belonging. The many and complex inequalities in accessing and having autonomy with our food (and our food ways) as well as the broader cultural significance of food make food justice work not only an important cause to pursue but it’s also a site of joy and resistance!

What inspires you to strive for racial and identity justice?

James Baldwin teaches me to be ardent in my pursuit and work towards justice. He had such a keen analysis and perspective on racial dynamics in the US during the 20th century that for better or worse are still relevant and durable contributions to our understanding of inequity today. Lorde, hooks, Crenshaw, and other Black feminists coming out of the Civil Rights Era have also been instrumental in helping me to push the analysis to think in intersectional terms. Personally though, I think of the many unsung and “unknown” queer people of color who simply had the audacity to live life as their most authentic selves.

Where can we find you when you are not working?

In the kitchen, definitely. I love the many hundreds of decisions that come together and make a nourishing and delicious meal. If it’s the growing season, in the garden or out in the fields. I love tactile work rooted in nature. And when the weather is right, I am doing both—cooking on the fire outside.

What is your superpower?

As a tried and true Libra it’s discernment with a sprinkling of indecisiveness.