Bringing the Farm to School

From a young age, Samantha developed a close connection with the natural world while nibbling from her family’s garden which rooted her passion for locally grown and produced food. She holds a non-profit business administration degree from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Before moving to Northwest Tennessee she had coordinated various food insecurity projects throughout the area of Upstate New York through her job at United Way of Tompkins County, Second Harvest Food Bank and local Food Pantries. Serving as an Agricultural Extension Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay, South America, she is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Guarani with conversational skills in Portuguese and Swedish.

Currently, she serves on the Tennessee Environmental Council Board of Directors. She serves her community as the co-manager of the Martin Farmers Market through the City of Martin. In her spare time, she manages her urban farm – Barefoot Gardens. She is a TN Master Gardener who enjoys teaching children how to cultivate & eat vegetables, cooking and sharing the additional harvest for her family and friends, and improving her community through her passion of locally grown and produced food.