Committee Members

Chloe Hirschhorn (she/her) 

I’m At: GrowNYC Teaching Garden on Governors Island as the Farm Coordinator

A Lil’ About Me: I have been farming/gardening in NYC for the last 5 years, focusing on teaching NYC students about food and nature. My interests outside the garden include cooking and food preservation, birds and wildlife rehabilitation, and sustainability in cities. 

Chloe Lazarus (she/her)

I’m At: Project EATS as the North Regional Farm Manager - managing our Ward’s Island farm and Bronx rooftop farm at St. Barnabas Hospital

A Lil’ About Me: I love food/cooking/baking/eating cookie dough, I’ve been farming in Westchester/Pittsburgh/NYC for a total now of 13 years, I keep chickens in my backyard in East Harlem and I love them (follow their lives @harlem_hens on instagram!), and I love seed saving.

Ciara (she/her) 

I’m At: Randall’s Island Park Alliance Urban Farm as the Farm Manager 

A Lil’ About Me: Ciara is a Queens native, committed to growing food in educational spaces in NYC. She is endlessly interested in engaging folx in learning and discussion around the intersections of farming, justice, sustainability, and our urban landscape. Outside of farming, she enjoys non-competitive team sports, and gets her adrenaline fix from biking on city streets. 

Genea Foster (no pronouns)

I’m At: planet Earth on lands originally stewarded by the Lenape and Canarsie people

A Lil’ About Me: I’m a Brooklyn native with Afro-Caribbean roots, born and raised in East New York. I’m an urban planner who has worked with youth and communities of color towards environmental and food justice, climate resiliency, and health equity through community-based planning, popular education, and community organizing. I’m passionate about envisioning and actualizing liberation for BIPOC communities through land sovereignty and cooperative economics.

Maya Marie (she/her)

I’m At: KCC Urban Farm as the Assistant Farm Manager and Food Ed. Coordinator

A Lil’ About Me: Maya hails from Baltimore and has called Brooklyn her home for ten years, and Bed-Stuy for five. She's an urban farmer, cook, baker, and writer who's passionate about supporting Black and brown people in (re)connecting with the earth by deepening their relationships to plants, animals, history, and each other.

Perl Egendorf (she/her)

I’m At: Cornell University, Postdoctoral Researcher based in NYC

A Lil’ About Me: Perl was born and raised on occupied Lenape land, where she learns from soils and people who work with them. Her PhD research at the City University of New York developed a systems approach for limiting exposure to lead in soil, particularly by constructing new soils with the NYC Clean Soil Bank. Currently, she uses biogeochemical and participatory action research methods to study bacterial and fungal communities in newly constructed soils. In collaboration with many experts outside of academia, she conducts experiments on the ways urban soils can mitigate climate change, promote food justice, and support BIPOC-led movements for justice and liberation.

Renee Keitt

I’m At: Kelly Street Garden is where I can usually be found. Membership in Community Garden: Chenchita’s, Lydia’s Magic Garden and La Finca del Sur.

A Lil’ About Me:Interests: composting, farming/gardening, seed saving, herbal products, mushrooms and the arts: photography, screen printing, bio and computer art. I feed people, I save seeds, I grow food.

Sam Anderson (he/him)

I’m At: Cornell Cooperative Extension, Harvest NY, Urban Ag Specialist since 2017

A Lil’ About Me: I provide (along with Yolanda) educational programming and technical assistance for urban farms throughout NYC. A lot of my work is on pests and diseases (and IPM) and soil health, especially for vegetable crops. Interests include being in the woods (any woods), writing, reading, basketball, and music.

Wythe (he/him)

I’m At: Cornell University, research associate studying indoor farming

A Lil’ About Me: I’m an anthropologist of agricultural technology, plant lover, and socialist. My first book project examines the recent rise of commercial vertical farming in New York. I love reading and trying to improve my baking game.

Yolanda Gonzalez

I’m At: Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest NY Urban Ag Program since Fall 2017.

A Lil’ About Me: I provide educational programming for commercial producers throughout NYC. I focus on mushroom cultivation, food safety, lean farming and fruit technical assistance.