Staff

Kim Sin, Local Food Development Coordinator

Kim Sin is a professional in Rochester who is a graduate of RCTC who is living the "American Dream" He came to the US penniless as a refugee around 6 years old. He is a miracle; he escaped the Khmer Rouge with his family as a toddler. This was unheard of! Babies cry and this alerts the soldiers where the group is. Many children did not make it alive and many people escaped without children since they were a liability. However, Kim, and his family, made it! We escaped the brutal Khmer Rouge genocide by traveling through the dense, humid, hot and tangled jungle at night; landmines ready to go off surrounded these areas! We ate what we could find, roots, leaves, and bugs. I have no idea how an infant can do this. In any case, my family made it to the Thai border and to a refugee camp. We then made it to the Philippines where I learned about the US by going to preschool. We then relocated to the US in Rochester, MN and were sponsored by a church organization.

For over 25 years, I have been working with members of the Cambodian community, including elderly and those with physical and chronic health conditions. Through my experiences as a community member and advocate for new Americans, I have been able to observe the importance for many first-generation immigrants to find spaces to grow their own food as a way to maintain their health and regain a sense of self and dignity. In the Cambodian community, as well as other refugee communities, growing your own food is not only a common practice, but for some elders in the community, tending a garden that produces food is a way to give back to one’s family and Cambodian community.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOkSWVmJwfZpyZGLOiwwbFQ/featured

Amanda Nigon-Crowley

Amanda is an experienced farmer, writer, mental health practitioner, and business administrator. She grew up and now resides on a century farm in western Rochester. Amanda believes that a healthy connection to the great outdoors creates strong communities.

Chris Allen - Market Manager

Chris joined us during the summer 2022 season to bring our farmer's market to life! A professional fine artist who has farmed with us since our beginnings in 2019, she's an incredibly kind woman with a knack for bringing people together and helping them feel welcome.

Jerry Locula, Farm Educator & Program Manager

Jerry joined the Village as a farmer in 2021. Originally from Liberia, Jerry serves as a pastor and a strong equity advocate in the Rochester area. He has extensive experience working with vulnerable adults in crisis situations. In his country of origin, farming is a way of life and deeply embedded in their local culture.

Valerie Djuissi, Land Access Coordinator

Valerie supports our farmers by coordinating land access, connecting with education and resources, and providing connection to resources that will help build their farms. Valerie brings a lifetime of practical farming experience to our team, along with professional skills in managing mental and physical health from her career in health care. As a farmer seeking land, she brings her lived experience of integrating into modern agriculture to our team. With great people skills and a cooperative & sound work ethic, Valerie will support our work toward getting farmers on their own land as well as supporting the coordination of our current community farms.

Jose Jimenez, Farm Maintenance Manager

Jose brings valuable experience in managing a variety of projects, and will support the continued development of our farm infrastructure. He's quick to laugh and tell a joke, and has a variety of handy-man skills that will compliment our efforts to support farmers by building our community farm network.

Board Members

We are seeking 2 - 3 new board members to serve our organization. We are comprised mostly of community members and farmers working together to improve the health of our community.

Chandi Katoch, Board President

Chandi is originally from Duluth, MN. She came to Rochester to attend UMR and plans on becoming an emergency physician. She is passionate about access to healthy food and community health.

Violet Magoma

Board member, Grower
Mayo Clinic Staff

Gilbert Omwenga

Farmer, board member
Health care professional

Anna Oldenburg

Olmsted County Public Health
Board Secretary

Miriam Goodson

Alliance of Chicano, Hispanic, & Latino Americans; Rochester Healthy Community Partnership

Kiley Lantz

My passions for health, fostering community connections and honoring nature began at a young age.
After studying health science in college, I started working at Mayo Clinic in 2017.
I love baking, traveling and exploring the great outdoors!
I live in SW Rochester with my husband, son, dog, and two cats.