Join LCFA for an engaging panel discussion with women/non-binary producers, educators, and advocates in the food and farm system of northern Colorado.

We will explore and dialogue about the challenges, triumphs, lessons, ideas, and changes that our panelists experience day-to-day, from career beginnings to the present.

Women and Non-Binary Farm and Food Folks of Northern Colorado

A Panel Discussion on Food Systems, Agriculture, and Identity in the Field.

Panelists

Amanda Laban

Landlink Coordinator for Guidestone Colorado

Amanda is a food systems educator, advocate and organizer. Her work has taken her from coast to coast in the US food system: apprenticing on a diversified fruit and vegetable farm in northern California, coordinating demos in Boston for a national grocery chain, running a cottage food bakery business, and managing a café in Denver. For 5 years, she was involved in all aspects of an organic seed and vegetable farm on the Front Range. Since 2014, Amanda has been a certified Farm Succession Coordinator through the International Farm Transition Network. She holds a masters’ degree in environmental management and a bachelors’ degree from Colorado College. In addition to her current role as the Land Link Coordinator for Guidestone Colorado, she also serves as the Event Coordinator for the Western Colorado Food & Farm Forum, manages the Valley Roots Food Hub’s summer CSA program based in the San Luis Valley, and serves on the Chaffee County Local Foods Coalition. She sees land access as one of the greatest obstacles and opportunities for envisioning a new food system: one that honors place based ecosystem dynamics, culture, collective knowledge, and community wellbeing. An avid gardener, baker, new recipe geek, soccer coach, and mama to 11-year-old Leo, Amanda also loves to dream about working in harmony with the land again to provide food and mentorship for her community.

Kristen Ramey

Owner/Operator of Long Shadow Farm

Kristin Ramey is the owner of Long Shadow Farm, a small, family farm in beautiful Berthoud, Colorado. We primarily raise lamb and pork on our farm, and have a history of raising and teach people how to raise and process Poultry. We have run the farm since 2008, and operate a pastured, free range and regenerative philosophy on our farm. Happy animals make for healthy foods.

Ashely Krueger

Education Coordinator at The Gardens on Spring Creek

Ashley is the Education Coordinator at The Gardens on Spring Creek, Fort Collins Colorado’s community botanic garden and butterfly house. She has worked in informal education in zoos, aquariums, nature centers and gardens for over 10 years. A lover of plants and food, she creates programming for all people to reconnect with their botanical neighbors.

Anne Genson

Founder and Director of Sproutin’ Up

Anne Genson is the founder and Executive Director of Sproutin' Up, a local non-profit that provides access to fresh produce for under-resourced neighborhoods and first job training for the teens living there through a variety of programs. She has been farming for about 10 years, growing the space and offerings of the farm each year. Although the farming portion of Sproutin' Up is important to her, Anne uses the farm to focus on educating teens by teaching them how to have their first job and be successful members of our community while also teaching them how to grow their own food. Anne also teaches middle school full time and has three of her own children. In her free time, Anne enjoys being with her family, being outdoors, and running.

Tanja Andreas

Fort Collins Homestead Farmer and Previous NP focusing on Women’s Health

My name is Tanja Andreas. I've had lifelong interest and experience in family and sustainable farming, especially the animal husbandry aspects. I live the way I do as a lifestyle, but I do not make my living in farming. I have experience on raw milk dairies, and raising hogs, cattle, llamas, sheep, and heirloom poultry. I have owned a one-woman homestead farm for the past nine years, and I have a small number of sheep, llamas, and heirloom poultry, for fiber, packing, meat, eggs and pets. I'm a retired nurse practitioner having worked in women's health for decades. I have a market garden and farmstand on my farm, I do on-site butchering and processing. I have an extensive fiber studio for weaving and spinning. Advice to any homesteader: Homesteading is a lifelong learning process! Set yourself up to enjoy it!

Chris Charbonneau

Owner/Operator of Gordon Creek Farm, LLC

Chris grew up in Northern California surrounded by family gardens. Whenever she couldn't tend a garden herself she turned to CSA farms to fill the gap. As a working member on Monroe Organic Farm in Kersey, CO she found a kinship with the farm, farmers and members.

In 2018, after permanently moving to her mountain home 45 min NW of Fort Collins she found herself once again with overflowing gardens and a deep desire to share the abundance with the communities of Livermore & Red Feather Lakes. Gordon Creek Farm LLC was born and now serves the community with a 35 member CSA & online farmstand.

Helen Skiba

Owner/Operator of Farmette Flowers

Helen is in her 7th season of flower farming in Colorado. As the owner of Farmette Flowers, she has grown and designed for over 300 weddings, and as flower manager at Aspen Moon Farm, she is currently fulfilling a 150-member flower CSA, offering flowers to farmers markets, and working with florists through wholesale. Helen has both participated in and staffed workshops with Floret Flower Farm, and has taught many of her own growing and design intensives. She is an eager mentor and a fun teacher. She can’t wait to meet you!

Order of photos below:

Amanda Laban

Ashley Krueger

Kristen Ramey

Tanja Andreas

Anne Genson

Chris Charbonneau

Helen Skiba