Kristy Athens (she/her)
Owner, Genuine Wallowa County
Procurement Hub Coordinator
Wallowa, Baker & Union County
Kristy Athens has an M.S. in Food Systems and Society from Marylhurst University and is the author of Get Your Pitchfork On!: The Real Dirt on Country Living. She has worked in rural/”minority” economic development for decades, currently connecting Eastern Oregon farmers and school districts as the procurement liaison for Oregon Farm to School and School Garden Network, and serving for a number of years on the Wallowa County Farmers Market board.
Kristy moved to Wallowa County in 2013, and before that lived in western Oregon/Washington and the upper Midwest. In her spare time (ha ha!) she manages Pitchfork Garden with her spouse, makes collage art, and plays songs on fiddle and electric bass.
northeast@oregonfarmtoschool.org
541-406-0831
Carrie Caselton Lowe (she/her)
Environmental Educator, RedTwig Education
Education Regional Hub Coordinator
I come from a long line of farmers and gardeners, so growing, collecting, and preparing food is certainly imprinted on my DNA. As a former school garden and farm to school coordinator, I love watching youth build their self confidence and healthy habits while learning farming, gardening, and culinary skills: the excitement of nibbling on spring spinach planted in the fall, the joy of tasting elderberry tea harvested from nearby shrubs, and the satisfaction of wielding a spade fork.
My work in Northeast Oregon engages youth in watershed monitoring with the Grande Ronde Model Watershed and is guided by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla. This guidance from our Indigenous neighbors centers the interconnectedness of our food with the land, water, and wellness of all organisms. I look forward to offering opportunities for educators to be guided in similar ways to support a deep connection between our youth, community, and the food that nourishes all of us.