Ben Valdez is a Valley native who graduated from Johnson and Wales in 2013 and worked along the front range and Denver in various hotels and restaurants for 6 years. During this time he held many different roles throughout the hospitality and food industry.

His passion for healthy food and family have brought him back home to contribute to the community he was raised in. Currently he works on his family’s farm helping raise grass-fed lamb and cattle as well as cooking for patients at the Conejos County Hospital.

Moving forward he would like to help educate members of the community on healthy cooking and teach about the benefits of diverse diets. He is also interested in helping farmers connect with local consumers to form bonds within our local area and is excited to serve on the LFC board.

Owner of Mudita Camel Dairy; a diverse vegetable farm, fiber, and camel dairy in Conejos County.

Meghan contributes to the team and brings thoughtful new ideas to the organization.

Reilley has made a career out of food, working in a variety of roles throughout the grocery industry. Her passion for food began in college when she had the opportunity to study abroad and experienced another culture’s way of eating: slower and more connected to the land than what she was used to. Since then she’s worked in community gardens, an urban farm, packed food for CSA’s, and more. Currently she works on the technology side of food, creating software for grocery clients.

A recent transplant to the valley, Reilley lives in Alamosa with her husband and two children. Her family has roots here and she is enjoying reconnecting to this special place where her great-grandparents and grandmother was born and raised.

She holds a bachelors from Texas A&M University in Environmental Design, and a Masters of Business Administration from CU Denver.

Max grew up in Kansas City and Boulder, and has been playing in the San Luis Valley since he was a kid. With an undergraduate degree from Naropa University and dual graduate degrees from CU-Denver in Public Health and Urban/Regional Planning, he has worked on healthy community design and food system planning in Colorado, and humanitarian response in East Africa and the Middle East. Before all that, he spent years leading wilderness trips across the Rockies and abroad, and working as an EMT in a number of Denver and mountain hospitals.

He is skilled in writing, research methods, teambuilding, risk management, community organizing, bureaucracy navigation, and strategic planning.  

Max is an avid cook and fermenter, and can be found hiking, skiing, climbing and mountain biking in the Cochetopa Hills.

Jerald, born and raised in the San Luis Valley, is passionate about our local treasures, including Colorado potatoes and green chile. You can find him hiking in the San Juans or supporting a local mission that’s important to him, Tu Casa Domestic Violence Outreach and Prevention.

Fernando was born and raised in the beautiful San Luis Valley. Some of his earliest memories were in his mom’s garden. Fernando saw the care his mom put into her plot next to her house. Fernando would listen and absorb her gardening techniques and, more importantly, her stories. In the fall, he would help his mom and his abuela can the vegetables and berries she grew over the short growing season. Again, Fernando would listen to the stories his mother and grandmother would tell. In the winter months, there was nothing like opening a can of Capulin or strawberry jelly from the garden and spreading it over a warm homemade tortilla. Lessons of growing, creating, cooking, and storytelling would influence Fernando for the rest of his life.

Years later, Fernando would graduate from Alamosa High School and then attend and graduate from the University of Southern California with a B.A in Film Production. While as a TV editor, Fernando worked with Gordon Ramsey in 9 seasons of “Hell’s Kitchen” and three seasons of “Kitchen Nightmares.” He also enjoyed working with the late Anthony Bourdain on “The Taste,” and BBQ champion Myron Mixon on “BBQ PitMasters.” Moreover, He carried the culture of the San Luis Valley throughout his professional career, where Fernando worked as a video editor for Univision, Telemundo, Mun2, RCN, and many other Latino networks, including a documentary with Dolores Huerta, an icon in the Labor and Chicano movement. Culture and food have always been and will always be at the forefront of Fernando’s mind and soul.

Passionate Educator and Equity Advocate

Cassandra, a proud native of Garcia, the oldest town in Colorado, has an insatiable love for her culture, which she celebrates through her culinary adventures, skillfully crafting both traditional and innovative family recipes. Her tres leches cake is legendary.🍰

When not stirring up delectable dishes, Cassandra finds solace under the moonlight, sipping tea and gazing at the night sky, a true lover of nature’s beauty, especially the awe-inspiring landscapes of the San Luis Valley.

An alumna of Adams State University, Cassandra holds a BA in Education with an emphasis in Mathematics. She’s a lifelong learner and dedicated educator, relentlessly advocating for educational improvement. For over 7 years, she dedicated herself to the Upward Bound Programs at Adams State University, nurturing the dreams and aspirations of the Valley’s youth as they embark on their postsecondary journeys.

Now, Cassandra is on a new mission with the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition, where she’s determined to break barriers and build bridges in the community. As an equity champion, Cassandra is committed to facilitating dialogues and professionally-led training to drive positive change in the Valley. She’s all about amplifying community voices and recognizes the need to create a more equitable place for everyone. With her dedication, open heart, and leadership skills, Cassandra’s ready to listen, learn, and lead the way!

Nicholas Chambers is a Colorado native who earned a degree in Anthropology from University of Montana, and has been in the valley full time for 15 years.

With a back ground and training in Permaculture, Biodynamics, and Deep Organics, he and his family, as well as a host of international interns, have been running a small CSA mixed farm and homestead in Crestone for the last 10 years.

Nicholas has also been an Adjunct Instructor with Santa Fe Community College’s Biofuels lab, and has given presentations and trainings on biomass energy around Colorado and New Mexico. His consulting firm, Living Arts Systems, offers solutions for individuals, communities, and municipalities in renewable food and energy systems.

Nicholas comes to the Valley Roots Food Hub and the SLV Coalition after 2 years with the Colorado start up SOURCE Local Foods serving Summit County, Chaffee County, and the San Luis Valley.

Nicholas is deeply passionate and excited to be a part of the evolving local food system that is happening both regionally and nationally.

Al grew up in Marietta, GA. Upon graduating from Georgia Tech in 2015 with a B.S. in Science, Technology, and Culture, she took a one-way train ride on the Amtrak to Eugene, OR to seek adventure. There she did work-trade through World Wide Opportunities for Organic Farming on a small homestead for 5 months. She quickly fell in love with the healing properties of being connected to the land, good nutritious food, the town, and ended up being all consumed by the vast and supportive local food system Eugene has to offer. She worked at a small family-run cafe, volunteered with Farm to School initiatives and School Garden Project.

Wanting more, her life took a small detour and she ended up in the San Luis Valley volunteering with Alpine Achievers Initiative for 2 years, primarily helping run an after school program in Crestone as well as bringing garden education to the South Conejos School District and Boys and Girls Club of the San Luis Valley. Post-AmeriCorps, Al worked a seasonal position with the Valley Educational Gardens Initiative (VEGI), a program of La Puente before finding herself at the Valley Roots Food Hub as the Markets Manager.

Al is passionate about regenerative agriculture, reconnecting others to the food they eat, and nutrition access for all. In her free time, she loves hiking with her sidekick pup Elio, practicing yoga, sewing, reading, sharing her poems at Open Mic Nights and of course cooking in the kitchen.

Ryan Davis grew up in Atlanta, Georgia with baseball, Boy Scouts, and punk rock. His parents grew up on farms and he was always indirectly around their horses and cattle. Ryan has been around food and restaurants since he was 16. He worked with many different chefs and restaurants, and those experiences taught him how to recognize quality foods through taste and appearance. Ryan came out West to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains first as a teenager, and then returned to Crestone in San Luis Valley for meditation retreats. He then eventually moved to Crestone to experience the various Buddhist retreat centers. Ryan is now about to graduate from a traditional Tibetan medicine program which focuses on the interrelationships between plants, food, medicine, and the elemental processes of the seasons. 

I am a born and raised local with a passion for baking. Will always try to get a smile on your face, whether it be with silly jokes or with my yummy baked goods. I’m a sweet tooth in a lady! 

I grew up in rural New Jersey and then spent most of my 20s going to school and working in South Carolina. I got to spend many of those years traveling, volunteering, and learning. I studied Political Science and Sustainability at Coastal Carolina in Conway, SC and gained clarity on what direction I wanted my life to take. I began with volunteering with AmeriCorps NCCC and then wrapped my post-graduation adventures by helping on my family’s farm and then traveling to Nepal. From here, I found myself knee-deep in the food & beverage industry for several years. I worked as a server, bartender, dishwasher, food truck manager, sous chef, and everything in between. Since 2021, I have been working in the food hub world and it has been an absolute joy to be on the inside of a system that holds the health of their communities to the highest of standards.

In my free time, you can find me on a trail with my camera in tow, walking my dog along the Rio, deep in a good book, or cooking a locally-grown meal in my kitchen.

Mike moved to Colorado in 2011 seeking off grid living and elbow room on 40 acres in Capulin, by way of Texas and California. He spent most of his years in Texas, San Antonio and Brownsville, enjoying the outdoors hunting(wild boar), fishing and camping. He studied biology at The Ohio State University and The University of Texas at San Antonio. He’s worked in many customer service fields including food and wholeheartedly supports the sacred mission of Valley Roots and comes to us with professional driving expertise by way of UPS. When he’s not working his pleasures come from relaxing with his loved ones or filling the freezer by hunting or fishing. He also gets great pleasure from music and owns a record label, TuTu Sweet Records.

Whoever controls the food controls the people. I want to keep farming and ranching in the hands of people I know. I also think one of the most radical acts we can perform these days is growing our own food and being self sufficient. So inspiring, encouraging and enabling those around me to grow food is important to me.

Iava was born and raised in the San Luis Valley and graduated from Trinidad State College in 2022 with a General Studies degree, focussed primarily on leadership, health and wellness, and communications. She is pursuing a second B.A. degree at Adams State University in the field Sport Psychology and set to graduate in May of 2024. Iava is incredibly passionate about the environment, healthy eating, cultural access, and opportunities to create an equitable and diverse community where these values are upheld. She loves to be active in the community and help out wherever she can.