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.

Emily Brown is a farmer/rancher, public health advocate, and community connector.  She lives north of Monte Vista on her family’s generational farm where she grows fresh market Russet potatoes and Coors malting barley, and raises beef cattle pairs with her husband.  Together they have two wild, smart, opinionated kids, a vegetable and herb garden that is at the same time too big and too small, chickens, horses, a 4-H rabbit, and a border collie who can jump really high. Emily has a Masters in Public Health and supports systems-level prevention and health through facilitation, health assessment and strategic planning, and research consultation.  She gives back to her community through time on multiple boards, one of her love languages is spreadsheets, and lately her sweet tooth has changed to taste buds that love savory, umami flavors.

Certified Public Accountant who works closely with nonprofit and government organizations to promote transparency, accountability, and sound financial practices. She is committed to supporting causes that strengthen our local community. A native of the San Luis Valley, Jenna grew up on her family’s cattle ranch, where she developed a deep appreciation for hard work, community, and the agricultural heritage of the region. Outside her professional and board service, she enjoys spending time with her animals and staying connected to the rural lifestyle she has always loved.

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.

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.

Justin is a proud San Luis Valley native, born and raised surrounded by the mountains and tight-knit community he now serves. When he isn’t balancing the books or managing spreadsheets, you can almost always find him outdoors—pitching a tent under the stars, exploring the backwoods, and camping through the valley’s beautiful landscapes.

An avid lover of local food, Justin has a deep appreciation for the rich harvest of our valley and loves nothing more than experimenting with fresh, local ingredients over an open campfire. Dedicated to supporting his community and uplifting the next generation, he pours his free time into youth coaching, mentoring local kids to help them build confidence and teamwork skills

“Nurturing soil health, tending to animals, and ensuring the well-being of our ecosystems is my daily bread,” said Nick Perchess. “My mission is to create exemplary models for future farming practices, drawing from the wisdom of past generations, and kindling the flame of excitement for the next seven generations.”

Perchess has experience with diverse facets of agriculture, from a multi species pasture-raised and finished meat business with on-site processing facility, to the cultivation of stone fruit from her 300 tart cherry trees. Her farm, which operates through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model for now 10 years, also produces honey, heirloom hot house tomatoes, and storage hardneck garlic. Nola Naturals is also home to Pastures of Liberty, a dairy operation that sustains more than 100 families across four southern Colorado counties and Arkansas River Basin.

Perchess has been involved in organizations such as the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and is a board member of many organizations not limited to Pueblo County Stockmen’s Assoc and is Vice President of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union.

Brett Mills grew up on a farm in southeastern Colorado’s Lower Arkansas Valley and has spent much of his career working at the intersection of agriculture, marketing, and communications. After earning a B.A. in Visual Communications and Design from the University of Northern Colorado, he started a small market garden and sold at the Greeley Farmers Market before returning to the farm where he was raised.

With more than a decade of experience in marketing and communications, Brett has worked with nonprofit and for-profit organizations while continuing to build his own farming experience. He currently operates Sweet Valley Farm, a two-acre farm growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers and raising pasture-raised chickens for eggs. He also sells at the Pueblo Farmers Market, where he assists with marketing.

As the new Markets Manager at Valley Roots Food Hub, Brett works with producers and customers to strengthen relationships, expand markets for Colorado products, and create new opportunities for local farms and food businesses. As a small producer himself, he brings firsthand experience with the challenges and opportunities of getting food from the farm to the customer.