The Orangevale-Fair Oaks Food Bank Farm proudly welcomes its new Farm Manager, Lacey Yuke!
Lacey has been growing vegetables her whole life, but around 15 years ago, she developed a love of bees. She planted flowers, created pollinator gardens, and started a Save the Bees initiative.
Lacey was studying biology in college and decided to transition to agriculture as her passion grew. She learned about internship opportunities in teaching facilities where she could combine caring for the land with making communities healthier and stronger.
Lacey has worked at farms as small as a one-acre production to as large as 1,000 acres. She had been in for-profit agriculture production, which involved a lot of technical aspects.
While Lacey looks back fondly on those experiences and all she learned, she was looking for a new place to call home at the community level.
“Many cities are disconnected from where food comes from because farms are outside the cities,” said Lacey. “Farming began as small spaces that would serve the surrounding community. I would like to see a shift back towards that like the Orangevale-Fair Oaks Food Bank Farm is doing.”
Ninety percent of the farm’s produce goes to the Food Bank, which served more than 30,000 people in 2023. The farm’s produce also goes to the veggie box subscription program from May through November.
In her new role, Lacey manages the farm's day-to-day operations, volunteers, farm camp program, events, and more. One of her favorite things is sharing her farming knowledge and teaching!
Meet Lacey at one of the Food Bank Farm’s upcoming events! Sign up to be one of 70 volunteers at our Fall Day of Service on Saturday, September 28 from 8 AM – 12:30 PM. Or join us at an Open House on Sunday, September 29 from 4 – 7 PM for an evening of food, drinks, and community.
Visit foodbank.farm or follow us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more and sign up.
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