Erica joined our team in August 2021 and oversees numerous aspects of our work including communications and storytelling, working with our lending and outreach teams to guide organizational strategy and programming, and working closely with our Executive Director on development and donor management.

Erica brings strong practical and field experience to our team. For nearly a decade, she co-owned and operated Free Union Grass Farm, a regenerative livestock farm producing 100% grass-fed beef, pastured poultry and eggs, and forest-fed pork that is still in operation near Charlottesville, VA. Erica's deep firsthand experience with the challenges and opportunities facing small-scale farmers provides critical insight for our team in refining our services and meeting farmers where they are.

Erica earned an undergraduate degree in environmental studies and sustainable agriculture from Warren Wilson College and a masters of environmental management from Yale School of the Environment. She lives in Charlottesville, VA with her husband, feral toddler, and retired farm dog, and enjoys munching pea shoots and chatting with neighbors in her front yard garden.