It’s a new year, and Grow Pittsburgh has three new staff members to welcome!
AJ Bisesi, Community Garden Coordinator
Background: Director of Community Outreach at Garfield Community Farm
What about your role here makes you most excited/what are you most looking forward to?
My job is a perfect mixture of community mobilization, food justice, and urban agriculture. I am most excited about supporting a diverse set of community groups as they build on and cultivate individual, group, and community assets.
Why did you want to work for Grow Pittsburgh?
The approach of Grow Pittsburgh – a comprehensive and strengths-based approach to food that includes social justice, food sovereignty, education, advocacy, and community mobilization – is very attractive to me. I had respected the organization from afar for quite some time; when the opportunity for employment arose, I jumped at it.
Some fun facts about AJ:
-she opens bananas from the bottom
-her introduction to food security, urban agriculture and food justice happened in Rwanda, where she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer for three years
-as a child, she wanted to be a mermaid when she grew up
-she’s not ticklish
Eva Barinas, School Garden Coordinator
Background: My professional background is mostly in outdoor education, biological sciences in both traditional and nontraditional learning environments. I also have a lot of personal experience working with scientific illustration, beekeeping, and horses.
What about your role here makes you most excited/what are you most looking forward to?
Over the years I have realized how much food has influenced my life. I’m drawn to not just understanding the fascinating connections of pollination and plant growth but the eating and cooking and sharing with neighbors, family, and friends. I am thrilled to support Garden Educators, becoming that bridge after working both in the classroom and outdoors with children and families.
Why did you want to work for Grow Pittsburgh?
As one of the first generation in my family to be born in the States it is of personal importance to share good healthy food and habits with all hard working neighbors. I am deeply supportive of Grow Pittsburgh’s mission to make good food accessible to people of all walks of life; in the growing, the learning, cooking, and sharing!
Some fun facts about Eva:
-she adores avocados and will put them in sandwiches, to soups, or just eat them plain with a spoon
-she lived off-the-grid in Maine, where she fell in love with honeybees and beekeeping
-she has a 9-year-old Australian Cattle Dog named Yowie who follows her everywhere without a leash, even to the hardware store
Nick Lubecki, Frick Greenhouse and Shiloh Farm Manager
Background: I ran a vegetable farm for 4 years and worked at the Tree Pittsburgh nursery for 5 years.
What about your role here makes you most excited/what are you most looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to working in the greenhouse and growing food for the Shiloh farm stand.
Why did you want to work for Grow Pittsburgh?
I wanted to work at Grow Pittsburgh to share my experience and enthusiasm for growing food.
Some fun facts about Nick:
-he has ridden his bicycle to Arizona
-he likes to read science fiction
-he is an avid forager and amateur botanist
-he once worked on a tugboat