Who we are
Farm Discovery at Live Earth is a nonprofit organization working in the Pajaro Valley community to empower youth and families to build and sustain healthy food, farming, social and natural systems.
Our home, Live Earth Farm, is a 150 acre patchwork of working organic farm, riparian corridor, oak and redwood forest in the Pajaro Valley of Santa Cruz County, California.
What we care about
We believe that we can transform personal and community health and improve our impact on earth by building and sustaining collaborative agricultural, ecological and social systems. We believe that communities equipped with knowledge and the skills of inquiry can transform food, farming and natural systems for the better.
What we do
* Farm Discovery offers educational programs that inspire youth and families to transform their relationship to food, farming and nature.
* We steward our working farm and its wild spaces as an environmentally and economically viable piece of the food system and a learning space.
* We grow and deliver nutritious, organic food with students for community members most in need – seniors, veterans, foster youth, farmworkers and more
* We collaborate with community partners to learn from each other and extend our collective impact in the community.
Staff
In 2007 Jessica earned her M.S. in Environment and Natural Resources from the Rubenstein School at the University of Vermont. Her Master’s Thesis consisted of Participatory Action Research in an agricultural community in Northern Vermont. She developed, implemented and evaluated a Sustainability Curriculum and School Garden with the 6th graders of Jeffersonville Elementary School. Jessica helped Thomas and Constance Broz to found the Live Earth Farm Discovery Program in 2008.
Hannah, or “Ditty” has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and a Master’s in Environmental Policy. She cares deeply about environmental education and connecting people with experiences that connect them to the land. She became more interested in food and our agricultural system after moving to Monterey in 2022 and working on a regenerative farm outside of Salinas. Ditty enjoys running, reading, and long dinners with friends.
Molly’s strengths lie in passionate pursuits, empathetic leadership, consistent innovation, genuine connections, and lowering barriers of access. Molly has over 10 years of experience in the outdoor industry, traditional & experiential education, and non-profit management. Their passion for the outdoors helps to fuel their work in DEI, and they hold a bachelor’s degree in Recreation Therapy from CSULB. They aim to continue their graduate studies in neuroscience & behavior, specifically as it relates to mental & physical wellness. In their free time, you’ll find them climbing a rock somewhere, making a mess in the kitchen, crafting, or soaking up a new book.
Ben was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and was interested in science and biology but also took on opportunity’s to stay and work on farms. After returning to finish his degree in MCD Biology from UCSC, Ben got a job working at the Alan Chadwick garden and was trained in the small scale market gardening tradition and grew to become passionate about the work of farming; growing healthy soil and nutritious plants. Ben enjoy’s biking, cooking, reading and yoga.
Noemi grew up moving around the world with her father’s career, creating a deep love for the world and its inhabitants. She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Marymount University and a Master’s in Environmental Policy and Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Years of working at summer camps taught her the necessity of a place where children can connect with nature, peers, and form community. Outside of work you can find her spending time outdoors, curled up with a book, watching a good TV show, or trying a new recipe.
Mary is a recent graduate from The University of Massachusetts – Amherst, holding a B.S. in Applied Plant and Soil Sciences. She previously worked in a plant biology lab, where she researched plant genetics. She is passionate about sustainable farming and can’t wait to teach others about it. In her free time, Mary likes to run, paint, and garden.
Hi, I’m Eric. I grew up in Southern California and have worked in various informal education roles, both in and outside the classroom. I found my passion for environmental education later in my career while working as a Naturalist at the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach, CA. I recently joined AmeriCorps via the Notre Dame Mission Volunteers and am currently serving in Watsonville, CA. I enjoy tending to my invertebrate terrarium, playing Magic: the Gathering, and exploring cooking techniques in my free time.
Zoe is our Americorps Service Member local to the Santa Cruz area. She hopes to help further our education program, working closely with the kids to gain insight into the importance of informed education. All while learning/teaching how to help the earth in ways that simultaneously help our communities.
Kelly is working at Farm Discovery as a California Climate Action Corps fellow for the 2025-2026 service term. Kelly received her BA in psychology at UCSC, teaching credentials at San Jose State University, and MA in education at the American College of Education. Prior to joining Farm Discovery, she worked in the public schools for ten years and independently taught homeschool students and tutored privately for five years. Having thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2021, Kelly is an avid outdoor enthusiast and loves to hike, backpack, and garden at her home in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Thea is our CCAC Americorps Fellow at Farm Discovery at Live Earth. She is passionate about environmental health and the role that sustainable food systems can play in shaping our future. Thea recently graduated from Clark University with a Bachelors degree in Biology and a Masters in Environmental Science and Policy. She is excited to be serving here as a Zero Waste Lead!
Isabel was born and raised in Santa Cruz County and has always had a passion for the natural world, sharing it with others, and serving her community. She has a background in outdoor education and environmental science. When she is not at Farm Discovery, you can find her hiking with her son, guiding kayak tours in the Elkhorn Slough, or getting on an airplane to travel somewhere new.
Board of Directors
Joshua Rodriguez is a registered dietitian and diabetes educator. He currently works as a clinician for Community Hospital of Monterey (CHOMP). He received his MBA from Dominican University (Chicago, IL) and his B.S. in nutritional science from San Jose State University (San Jose, CA). Joshua was raised in Watsonville, CA and has a strong passion for community nutrition and education.
Vinod Galani is a Bay Area executive at J.P. Morgan, leading the Digital Product Operations and Strategy portfolio. Vinod holds a BA in Finance and a MBA in International Business from Pepperdine. Vinod is passionate about driving change within any community by leveraging his expertise and strong local and international network. He is a foodie and a big advocate of farm to table meals. Vinod lives with his wife and 2 kids in Pleasanton CA. Outside of work Vinod loves to hike local trails, play tennis and listen to his large collection of vinyl records.
Tom founded Live Earth Farm in 1995 on 20 acres, and has been with Farm Discovery since its inception.
Natasha was born and raised in Wyoming where she spent many summers working on her father’s ranch. This instilled in her a love for the outdoors, and also gave her a profound appreciation of the effort and skill needed to cultivate farmland. Being a LEF CSA member for years, Natasha was inspired to join the Farm Discovery Board to help members in her local community have the opportunity to be hands-on in a farm environment. Her professional career has been focused on technical program management.
As a Silicon Valley product leader for 30 years and now certified plant based personal chef, Matt appreciates the challenges we all face balancing busy lives and consistently providing nourishing meals for our families. Matt was inspired to join the Discovery Farm board and its mission believing that early education is a key ingredient to building lifelong sustainable healthy eating habits.
Laura Michel, a Southern California native, received her B.A. from San Francisco State University and her M.A. from Cal State Fullerton. She has centered her over 15 years of professional experience in a variety of human services, with focused attention on education and nonprofit development. Currently, she is an instructor at Monterey Peninsula College (MPC), where she teaches communication studies. She has a passion for community engagement, reading, listening, surfing, yoga, being in and sharing nature with family and friends, and of course, gardening.
Luz joined Farm Discovery as a board member after years of volunteer work with Live Earth Farm. Born and raised in Watsonville and a daughter of immigrants, the Pajaro Valley is very special to Luz. Her parents both worked in agriculture. Her father migrated to California as part of the Bracero Program in the 60’s to work in Watsonville’s apple and berry industry and her mother followed suit. Luz works at a local non-profit focused on transforming people’s lives through entrepreneurship by promoting equal access to economic opportunity.
