| ECOLOGY ACTION STAFF
John Jeavons, Executive Director: Jeavons
has been Director of Ecology Action’s Mini-Farming program
since 1972. He is the author of How to Grow More Vegetables, Fruits,
Nuts, Berries, Grains and Other Crops Than You Ever Thought Possible
on Less Land Than You Can Imagine, the textbook of the GROW BIOINTENSIVE
Sustainable Mini-Farming system, as well as being author, co-author
and/or editor of over 30 other Ecology Action publications. His
major responsibilities include directing field and library research
and education in GROW BIOINTENSIVE food raising. He advises GROW
BIOINTENSIVE projects in Mexico, Kenya, Ecuador, Russia,
and Afghanistan as well as all corners of the U.S. Jeavons
holds a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University. Before coming
to Ecology Action in 1971, he worked as a systems analyst in business,
government and university settings. He has received the Boise Peace
Quilt, Santa Fe Living Treasure, Giraffe, and Steward of Sustainable
Agriculture awards for his public service.
Jake Blehm, Assistant Executive Director: Blehm has worked in sustainable and organic agriculture for over 25 years, working in over 30 countries and visiting an additional 20 for agricultural service-learning and education. He began his career as a biological control producer and consultant and later moved into leadership and organizational development work with agriculturalists. He was the Director of Programs for the California Ag Leadership Foundation and, before joining Ecology Action in 2010, was the Director of Operations at the Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Blehm received his B.S. in Agricultural Business/Economics at Colorado State University and his M.B.A. in Organizational Development from California Lutheran University.
Mary Zellachild, Communications Director: Zellachild has worked for Ecology Action since 1989, writing grant proposals and reports, evaluating materials, compiling and editing the newsletter, communicating with colleagues worldwide and writing a wide variety of documents and other materials. She is active with both the localization and transition movements in Willits, working to help catalyze a sustainable and resilient community.
Vicci Warhol,
Administrative Assistant: Warhol has worked as an Administrative
Assistant in the Ecology Action office since 1999. "It is
very important for me to be involved with and to be doing meaningful
work that is helping people throughout our world to better feed
themselves and their families while building and preserving the
soil and conserving resources. I am grateful to have the opportunity
to live and work with caring people in such a beautiful and unique
place. This opportunity has enriched my life and the lives of
others through learning and sharing the GROW BIOINTENSIVE® sustainable mini-farming concepts and method."
Mark House, Assistant Garden Manager: House joined Ecology Action as staff in April 2009. He has a long history in community organizing work, primarily in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York. He founded one community-based farmers market and helped found two others. He worked as Project Coordinator for Rochester Roots School Community Garden in Rochester and was Farm Manager for a 350-acre organic farm and craft community near Rochester. House is a certified teacher of Permaculture and has studied and taught Biodynamic farming methods. Earlier in his life he was a rare book dealer, a commercial salmon fisherman in Alaska and a Search and Rescue swimmer in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Ryan Batjiaka, Assistant Garden Manager: Ryan has worked on organic farms in the US, France and Greece, and has also lived and worked in France and China. It was while working on a farm in San Luis Obispo County that he ordered a copy of How to Grow More Vegetables and began experimenting with the Biointensive method. In between farm work he has been involved with urban food projects in the Bay Area. Prior to joining Ecology Action he worked for Shooting Star CSA in Fairfield, CA. Ryan hopes to explore the ability of the Biointensive method to fix carbon and grow soil.
Carol Cox, Garden Research Manager Emeritus: After completing a three-year apprenticeship, Cox managed the Research Garden at the Willits Mini-Farm from 1992 until her resignation in 2009, due mainly to illness. She is co-author of the Ecology Action book, The Sustainable Vegetable Garden, and worked on several of the other Ecology Action booklets. She is currently helping the new Assistant Garden Managers with the research garden data. As time and energy allow, she works on other Ecology Action projects from her cottage in town and hopes eventually to get back to the translation of the book from the 1850s on the techniques of the Parisian market gardeners that she began working on many years ago.
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