Ecology Action: Staff

ECOLOGY ACTION STAFF

The Jeavons Center (TJC)
Willits, California

John Jeavons, Executive Director
John has been the Director of the Ecology Action Mini-Farming Program since 1972 and is the author of How to Grow More Vegetables... on GROW BIOINTENSIVE^® Sustainable Mini-Farming, which is currently in use in over 150 countries in virtually all climates and soils where food is grown. Versions are available in English, Spanish, German, French, Hindi, Russian, Kiswahili and Arabic, with an Italian translation coming soon. He is author, co-author and/or editor of over 40 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 countries such as Mexico, Kenya, Russia and India, as well as all corners of the US. John holds a BA in Political Science from Yale University. Before coming to Ecology Action in 1972, 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. John's dream is to be a GROW BIOINTENSIVE mini-farmer.

TJC Mini-Farm Team

Melvin Castrillo, GROW BIOINTENSIVE^® Mini-Farm Manager
Melvin is originally from Nicaragua and naturalized to the U.S. 13 years ago. Melvin learned to double dig from a friend while living in Nicaragua and proved successful. Melvin relocated to California and obtained a degree in Agronomy from Fresno State in 1993. Melvin grew many things in the central valley in CA. Educating others has been key to my career objectives. Melvin is pleased to be a part of EA as he continues to learn and teach.

Suraya David-Sadira GROW BIOINTENSIVE^® Assistant Mini-Farm Manager
Suraya grew up close to nature in Hawaii and moved to California to start college when she was 17 years old. She has degrees in Agricultural Business from Feather River College and Sustainable Agriculture from University of California, Santa Cruz. She found her love of nature through watching sunrises on the beaches of Hawaii with her mom, riding horses through forests and beaches, growing her own food, and exploring the redwoods. It is a passion of hers to teach the importance of environmental and food justice through farming. She is excited to continue her journey at Ecology Action.

Susana Pazo, Farmer/Teacher/Trainer
Susana began her agricultural journey in Germany, participating in a Demeter- certified Biodynamic training program that laid the foundation for her work in ecological farming. Since then, she has spent several years gaining hands-on experience in agricultural settings and training through the Soil Food Web School, specializing in soil biology and microbial restoration techniques. Earlier in her life, she worked as a wildland firefighter in Galicia, Spain—an experience that deepened her understanding of the importance of protecting ecosystems. Susana is excited to contribute to the work of The Jeavons Center, develop her skills in the GROW BIOINTENSIVE® method, and help empower small-scale farmers.

Victoria Burkland, Farmer/Teacher/Trainer
Victoria is focused on arid farming using Biointensive methods with regard to worldwide desertification and maintaining healthy well-structured soils. Her experience farming started with an internship in Ireland practicing biodynamic methods. Later she operated two farms in Northern California and managed a farm for the Timbisha and Shoshone tribes. Her arid farming experience includes a high desert restoration project in Eastern Arizona where she received a grant to restore biology, build compost, and water infiltration designs such as swales.

Liana Edington, Farmer/Teacher/Trainer
Liana is from Ukiah, California. She loves to garden and grow her own flowers and food, and feels blessed with the opportunity to learn more about Biointensive Agriculture here at Ecology Action.

Ecology Action Administrative Support Team

Lori Luedemann, Office Manager and Bookkeeper
Lori comes to Ecology Action with 12 years of experience in banking. She spent 7 years as a teller, and 5 years in the Proof department, processing all bank transactions and making corrections as needed. She has always liked working with numbers and went to college when her children were older, receiving an Associates of Science degree in both Business Administration and Business Accounting. Lori has been a bookkeeper in the auto repair, concrete construction, and now organic farming industries.

David Troxell, Communications Director
For as long as he can remember, plants have played a role of sacred importance in David’s life. He spent his childhood growing redwood saplings and saguaro cacti in his family’s backyard in Southern California, then worked as a horticulturist and arborist for many years in Florida, before moving back to California to homestead with his wife, growing vegetables and managing the forest around their home. Although our current system rewards certain professions over those that work with the soil, David envisions a time coming soon when there will be no more valuable skill than the knowledge of how to grow one’s own food and medicine for oneself. Knowledge of plants, their culture, and their usage, is real power.

Starlite Humpheries, Assistant Director
I grew up in Willits CA, on Pine Mountain. I love being in nature, living off the land, and love animals. I am a local real estate agent, and I am honored to be here at Ecology Action. I am proud to be a part of such an amazing organization. In my opinion we all need to do our part to save our beautiful Mother Earth. To help feed the less fortunate.

Alexandria Yalj, Executive Office Assistant, Librarian and Data Manager,
Alexandria brings a diverse background in entrepreneurship, creative project management, and sustainable community development to her role as Executive Assistant at Ecology Action’s GROW BIOINTENSIVE program. With experience spanning small business operations, hospitality management, and nonprofit coordination, she excels at connecting people, systems, and vision into cohesive, thriving projects. Rooted in Mendocino County, Alexandria is passionate about regenerative living, local food systems, and the intersection of art, ecology, and education. Her approach combines detail-oriented organization with creative problem-solving, ensuring that the administrative and operational functions of the Grow Biointensive program run smoothly and support its global mission of empowering self-reliant, ecologically sustainable communities. When she’s not organizing operations or supporting the team, Alexandria can be found tending a garden, dancing, or exploring the Northern California coast.

TJC non-staff support

Dan Miller, Building Site Operations and Maintenance Specialist
Dan works part-time for Ecology Action, tending to building and site operations and maintenance. He is Ecology Action’s go-to person for anything requiring a creative solution. His responsibilities have included taking care of the grounds; repairing fences, buildings, solar systems, generators and pumps; painting, fixing and oiling squeaky things; as well as being the resident expert in FileMaker Pro and taking care of the computers, printer, networking and satellite dish issues. He joined the ranks of small-town living after a career as sound engineer in San Francisco, doing sound for concerts, and as one of the founding organizers of the Burning Man Festival.

Victory Gardens for Peace (VGFP)
Mendocino, California

VGFP Mini-Farm Team

Matt Drewno, Victory Gardens for Peace GROW BIOINTENSIVE^® Mini-Farm and Seed Bank Manager
Matt is certified in permaculture, restoration of oak-savanna ecologies and Biointensive food production. After receiving a Bachelors Degree in Architecture from Iowa State University, he founded Rhythmic Water Ecological Design, a permaculture and flow-form design business which served mid-western states. He has been working with Ecology Action since 2010 training individuals and communities in the principles of biologically intensive food production and is an Advanced-Level GB Certified Teacher. His experience includes organic farm-scale food production, design and implementation of food forests, residential-scale food production and community gardens. In 2014, he started the Victory Gardens for Peace Mini-Farm and Seed Bank in the town of Mendocino, CA. He serves on the board of Ecology Action and managesVictory Gardens for Peace, Ecology Action's research, education and demonstration GROW BIOINTENSIVE^® Mini-Farm in Mendocino, California.

Matthew Gammett, Farmer/Teacher/Trainer
Matthew started his gardening journey as a young boy planting wildflower seeds and helping his mother tend their very small backyard garden in Boise, Idaho. He got his education in Horticulture technologies at Boise State University in 2010 where he was first introduced to the GROW BIOINTENSIVE method through potato growing and has been practicing biointensive gardening ever since. He has been living in the Mendocino area with his lovely partner Lama, and daughter Leela for the last 8 years. His interest and love of gardening/farming the GB way only increase every year that he walks this beautiful planet. He has a firm belief and guiding sense that bio-intensive gardening the Ecology Action way is perhaps the most futuristic pursuit he could possibly be engaged in. Looking towards the generations to come and those who will come after them, Matthew believes the GROW BIOINTENSIVE method and techniques can and will continue to help bring about a world peace full of abundance, full bellies, and smiling faces.

Lama Nasser-Gammett, Mini-Farm Administrative and Garden Assistant
Lama, along with her husband Matthew and daughter Leela, has been tending a Biointensive garden for many years where she finds joy, connection and integrity in the practice. A long time farmer, community organizer and local food advocate, she brings her passion and experience to the Ecology Action team. She managed the Boonville Farmers’ market for 2 years and was the vendor representative for the Mendocino County Farmers’ Market Association. She currently serves on the Board of the Mendocino County Organic Network which oversees the Mendocino Renegade Program: a local, affordable alternative to organic certification. Lama is the owner of The Forest People, a small-scale mushroom cultivation farm and teaches workshops and classes around the county.

Jessi Mickow, Farmer/Teacher/Trainer
Jessi has been a gardener for approximately three years. Through her food medicine journey, she has grown a great care for soil fertility and interest in how to tend the land sustainably. She has found that working at Ecology Action and GROW BIOINTENSIVE has struck her most passionate interest to commit down the path of receiving a deeper education. She is elated to one day teach the methodology of GBI, sharing it with her friends and family.