Get to know the Food Council Staff...

AManda Hixson
​Director

Nearly 15 years ago, when Amanda asked a professor and mentor what she should do now that she had completed her undergrad in Environmental Studies, he responded "you have always been interested in food". From managing her parent's farm in Idaho while creating a farm-to-table ice cream and hummus business, examining hunger and the obesity epidemic with the United Nation's World Food Program, or observing poor nutrition habits among students and reinforced by schools; Amanda has been working within the complex realm of food for nearly two decades. She is especially intrigued by the challenge of transforming entrenched systems, and understanding how our growing practices affect the environment, what determines people's access to food, and how transnational food corporations are pushing non-nutritious eating that is negatively affecting global health. As Food Program Director of the Del Norte and Tribal Lands Community Food Council, Amanda is excited to be collaborating with the Del Norte community and her team in transforming DNATL's food system for the better.

Andrea Lanctot
​Coordinator

Andrea has spent her entire life in gardens and knows that the greatest thing you can do for your health is eating local, fresh food. She believes every one should have access to the knowledge on how to grow, harvest, gather, and obtain cultural appropriate, healthy food. Her love of plants and being outside has infused her passion for sustainable agriculture, permaculture, and hands-on experiential education. She has worked at 3 plant nurseries, a small organic vegetable farm, lived and worked on a permaculture homestead in the Klamath mountains, worked as a community educator for the University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Humboldt, and has recently started her own small plant nursery here in Del Norte. While at Humboldt State University, she completed a  BS in Environmental Science with a concentration in Sustainable Agriculture & Community Organizing and was a co-director for the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology, a live in demonstration house for sustainable living. She has organized and led over a 100 workshops, events, & classes in regenerative agriculture and living.  Her desire to restore our ecological habitats and live more lightly on the earth fuels her drive to keep learning and sharing her knowledge with others. A permaculture designer for 10 years, she has been an active member of the Humboldt Permaculture Guild, help design and teach a permaculture design course through Klamath Knot Permaculture, and has supported the emergence of the Wild Rivers Permaculture Guild. 

Ben Zumeta
​Food Forest

Education: B.A. in Philosophy, M.A. in Adventure Education with a focus on Wilderness Service Learning

I came to this job with a deep interest in permaculture and a desire to apply it beyond my own property. I am very lucky in how this work has allowed me to apply my experience doing permaculture design and gardening on my own land while also utilizing my background as an outdoor educator, backcountry ranger, trail worker, and ecological restorationist. Outside of work, I like to backpack, hike, bike, canoe, cliff-dive, swim & back-float in the Smith, as well as garden, cook and brew. I love this area's forests, rivers, mountains, coast and how we have so many diverse, wild ecosystems so close together. My goal is to help support as much abundance and diversity of life as I can, and I can think of no  better place to do it.

Meredith Knowles
​Food Rescue

Meredith is our Food Recovery Coordinator! She is an enthusiastic Crescent City transplant, having moved here in the fall of 2019 from the Green Mountains of Vermont. She earned her bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Food Science from UVM and has spent the last 9 years working at the many intersections of food and people in the food system. Her work on apple orchards, farms, and food co-ops sprouted a love of understanding where our food comes from and the stories of the people who hold the food system up. She is also an avid baker and cook, believing that everyone has the right to access information and opportunities to learn new cooking skills. It doesn't matter if you're 3 or 103, everyone can grow their connection to food. Meredith has taught all kinds of cooking classes covering topics like Zero Waste Cooking at Home, to Knife Skills and Kitchen Basics for All Ages, to Vegan Cooking for Athletes, and everything in between. After moving to Crescent City, the ocean air inspired her to start making all naturally leavened sourdough for herself and her neighbors. 

She is dedicated to bringing both the passion she has for building food accessibility for all and the skills of her past experiences in community organizing, food systems programming, and campaign building to the goals of an initiative that she passionately believes in. Her current project: to rescue 400,000 lbs of edible food from going to the landfill and redistributing that food to those who need it in Del Norte County. She aims to integrate community donors, local organizations, and volunteers together to rethink and redefine how excess food can better supply our community. ​

Charles Perry
​Pacific Pantry

Charlie was raised on the East Coast and moved to California as a young teenager.  He moved to Crescent City with his family in 2013 and instantly fell in love with the scenery and community.  Making amazing music, food, and working in the garden are his favorite pastimes.  Charlie has trained under an Executive Chef and has been a Head Cook in many different settings.  He was most recently the Head Cook at the Del Norte Senior Center, which provided the Meals on Wheels for our community.  He enjoys volunteering in the community and has played music or prepared food for various fundraisers.  Charlie was gifted with gab and is happy to talk about food with anyone, anytime.  Don’t know what to make for dinner?  He will have an idea of what to make with your ingredients.  ​

ALEX FALLMAN
FOOD RECOVERY ASSISTANT

Alex Fallman is the newest member of Food Council staff. As a lifelong Del Norter, Alex has an acute understanding of the needs of our community's most vulnerable residents. Alex was elected to a four-year term to the City Council of Crescent City in 2016 and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Humboldt State University in 2019. Alex was trained as a community organizer, and his focus on systemic inequality drives him to bring people together for a more equitable and just society. He will assist the Food Recovery Coordinator in reducing our community's carbon footprint by rescuing good food from landfills. Alex believes all people are deserving of a life of dignity. This is achieved in part through establishing food security for the community. Alex is stoked to be a part of a team that shares his vision of a fairer and healthier Del Norte.