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. 

ANGELA GRAY
​​Food Forest

Angela Gray comes to the Community Food Council with a deep passion for supporting community access to eating well. Angela has had the pleasure of calling Del Norte home for the last 6 years and relocated to the area with her daughter in search of a slower pace and a deeper connection to place. When she's not in the dirt or the kitchen you can find Angela exploring our beautiful trails, parks and beaches with her daughter and pups or participating in our local Wild Rivers Permaculture Guild. As an avid plant lover, home cook and gardner she knows that healthy food can also be delicious. Angela found her way to the garden along a meandering path driven by a desire to source the best ingredients. Let thy food be thy medicine!  Angela's background as a home gardener, landscaper, herbalist and farmer give her a wide scope of experience. The curiosity, delight, and wonder at the nutrition and medicine inside each plant (even plants considered weeds!) has infused her passion for living and working closely with nature. The empowerment experienced from providing your own nourishment is so valuable to Angela that it has become her lifelong goal to share this empowerment with others. As the new Food Forest Program Manager Angela hopes to ignite the passion for growing food for our next generation of healthy eaters here in Del Norte.​

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.  ​

TAMIKA RALEY
FOOD RECOVERY ASSISTANT