Our Mission
We are dedicated to promoting environmental, agricultural, and nutrition education. We support school garden programs and connecting local farms to Ventura County schools.
Board of Directors
Ruben Alarcón, PhD
Ruben is a Biology Professor at California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) where he regularly teaches Entomology and Apiculture & Bee Biology. His research focuses on pollinator communities, honey bee health, and sustainable agriculture. He is the faculty advisor for the Bee Club and is working to create a B.S. degree in Sustainable Agriculture at CSUCI.
Rachel Soper, PhD
​Rachel Soper is an Associate Professor of Sociology at CSUCI. She received her B.A. from UC Santa Cruz in 2008, M.A. from UC San Diego in 2012, and Ph.D. from UC San Diego in 2016. Her specialization lies in Environmental Sociology and the Sociology of Food and Agriculture. She has published over ten peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles on small farmers and farmworkers, including their sustainable production practices, livelihoods, and perception of organic.
Alec Martinez
Alec is a Fourth generation farmer. After graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Accounting and Information Systems, he returned to work on the farm growing and managing crews for a variety of row crops. Currently serving as President of Farm Bureau of Ventura County’s Young Farmers & Ranchers committee while working for Nelson Farming helping to manage Avocados, and Citrus orchards.
Suzanne Lugotoff, RDS
Suzanne Lugotoff is a Registered Dietician who has dedicated her career to bringing students healthy, delicious meals in school cafeterias. She is a founding member of Ventura County Farm to School and paved the way for the programs we have today.
Allison England, SNS
Allison is the Director of Nutrition Services for Ocean View School District in Oxnard, CA. Allison started her career in edible education in Boston, MA where she was the menu planner for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston. As her experience expanded into the classrooms of Boston Public Schools, she found her niche in school food, combining her passions for both teaching and cooking. Her interest in Farm to School Programming brought her out to California where she was the Executive Chef for Grimmway Academy and Edible Schoolyard Kern County, spearheading scratch cooking, farm to school, and connecting school gardens to the cafeteria. As a former credentialed teacher, she treats her cafeterias as an extension of the classroom. Allison holds a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Administration from Endicott Collect, a Swiss Hotel Diploma from Les Roches International School of Hotel & Restaurant Management, and an Accelerated Culinary Arts Certificate from the Culinary Institute of America.
Our Team.
Anna Jackson, MPP
Executive Director
Anna brings grant writing, program management, and policy analysis experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She has been working with local Farm to School programs since 2015 and founded the OUHSD Farm to School Program. She earned a Masters in Public Policy with an emphasis in Health Policy from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Global Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Anna holds two teaching credentials in Health Sciences and Agriculture. She is a certified Garden Educator from the Life Lab at UC Santa Cruz and has a Certification in Environmental Education from California's Association for Outdoor and Environmental Education. She manages her family's small citrus orchard and is a 6th generation member of the Oxnard and Camarillo community.
Cassandra Espinoza
Nutrition Educator, Hueneme Elementary School District
Cassandra grew up in Ventura and is a recent graduate from Cal State Channel Islands, earning a Bachelor's in Sociology. She joined VCF2S in 2023 with the CSUCI Service Learning FoodCorps Program. She enjoyed the experience and is now coordinating and teaching a Nutrition Education Program in Hueneme Elementary School District. She is very excited and passionate about contributing to her community by working with kids as well as bringing a positive, fun learning experience into their lives that they can enjoy and will brighten up each student's day. Her favorite lesson to teach is Harvest of the Month, when new vegetables and fruits are introduced into their world and gives them a healthy outlet to new things they might really enjoy. Working with children has always been an enjoyable time for Cassandra, knowing that she is giving back to the community she grew up in where these opportunities of spending time and planting in gardens were not always available. She expresses her love for the outdoors by going on local hikes and going to the beach in her free time. Cassandra enjoys where she lives and staying a part of her hometown, in addition she is able to do that by working with the kids throughout the Ventura County schools.
Genesis Mena
Garden and Nutrition Educator, Ocean View School District
My journey with food and education has been anything but ordinary. For eight years, I worked as a prep and cook, discovering the magic of creating delicious meals that bring people together. After that, I had the privilege of serving with FoodCorps, where I taught cooking and gardening at schools like Rio Del Mar, Rio Rosales, Rio Plaza, and Rio Del Norte. These experiences helped me develop hands-on programs that make learning about food fun, engaging, and memorable. I’m excited to bring those skills to Ocean View and inspire students to explore the joys of healthy, sustainable eating. Most recently, I served as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Get Hooked Seafood, where I helped connect schools and communities with fresh, sustainable seafood and shared the importance of supporting local fisheries and nutritious eating habits. Food has always been a bridge for me—connecting cultures, communities, and generations. Growing up, my love for food was sparked during family trips to the Yucatán, where I cooked traditional dishes with my family and enjoyed meals under the shade of a tamarind tree. These cherished memories remind me that food is more than nourishment; it’s a way to celebrate culture, build community, and share stories.
Naomi Hansen
Food System Project Manager
A 20-year resident of Ventura County, Naomi is passionate about the role of local agriculture in building a sustainable food system. With 15 years of experience in food business leadership and innovation for Dole Packaged Foods, she founded Planet A Growth Partners, a consultancy supporting food system change agents, and served as Marketing Director for Planetary CARE, a regenerative agriculture startup. Naomi currently leads marketing for Fresh Food Connect, a nonprofit leveraging technology to engage home gardeners in community hunger relief. Naomi holds an MBA from the Wharton School, and a BSBA from Georgetown University. A proud parent of 2 kids in Ventura County public schools, Naomi loves getting her family out hiking, climbing, and digging in the soil around her native plant and veggie gardens.