Caresse believes that "cooking is an art form, baking is a science, and community is built around a table". After graduating from Camarillo High School and completing courses in Moorpark and Ventura Colleges, Caresse earned a Bachelor's in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems from UC Davis. More recently, she completed the Chef Ann Foundation's Apprenticeship Program, and has been a valuable member of two school district's Child Nutrition teams.

Valerie brings enthusiasm, curiosity, and a love of science, plants, food, and community to her role as a Garden and Nutrition Educator. A Camarillo native, former PVSD and OUHSD student, her connection to school food began with her mother, who worked in school food service and taught her about healthy eating and the joy of cooking for others. Valerie discovered her love of teaching and performing early through Camarillo’s Creative Arts Workshop and PVSD’s annual Cinemagic play production, where she taught, performed, and mentored young students. After graduating from Rio Mesa High School, where she gained an interest in science, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from the University of San Diego, where she conducted biology research on the Eared Grebe, a migratory diving waterbird, and helped organize farm-to-table events through the Sustainability group. After ten years working in molecular biology, she returned to her longtime interests in gardening, food, education, and community. Valerie loves getting students excited to ask questions, get their hands dirty, and discover where their food comes from. She is passionate about connecting food science with healthy eating, local farms, the environment, and community. Outside the classroom, Valerie enjoys gardening, collecting houseplants, cooking, and playing board games. She loves sharing her curiosity and enthusiasm with students and helping them see food, plants, and the world around them in new ways.

Cassandra grew up in Ventura and graduated from Cal State Channel Islands, earning a Bachelor's in Sociology. She joined VCF2S in 2023 with the CSUCI Service Learning FoodCorps Program. 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. Cassandra manages the Hueneme Student Kitchen after school cooking program and supports districtwide garden and nutrition activities.

Brooke has experience developing operations systems for a food hub; helping connect farmers directly to schools, food banks, and restaurants each day. She wants to help youth and the community learn about nutrition while enjoying nature in school gardens. She is inspired by this work because connecting people to where their food comes from builds stronger communities from the ground up!

Michelle has a background in Environmental Horticulture emphasis in Nursery/ GreenhouseTechnologies and Landscape Contracting. She has experience with Ventura's Rincon-Vitova Insectary, breeding beneficial predatory insects and working with biological controls. At Rincon-Vitova Michelle also ran the farmers market booth at Ojai Community Farmers Market on Thursdays and participate in community events throughout Ventura County such as the Oxnard Insect Festival, events with the Rodale Institute, Rio School's Compost Tea Parties, and also the National Heirloom Expo hosted by Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. Michelle managed and helped run the Ojai Community Farmers Market that was held at the National Heirloom Expo in 2024. From there she partnered up with Food For Thought Ojai, a non-profit that provides garden-based education through Ojai Unified School District. Michelle then joined the Rio School District Farm to School program as a Garden and Nutrition Educator. Michelle has a passion for gardening, tending to her own large urban food forest in her backyard- where she practices permaculture, backyard orchard culture, has annual and perennial edible and medicinal crops, as well as growing California Natives to help support the Ecology. Michelle is passionate about growing school gardens with the youth in our community. She believes in caring for the soil and ecology so in return it can care for us.

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.

Diana is a student at CSU Channel Islands, and enjoys working with youth and the community in programs related to health, nature, and art.

Born and raised in Oxnard, California, Samantha is working with VC Farm to School because she wants to give back to her community. She attended schools in Ocean View School District, where she is now working in the after school program to teach youth about gardens and nutrition. Samantha attended Oxnard Middle College High School, and graduated with enough college credits to be able to earn her Bachelor's degree two years early! She is finishing up her last year of college at Cal State Channel Islands this year. Samantha has also worked and volunteered at other great organizations in the community- working on increasing voting access, and serving others in need.