Meet Our Team

Erin Maidlow graduated from Ball State University with a degree in Natural Resources and a minor in Geology, where she focused on sustainable agriculture and soils. As an internship project, she worked with a community garden at the Boys & Girls Club in Muncie, Indiana. There, she taught youth about soil, growing food, and provided them with produce baskets to take home to their families. That project was what sparked a passion for school garden work and providing hands-on education to youth. In 2013, Erin accepted an AmeriCorps volunteer position as the “Think Local Horticulturalist” at Phoenix Charter School in Roseburg, which is what brought her to the Umpqua Valley. It was through that position that she began working with farmers throughout the region and grew produce for the school meal program and farmers’ market. In March of 2020, the opportunity arose to take on a role at Thriving Waters and continue its mission in a new direction by incorporating gardening. This has blossomed into Umpqua Valley Farm to School, where Erin is proud to support her community. She is also the Farm to School and School Garden Procurement and Education Coordinator for Douglas County.

Erin is a busy mama to three children who are often seen at gardens and farms with her, as she sees the importance of teaching them where their food comes from and to play in the dirt. They share a love of gardening, even if that may just be digging and throwing soil at each other. She also loves hiking, swimming, paddling, and exploring hidden gems of the Umpqua Valley and beyond.

My name is Sarah Davey and I am honored to be a part of the Umpqua Valley Farm to School team. I live in Eugene, OR with my partner and two dogs. At home, I am constantly cooking, fermenting, reading about cooking and fermenting, eating or shopping at local markets. I have always been interested in the natural world, supporting local farmers and businesses and dream of my own small farm one day. I have bounced around from working in child education to working in breweries. Each path has taught me how much respect and passion I have for the work of sustainability, agriculture and teaching. I believe everyone deserves access to nutritious food and I am excited to make help make that happen.

When I’m not working, I love spending time with my dogs and my partner as we explore Oregon and beyond!

Clover Wier graduated from University of Oregon with degrees in Biology and a minor in Environmental Studies and later a masters in Education.  She has always believed in finding ways to help students learn outside of the classroom.  From rock climbing assistant with the Outdoor Program at University of Oregon to student tour guide in Australia and New Zealand for four U.S. winters,  she has explored experiential learning for decades.  She was a secondary science and math teacher for nearly two decades.  While teaching science at Fremont Middle School she built a school garden and promoted many out of the classroom experiences for students, including chaperoning Roseburg students on a trip to Costa Rica and fostering many local partnerships that gave students varied hands-on experiences.  They were able to learn at Saving Grace, Wildlife Safari, or from experts at Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.  Her students also worked with Master Gardeners, UCVEG, Umpqua Watersheds Americorps volunteers,  parent volunteers and Blue Zones mentors (now Thrive Umpqua.) Through these partnerships she was able to expand the school garden and create an atmosphere to help the school become Blue Zones certified.

In 2019 she took a break from teaching many students to homeschool her elementary daughter. Together they have continued to explore the many ways to learn from home. During her free time she loves hiking and paddle boarding, she also enjoys volunteering with her son’s high school robotics team at Roseburg High. She is excited to work with the students and staff at Fir Grove Elementary in the coming year.

Hailey Malone was born and raised in Northwestern, South Carolina, in the Blueridge mountains. She graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor of science in wildlife and fisheries biology and a minor in forest resource management. It’s safe to say she loves the outdoors and getting her hands dirty in the garden. Her specialties are native plant landscaping and providing habitat for pollinators and wildlife. “Everyone has an opportunity to make a positive impact, and I try to foster that mindset in my daily life. I’m excited to make an impact with Umpqua Valley Farm to School!”

Jaley Osuna is a farmer, music lover, and curiosity builder. Jaley works at the Glide Paw Patch, where she has a deep connection to the community and students. Her past experience involves early childhood education, volunteer coordination, and farming, which has given her a strong foundation for the work she loves.

In her free time, Jaley enjoys live music, dancing, and enjoying life to its fullest with her pets, family, and friends.

Nora Kindell is a School Garden Instructor at Yimisa Tribal School, working with pre-k and afterschool programs. Nora has an extensive background in education and a passion for gardening, which she often incorporated into her work. Her past experience in education involved work at the YMCA, Ford Family Center, and more. At each location, she built gardens for the children to explore, and was passionate about fostering a love for the outdoors from an early age.

In her free time, Nora loves spending time with her grandchildren, children, and husband, where they enjoy the outdoors and gardening, along with travel.

Bobbi Wilson is the Food Systems Coordinator at Umpqua Valley Farm to School. She has experience across various sectors of the food system, including farm policy, hunger relief, farmers’ markets, food waste reduction, and organic vegetable production. Prior to joining UVF2S, Bobbi worked at Rogue Farm Corps where she coordinated a hands-on training program for beginning farmers. In 2022 she started Uphill Farm with her mom and sister, where they grow a variety of fresh vegetables using regenerative, no-till, and dry-farming practices. She is passionate about teaching young people about healthy food and farming, including four nieces and nephews who live on the farm.

My name is Lucy Valadez and along with my husband and 5 children, I own Valadez Organic Produce. We have been Certified Organic for 6 years now and feel strongly about producing the healthiest produce possible. We have been doing farmers markets and wholesaling for just as long. I won’t say that I have been farming my whole life, farming was never something I was remotely interested in until I met my husband 10 yrs ago.  Now, it’s our way of life. We love being able to provide local, organic produce to our community. We learn new things everyday and watching my kids grow up teaching their peers about what it takes to make our food grow is the icing on the cake.