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.

Bobbi Wilson is the Education 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 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.

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.