Amyrose Foll is actively seeking to dismantle the systemic racism in our food system, and transform the regional foodshed to create community-driven systems based on collectivism, and respect for nature. Before becoming the Director of Future Harvest’s Beginner Farmer Training Program in 2021, and Program Director for the Urban Agriculture Collective in 2022 Amyrose founded The Virginia Free Farm, which works to provide free nutrient dense food assistance to those in need, and plants and seeds (free of charge) to community gardens, schools, tribes, and community-based organizations. It is a hub for educating young people in the Richmond metro area about indigenous agriculture, ethnobotanical knowledge, & lifeways in order to cultivate the next generation of land and water protectors. Amyrose’s background in healthcare, and her native heritage (Penobscot/Abenaki) is what prompted her to begin advocating for food sovereignty, security, and preservation of indigenous food culture through seed saving & distribution. She has served the Virginia State Commissioner of Agriculture on the EFOD Taskforce, as a Virginia Tech Foodsystems Fellow, advocated to the Maryland General Assembly for more inclusive language surrounding urban agriculture operations for state grant making, and completed climate training with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium.Amyrose is a U.S. Army veteran, former firefighter-paramedic, and nurse. She has a background in Biology & Healthcare, and Sustainable Agriculture, in addition to Master’s in Health Information Management, and MBA in Marketing. She also holds certificates in viticulture & fruit tree production, poultry production, and woodlot management from Cornell University, and Master Cattleman through Virginia Tech, and is a certified Human Rights Consultant.Read more about this authorRead less about this author