Mission
To empower people to connect to food and their community by revitalizing urban spaces and building a resilient food culture.
Vision
We envision a strong network of communities centered around the cultivation of fresh, healthy food.
Our Staff
Soni Scheig, Farm Manager & Small Farm Initiative Program Director (they/them)
Soni’s interest in the food system began in college in Southwest Colorado while working with their school to offer more local, sustainable, fair trade, and humane foods in the cafeterias. Soni’s areas of interest in the food system involve almost all aspects of it—growing food, cooking, waste management, and so on. They believe that the connection food brings to people in a community is extremely important. To learn more about the food system, they pursued an internship on an urban farm in St. Paul, MN which sparked a huge passion for connecting with community by growing food. Years later, Soni is the farm manager of GULB, teaching the next generation of farmers, running the CSA, and connecting community to our local food.
Contact: sfi@gulb.org
Jessica Collette, CSA & Distribution Coordinator and Farm Co-Manager (she/they)
Jessica has been interested in working at the junction of sustainable farming and food justice since spending a few years living in a rural midwestern community that was both a haven for organic farms and a food insecure region. She has worked in various settings, from a food pantry in northern Wisconsin to a homestead in mid-coast Maine to an educational garden in Moab, but her path eventually led her to Salt Lake City to work with the Green Urban Lunch Box. She has spent time working with most of GULB’s programs, but really found her place within Back-Farms. If you find yourself in one of Jess’ gardens, she’ll probably try and convince you that the most exciting garden delicacies are radish seed pods, okra, and nasturtium leaves.
Contact: markets@gulb.org & info@gulb.org
Haley Kline, Back-Farms Program Coordinator (she/her)
Haley grew up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where a love for the outside world was ingrained at a young age. Her passion for farming was sparked through WWOOFing at an organic farm in Oregon. Her interest in local food systems, community, and health developed during her years in college at Plymouth State University. She got her B.S. in Holistic Health and Wellness, and her goal is to one day work with people and groups facing barriers in a farm setting. She’s worked and volunteered at multiple farms, where she’s begun to learn everything it takes to run a farm – from working in the fields to running the farmstand. These experiences built a foundation for her, and she is now dedicated to working in sustainable, community-based agriculture. She eventually ended up at GULB, and is so excited to be the Back-Farms Coordinator for the 2024 season.
Our Board
Matt Mulligan, Co-Chair
Assistant Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine University of Utah School of Medicine
Shawn Kintaudi, Treasurer
Audit Manager, Eide Bailly LLP
Mary Ann Powles, Secretary
Marie Cornwall
Professor Emerita, Sociology, Back-Farms Senior, FruitShare tree owner
Katie McKeon
Britt Jursik
Owner, Challah Back Dough
Natalie Kane
Program Manager, EATS Park City