Our Team

Steven Marx

President

Steven has been involved with City Farm SLO since 2011.  He started serving as President of the Board and Executive Director in 2016.  He has been motivated by the will of City residents to create an urban farm expressed in the General Plan of 1994. He was Professor of English specializing in Shakespeare at Cal Poly from 1988 to 2010. There he developed the Cal Poly Land Project, an interdisciplinary program that brought faculty and students from all Colleges together to produce a course, a book, and a website about the University’s 10,000-acre property.  He and his wife, Jan Marx, lived on an old homestead near the coast of British Columbia from 1970 to 1979, where they ran a summer camp for children.

Ty Griffin

Treasurer

Meet the tenant farmers that form the collective of small, independent organic farmers on City Farm SLO’s 19-acre parcel.

Steven Marx

President

Ty Griffin

Treasurer

Linda Halisky

Secretary

Steven has been involved with City Farm SLO since 2011.  He started serving as President of the Board and Executive Director in 2016.  He has been motivated by the will of City residents to create an urban farm expressed in the General Plan of 1994. He was Professor of English specializing in Shakespeare at Cal Poly from 1988 to 2010. There he developed the Cal Poly Land Project, an interdisciplinary program that brought faculty and students from all Colleges together to produce a course, a book, and a website about the University’s 10,000-acre property.  He and his wife, Jan Marx, lived on an old homestead near the coast of British Columbia from 1970 to 1979, where they ran a summer camp for children.

Ty Griffin is a long-time resident of SLO, with a background in computer work and accounting. He is happy to lend his talents and time to helping keep City Farm's finances and record-keeping in reasonably good shape, which he has been doing since Spring 2017.

Linda joined the English faculty at Cal Poly in the fall of 1984, serving there as professor of English for 30 years; for six of those years, she also led the Department as its Chair.  Between 2004 and 2012 she was Dean of the College of Liberal Arts.  Linda met Steven Marx in the fall of 1988, when he, too, joined the English faculty, and it was through him that she learned of City Farm SLO.  She began working as a volunteer in the late summer of 2019 and joined the Board in early 2020.  Linda has been inspired by the farm’s goals of supporting sustainable agriculture and educating the local community through its several on-site educational and outreach programs and by its “Little Engine that could!” levels of energy and commitment.  She also loves her time outdoors at the farm, planting seeds and tending to the seedlings that will be populate the Market Garden.  She enjoys reading, walking/hiking, cooking, tending her flowers, and spending as much time as she can in London.    

Anne-Marie Bergen

Board Member

A recently retired educator, Anne Marie Bergen connected with City Farm SLO through the farm box program which led her to volunteer and support the growth of this program! Anne Marie discovered the natural connection children and adults had for experiential learning at Foothill Horizons Outdoor School as an environmental educator. She continued as an elementary educator in Oakdale, California. During her final ten years in Oakdale, she created a laboratory and field-based science program. For the past decade she has been faculty at Cal Poly, creating and teaching science and STEM undergraduate courses for future educators. Her focus on science and STEM engaged her in many leadership roles to include the California Teacher Advisory Council (chair), Central Coast Science Project (co-director), and National Academies Consensus Committee. She was honored by President Obama in 2010.When not at City Farm or tending to her succulents, you can find her exploring the beaches and trails of the central coast!

Gina Ruedebusch

Board Member

Gina joined the City Farm Board of Directors in March 2021 after volunteering with the farm for a few months.  In her professional career Gina has a background in Sales and Sales Support and is currently the Director of Sales Operations for Mindbody.  She relocated to the Central Coast from Ohio in May of 2020 and enjoys all of the things that the area has to offer including hiking, road and trail running, and wine tasting.  She's passionate about health and wellness and in particular about helping both adults and children reap the benefits of an active lifestyle, sustained by delicious natural whole foods.  

Kayla Rutland

Associate Director

Shane Lovell

Farm Manager

Gissel Neri Corcole

Youth Empowerment Program Facilitator

Adriana Arias

Digital Media Coordinator

Camilla Posson 

Regenerative Agriculture Intern 

Julie Lewis

Ag Business Administration Intern

Sunny Andersen

Communications Intern 

Alejandra Mahoney

Youth Empowerment Program Director

Kayla has been involved as a volunteer then Vice President of the Board of City Farm SLO since moving to San Luis Obispo County in 2017. In 2021 she became Associate Director, bringing experience from the Health Promotion Division of the County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department and previous roles in nonprofit organizations. Kayla’s personal mission is to advance community health and climate resiliency by helping all people connect with food and where it comes from. She is grateful for the opportunity to work towards this mission every day. In addition to this work, Kayla enjoys trail running, mountain biking, and backpacking in our incredible Central Coast. Kayla earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutritional Science from the University of Connecticut with a minor in Sustainable Crop Production.

Shane is passionate about designing ways for natural ecosystems and our modern ways of life to thrive together. He earned a bachelor’s degree of Industrial Design at The Art Institute of California then worked as a furniture designer for several years. While this was an engaging and creative career path, he longed to take his design interests into the natural world. With growing interests in gardening, natural ecology, and regenerative agriculture, he decided to pivot his career into farming. He discovered City Farm in 2019, and after a brief period of volunteering, he joined the team as Site Manager. In 2021 he became Farm Manager, overseeing the educational gardens and general farm maintenance. His focus has been to design a system that encourages people, ecology, and agriculture to all flourish simultaneously.

Outside his work on the farm, he enjoys being in nature. Whether it’s hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, or just relaxing under the trees, he is rejuvenated by observing the natural world.

Gissel’s passion for her work at City Farm SLO is inspired by the members of the Youth Empowerment Program and the opportunity to help people connect with our food system. Gissel will soon be a first-generation college student. She studied Agricultural Science at Cal Poly SLO and plans to continue her education by pursuing a master's in the same field. Gissel works to create content for the Youth Empowerment Program and works directly with students to help them discover the opportunities within agriculture with hands-on experience out on the farm. In her free time, Gissel enjoys going on hikes and spending quality time with friends and family.

Adriana is involved with City Farm SLO’s Youth Empowerment Program as the Digital Media Coordinator and co-Facilitator. She is a senior at Cal Poly, SLO pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business with a minor in Agricultural Communications. Adriana is a native to the Central Coast; she grew up in Santa Maria and moved to SLO to attend Cal Poly. Growing up surrounded by agriculture and a family background of farming in Mexico, Adriana has enjoyed studying and working with agriculture. She also works with the local FFA region, assisting in administrative tasks and event preparations. Adriana enjoys traveling, soaking up sunsets here on the Central Coast, and visiting local coffee shops with unique aesthetics. She is filled with happiness to be able to work with students and looks forward to expanding her skill set through YEP. 

Camilla is an intern at City Farm SLO, and a San Luis Obispo local her whole life. She assists with harvesting, planting, and attending to crops.  Camilla is currently pursuing two master’s degrees through Tufts University- a Master of Science in Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, and a Master of Public Health in Health Services Management and Policy. Her goal is to understand and improve the resiliency of the food system and make healthful diets more equitable and accessible by engaging with local producers and public health departments. Outside of City Farm SLO, she spends her free time hiking and cycling all over the SLO county. Additionally, Camilla is a member of the EcoSLO Advocacy Committee and the San Luis Obispo County Agricultural Liaison Advisory Board. She is very excited to be with City Farm SLO to learn about food production and regenerative agriculture. 

Web Admin

Julie Lewis is an intern here at city farm since March of 2021. She participates in a variety of duties with City Farm, specifically our farmer’s market initiative, our fall harvest festival planning, and connecting produce to local restaurants and foodbanks. She is currently finishing her bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a focus in marketing and sustainable agriculture. She plans to further her education and gain her master’s in sustainable food systems. She has worked with nonprofits in San Luis Obispo in the past and has a passion for connecting and building up her community. She loves working with City Farm and learning as much as she can about their sustainable agriculture practices, as well connecting people to locally grown produce. Outside of City farm, she loves to hike around San Luis Obispo County and swim in the ocean.

Sunny started volunteering at City Farm SLO in 2021, and currently is the Social Media and Communications Intern at the farm. Sunny has been helping the farm expand their website and engage the community through social media and outreach practices. Sunny is a second year Agriculture Communications Major at California Polytechnic University and is minoring in Science and Risk Communication. Sunny’s personal mission is to help others understand the importance of knowing where your food comes from and the farm to table process, and how rewarding it can be. She is grateful to have this opportunity at the farm and is happy she can share her passion with others in the community. In addition to her work at the farm, Sunny enjoys surfing, running, finding new beaches, and spending time with friends and family. 

Danielle Raiss

Website Admin 

Meet the tenant farmers that form the collective of small, independent organic farmers on City Farm SLO’s 19-acre parcel.