Jo grew up in the Ashland area, and has always loved helping the community anyway they can. They’ve done work in forest restoration and have helped with youth groups. They are a kind person, always ready to help however they can or just offer an ear to listen. They love making a positive impact however they can, and always strive to make a space that everyone feels comfortable and safe. They’re looking forward to helping with the newest youth group and helping everyone feel like they can have fun and be themselves.
Kerrick was raised in the Hill Country of Austin, Texas where he studied at the University of Texas. After some travel, he moved to the Rogue Valley of Oregon with a vision to farm and support youth. He completed his Bachelor’s of Science in Applied Cultural Anthropology with Honors in 2004 at Southern Oregon University, and devoted over a decade supporting youth and their families navigate local and state social service programs. During this time, he and his partner cultivated a food forest at their home and founded Verdant Phoenix as an educational mini-farm in 2016.
Verdant Phoenix Farm became an expression of a way of life for Kerrick. He is interested in the relationships between humans, soil, microbes, plants/trees/shrubs, food, culture, time, and the web of life. As these elements inform his horticultural practice, Kerrick enjoys supporting landscapes, gardens, farms, and their people who are interested in belonging to the land.