Staff

Ginnette Simko

Farm Manager

Board of Trustees

James Kurtz, Board Chair
Creative Director, Kurtz Graphic Design Co.

Bronlynn Thurman, Secretary
Program Officer, GAR Foundation

Alida Moonen
Cuyahoga County Court System

Barbara Greene
Principal, Common Good Consulting, Inc.

Charles Rankin
Alcon Tool Company

Douglas Katz
Owner/Chef, chutney b., Zhug, CHIMI, Provenance

Laura Brown
The JM Smucker’s Company

Phillip Nabors
Co-Founder, Mustard Seed Market & Cafe

Robert Kirschner
Director of Leadership Cleveland, Cleveland Leadership Center

Interns

Tracy Emrick

Chief Executive Officer

temrick@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

Tracy has served Countryside in multiple capacities since 2012 and was appointed to CEO in March of 2017. She graduated magna cum laude in 2010 with her degree in Political Science from Kent State University. Tracy is passionate about farmland preservation; sustainable agriculture; social and environmental justice and policy; and she is committed to building a resilient food system that ensures equity and viability for all. She’s been actively involved in agriculture since 2004. She is a member of the Ohio Farm Bureau, and served as a county Board member, food and animal issues committee co-chair, and a county delegate at the OFBF Annual Meeting. Tracy has been a life-long entrepreneur, small business owner, as well as farmer and outdoorswoman. She lives is Wayne County Ohio on a tiny farm once belonging to her grandparents.

Erin Molnar

Director of Local Food Programs

emolnar@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

Erin’s first role at Countryside was on-site support for its farmers’ market; her passion for and understanding of local agriculture and food production coupled with her skills in logistical management, relationship building, and her love for data and analytics quickly made her an asset to the team, and in short-order she became the Assistant Markets Manager. She left Countryside for two years to oversee the cafe portion of a Cleveland-based coffee roaster, where she developed and implemented data-driven management solutions for multiple cafes. She returned to Countryside in 2016 and now serves as the Director of Local Food Programs, overseeing multiple programs to increase the viability of local food production for farmers and makers and the accessibility of local food to consumers and. Erin holds a degree in Anthropology from Kenyon College, where her love and appreciation for small, sustainable agriculture first took root. Erin lives in Cuyahoga Falls and enjoys cooking, gardening, rehabbing her house and taking bicycle adventures near and far.

Serena Jones

Farmers’ Market Manager

sjones@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

Serena considers herself a lifetime student of books and the world around her. She holds a degree in Conflict Management and Political Science from Kent State University, where she was able to explore her passions of nonviolent communication and social activism. Serena believes in the importance of grassroots organizing and growing local community, and comes from a decade of experience in coffee shops and interning in the non-profit sector. Serena can be found running or hiking the trails of CVNP, daydreaming about her next backpacking trip, or watching detective shows.

Daena Johnson

Office Manager

admin@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

Daena joined Countryside in August of 2019 after leaving a career in promotional products manufacturing. Her interest in food access and supporting local businesses brought her to Countryside. She is also passionate about sustainable practices both in the workplace and in the home. This passion started in her youth with clothing created from recycled and unconventional materials and led to the creation of her own business making long lasting products using recycled papers. Daena is a lifelong resident of Cuyahoga Falls and enjoys frequent visits to the library, second-hand stores, and all the local breakfast joints with her husband, Anthony.

Christina Hill

Marketing and Communication Specialist

chill@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

Christina joined Countryside in the summer of 2018 as the Farmers’ Market Culinary Intern. Since, she has graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing Management from The University of Akron and moved into the role as Marketing and Communication Specialist. Christina has always had a love for cooking throughout her life and working at Countryside combined her two passions of cooking and marketing perfectly. When Christina isn’t working, she loves to spend time outdoors hiking, kayaking, and boating.

Bianca Difeo

Farmers’ Market Assistant

bdifeo@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

Bianca joined Countryside in May of 2019 after earning her bachelor’s degree in Integrated Health Studies from Kent State University. While assisting with the start-up of a Community Health Incentive Program at a nonprofit organization in the greater Akron area, she realized her passion for nonprofit studies, increasing food accessibility, and shopping locally. Volunteering at the Countryside Farmers’ Markets aligned these passions, and sparked a curiosity to help bring its mission to fruition. In her free time, you can find Bianca in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park hiking, biking, and spending leisurely time in her hammock.

Ginnette Simko

Farm Manager

gsimko@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

Prior to joining Countryside in January 2020, Ginnette served on the faculty of the Sustainable Agriculture program at Lorain County Community College, where she taught technical courses in crop production and plant propagation. She holds a BA in English from Baldwin Wallace College and had a long career in management and administration before switching gears to follow her lifelong passions for growing and eating really high quality produce. Ginnette lives with her family on a one-acre homestead in Hinckley. Her hobbies include hanging out with her chickens and making small batch fermented hot sauces.

Melissa Antalek

Farmers’ Market Culinary Intern

marketintern@cvcountryside.org

Melissa joined Countryside in November of 2019 as the culinary intern. She is currently studying nutrition and dietetics at The University of Akron. She has loved to apply what she is learning in classes to develop and present recipes for Countryside farmer’s markets! Working here has helped her explore her creativity and share her love of fresh and nutritious foods. When she’s not cooking up something new, Melissa enjoys hiking, biking, or trying out Pinterest crafts.

India Nunn

Farm Intern

India was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. Since she can remember she has had an affinity for growing plants and food. After graduating from Firestone High School she attended Antioch College for an academic year where she learned the basics of biology and herbology. She decided to move back to Akron to apply the knowledge and skills she acquired as well as build on her foundation of growing to learn the fundamentals of farming.

Becca Zak

Farm Intern

Becca Zak is an environmental educator and farmstead hopeful. Her hands were in the dirt before she could even walk and has made ‘meaningfully connecting people with the natural world’ her life’s mission. A native plant enthusiast, Becca works to help Mother Nature reclaim herself through guerrilla plantings and invasive plant removal. She hopes to immerse herself in the farm experience and combine her love of native plants with growing sustainable food for the surrounding community now and in her future endeavors.

Maddie Baker

Farm Intern

Hello there, my name is Maddie. From hiking, to gardening and building, I love getting my hands in the dirt and being outside. Currently, I am going to school for Sustainable Agriculture but previously studied environmental science. I found through the work of learning regenerative agriculture, I could possibly help to create the change by finding ways of evolving agriculture to promote natural ecosystems that aid in protecting the natural flora and fauna, providing a bounty of food for generations to come. I believe that in order to protect the environment, we as humans need to understand and feel our connection to the ecosystems we use to survive. To me, regenerative farming is one way to help build community and create a more involved relationship to the land and the things in our lives that come from it. I love to learn and evolve my thinking. I also have an interest in beekeeping, food forest design, silvopasture, and natural building design.

Fallon Carl

Food Pantry Coordinator

Fallon joined Countryside in June of 2020 and is the food pantry coordinator. She is currently studying nutrition and dietetics at The University of Akron. Nutrition has always been a passion of hers and in the last few years she has developed a love for gardening. When she is not playing in the dirt, she enjoys shopping, cooking, painting, ceramics, karaoke, and hiking.