Staff

Interns

Trustees

Sergio McCollam

Farmers’ Market Business Engagement Coordinator

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.

Jenna Eastman

Food Access Manager

jeastman@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

Jenna joined Countryside in March of 2021 as the Food Access Manager. She has a background in food and nutrition as a dietitian, and is currently completing a Master of Development Practice. She was drawn to Countryside's food access programming as she believes in approaching food and nutrition via the social determinants of health, and that food access is an important component of health equity. Jenna enjoys crafting and DIY projects, photography, comedy, and getting outdoors to hike & swim.

Ginnette Simko

Director, New Farmer Academy

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.

Emily Kuhn

Farmers' Market Associate

cheese@cvcountryside.org

Besides being the resident ‘Cheese Lady’, Emily is the lead graphic and page designer for the Record-Courier and Akron Beacon Journal. She has also been involved in Northeast Ohio craft events as a vendor and volunteer for over 10 years. Emily spends her free time cooking, powerlifting, and adventuring in Cleveland.

Marcia Coleman

Farm Manager / Educator

mcoleman@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

Marcia is passionate about growing the next generation of farmers, food accessibility, and creating an environment that educates and connects consumers to growers. Marcia serves on the faculty of the Sustainable Agriculture program at Lorain County Community College, where she teaches technical courses in crop production and Business Principles for Sustainable Agriculture. She holds a BA in Business Administration from Saint Anselm College and had a long career in management and administration before starting her 2.5-acre farm in Avon Lake, Ohio. She is a member of the Sustainable Agriculture Curriculum Advisory board at LCCC and a member of the Ohio Farm Bureau. Her hobbies include kayaking, anything outdoors, cooking and traveling.

Sergio McCollam

Farmers' Market Business Engagement Coordinator

smccollam@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

Sergio joined Countryside in the summer of 2021 as the Farmers’ Market Business Engagement Coordinator. He received his certification in Commercial Art from Lakeland Community College and later attended Kent State University for Communication Studies specializing in Public Relations. Sergio spent his late teens and early twenties as a touring musician, networking, and building business relationships which eventually grew into a passion for business ownership, and servant leadership. That passion led to a position with Countryside. Sergio currently enjoys meeting new people, traveling, designing NFTs and Digital Art, and making music from a small home studio.

Hannah Billingsley

Farm Programs Assistant

hbillingsley@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

Hannah is passionate about cooking, organic food and intentional living. In addition to her role with Countryside, she is also an intern in the New Farmer Academy. She has a BA in African Studies from Columbia University and lived in Cape Town, South Africa from 2013-2019, where she had a small fruit pie business and developed an interest in green philosophy and conservatism. Hannah dreams of homesteading on a small plot and aspires to teach kitchen gardening to suburban residents.

Azella Markgraf

Farmers' Market Manager

amarkgraf@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

Azella recently joined the Countryside team as the Farmers Market Manager after a service year as an Americorps VISTA Member coordinating the Mobile Grocery Market at StarkFresh in Canton. Azella's love of local food began as a child growing up in rural Central Ohio, where she spent her summers foraging for fresh berries and mushrooms and making nature-inspired art with her family. Azella spends her time imagining a future in which everyone has access to fresh and nutritious local foods grown with care for the Earth and she strives to be a part of creating a more just and sustainable local food system. Azella has a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Science and Cultural Anthropology from Davidson College, where she studied the role of imagination in youth climate justice activism and served on the Board of Directors for a local land conservancy. In her free time, Azella is an outdoors enthusiast and self-proclaimed foodie who is always on the lookout for a new adventure. When she's not at the market, you can find her cycling on the towpath, hiking in the Summit Metroparks, drinking tea, or cooking up some delicious plant-based meals!

Madison Letizia

Marketing & Development Specialist

mletizia@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

Madison is an impassioned local food supporter who came to Countryside after over 10 years as a marketing professional. She is an enthusiastic supporter of sustainable ag, accessible farmland, and healthy local food systems, and uses her interests and experience to propel Countryside's mission forward.

Madison holds a BA in Communications from Ohio Northern University and recently completed the Sustainable Agriculture certificate program at LCCC.

Again this year, Madison will be trying to squeeze in just one more square foot of vegetable garden in her yard, and hopefully fitting in some travel adventures too. Madison is a former farm kid and 4-H member, and will never let anyone confuse goats with sheep.

Staff

Tracy Emrick

Chief Executive Officer

Jenna Eastman

Food Access Manager

Ginnette Simko

Director, New Farmer Academy

Emily Kuhn

Farmers' Market Associate

cheese@cvcountryside.org

Marcia Coleman

Farm Manager / Educator

Sergio McCollam

Farmers' Market Business Engagement Coordinator

Hannah Billingsley

Farm Programs Assistant

hbillingsley@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

Azella Markgraf

Farmers' Market Manager

amarkgraf@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

Madison Letizia

Marketing & Development Specialist

mletizia@countrysidefoodandfarms.org

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