TOMMY HEXTER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Tommy moved to Iowa in 2017 after growing up on a 2-acre vegetable and egg farm in the mountains of Central Virginia. He is a commissioner of the Poweshiek County Soil and Water Conservation District, former co-owner a local food market called Grinnell FarmToTable that sources products from 15-20 local farmers, and Rural Organizer and Educator with the Iowa Farmers Union. He loves to explore the small towns and backroads of Iowa with his 18-month old German Shepherd named Echo, and he goes gravel bike-riding in his free time.
Board of Directors
LAUREL TUGGLE LACINA
PRESIDENT
Laurel is a lifelong Iowan and made Grinnell her home in 2009. She earned her Master of Public Health in Community and Behavioral Health degree in 2017. Her graduate work was focused on diabetes prevention in the Grinnell and Meskwaki communities. She loves the mission of LFC to unite farmers and their communities to support access to local foods, regardless of economic means. In addition to her position as ED of LFC, Laurel is also an assistant at Middle Way Farm and a harpist. She enjoys knitting, sewing, spinning, and gardening.
VICKI NOLTON
TREASURER
Vicki is a native Iowan and currently serves as a program associate for Service and Social Innovation at Grinnell College. Her interest in local and sustainable food systems is rooted in the changes and challenges her parents experienced as a small family farm operation during the Farm Crisis of the 1980’s. Vicki’s prior experience as a maternal and child health program coordinator solidified her belief that access to fresh and healthy food is essential to improved health, educational and economic outcomes, but that longstanding economic systems and governmental policies do not support environmentally and economically sustainable production of high quality foods. LFC’s mission to support local farmers and increase access to healthy foods for those most in need aligns with her beliefs and she is excited to be part of these efforts.
MADELINE McCABE
SECRETARY
EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBER
Maddie is in her second year of a Masters in Public Health Program at University of Iowa focusing in Community Nutrition. As a lifelong athlete, she has always been interested in the link between nutrition and the wellbeing of a community and its members. Maddie believes everyone deserves access to the tools for lasting health and longevity and sees local food systems as a vital way to achieve this. She also enjoys running, experimenting with new recipes, writing, and volunteering with her grandpa.
SUSAN LEATHEM SANNING
As the Assistant Dean and Director of Service and Social Innovation at Grinnell College Susan is responsible for identifying, aligning, and supporting socially-just and mutually beneficial campus-community partnerships. Prior to beginning work at Grinnell College in 2011, Susan provided direct spiritual care services for hospice and hospice patients of many different religious and spiritual backgrounds. Now as our board president, Susan is excited to work with LFC as it aims to increase the opportunities all community members have to connect with local farmers, enjoy fresh, healthy food, expand cooking skills, and gain knowledge about nutrition.
KERRI OLSON
Kerri moved to Grinnell 22 years ago, meeting her husband shortly after, raising two children and has made it her home. She graduated from Iowa State University, earning her Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education. Kerri owns and operates Olson Garden Market with her husband Brian. Olson Garden Market started in 2010, attending the Grinnell Farmers Market.
She took her first professional position at Mid-Iowa Community Action as a Family Development Specialist & Health Coordinator Assistant. She then received a position at Unity Point – Grinnell Regional Medical Center as the Volunteer Coordinator for 14 years. Olson started solely focusing on her small business in 2016 expanding ever since. Through her experiences, she knows the importance accessing local, fresh and nutritious food for everyone, especially those in need.
ANN BRAU
I have a BS in Ag Education from Iowa State University. Currently, Lisle and I operate Compass Plant CSA which was the first established CSA in the Grinnell area. Operating for 21 years, we serve only the local residents with the CSA and through both the Grinnell Farmers Market and Grinnell Farm to Table. I am the principal farmer in the operation and we produce vegetables grown without chemical inputs in a sustainable and environmentally friendly method. Our livestock are grass fed and humanely raised. We have chosen to raise an endangered breed of hogs, American Guinea Hogs. Our poultry are pastured and raised seasonally for meat and egg production. Along with being the grower for Compass Plant CSA, I am also the Thursday market manager for the Grinnell Farmers market. I work with Kerri and Brian Olson to facilitate a safe and welcoming environment at the market. I also consult with the Grinnell College Garden, managed by Jon Andelson through the Center for Prairie Studies. This involves guiding students in methods of non-chemical growing in an outdoor garden setting. I believe in the need for everyone to have access to good quality, local foods. They are fresher, healthier, and better for our environment. No one should be hungry in this State.
MIKE STORBECK
Mike has worked towards greater food access for the community throughout his time in Grinnell as a life-long resident. He currently lives in Grinnell with his daughter and has two other children. Mike worked in communications and would help fundraise for other food access organizations. After his heart attack and the start of the pandemic, Mike has continued working towards food access for the Grinnell community. He helped deliver food from pantries to surrounding communities and personally placed a freezer on his deck with meat and frozen food for Grinnell community members. Mike also loves to garden and is excited to continue working towards the cause of food access as a board member for LFC!
LISA BACON
Born and raised in Tama County, Lisa returned, after 42 years in Sonoma County, California, and happily settled in Grinnell. She brings to LFC experience in locally sourced agricultural product sales and marketing, previously focusing on organic specialty mushrooms, pasture raised beef, pork, goats and poultry. She has sat on the Boards of the Mycological Society of San Francisco and Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods. Working in Volunteer Management for the Redwood Empire Food Bank and The Ceres Community Project literally enabled her to feed her passion to ensure nutritional equality among diverse socio-economic communities. In her retirement, Lisa is an artist focusing on jewelry and textile design. Still readjusting to Iowa summers and winters, she escapes on warm water scuba diving adventures and overseas sailing trips with friends and family whenever possible.
JORDAN SCHEIBEL
Jordan grew up in a small town in northwest Connecticut and has lived in Grinnell for the past 17 years. After graduating from Grinnell College in 2010, he worked for Grinnell Heritage Farm for several years among other pursuits. From 2013 to 2023, Jordan ran Middle Way Farm, a chemical-free and later Certified Naturally Grown market garden, and worked with Local Foods Connection to supply CSA shares to families and inviduals. Aside from growing food, Jordan enjoys listening to music and podcasts, hiking and foraging for wild foods, making maple syrup in the spring and apple cider in the fall, playing pick-up basketball, reading, and pizza nights with his family and friends. Jordan joined the board of Local Foods Connection in 2023 to help them navigate their growth and to help solidify a commitment towards addressing food insecurity and building food sovereignty as a single unified effort.