Our Mission

TFFJ fights food insecurity and diet-related disease through school-based, youth-led hydroponic farming, providing local, sustainably-grown produce to food desert communities and building health equity for all New Yorkers and beyond.

Our Board

Co-Founders

Tara Swibel

Board Chair
Founder, Triptyk Studios

Katherine Soll

Chief Executive Officer
President

Chana Chenfeld

Vice Chair
Vice President

Board of Directors

Kevin Beardsley

Treasurer
Senior Director, Corporate Development (M&A), Nasdaq

Alexandra Galindez

Secretary
Chief Brand Nurturer, THE BRAND CONSULTING

Jennifer Finer

Global Director, Värde Partners

Bridget Alameda

Director
PricewaterhouseCoopers

Henry Gordon-Smith

CEO & Founder
Agritecture

Judy Schoenberg

Co-Founder
EvolveMe

Randolph Stern

President
Sternvest Capital

Valerie Soll

Textile Conservation Lab
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Adjunct Associate Professor
Fashion Institute of Technology

Alejandro Munoz-Suarez

Chief Executive Officer
Fuku

Norah Yahya

Senior Government Affairs Officer
External Affairs
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Teresa Tsou

Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer, Pipcorn

Our Team

Gabrielle Mosquera

Deputy Director

Christopher Ellison

Marketing & Development Content Manager

Matthew Horgan

STEM Programming & School Partnership Manager

Renae Cairns

Advocacy & Community Engagement Manager

Amanda Everich

Curriculum Development & Program Assistant

Harrison Hillier

Senior Hydroponic Systems Manager

Connor Gorsira

Farm Operations Manager

Michael Sterenberg

Hydroponic Farmer-Educator, Martin Luther King Educational Campus

Mo Urzola Tellez

Farmer-Educator & Hydroponics Assistant

Ja’keia Person

Farmer-Educator, DeWitt Clinton High School Educational Campus

Our Supporters

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Students from the Special Music School at the MLK,

Students from the Special Music School at the MLK, Jr. Educational Campus filmed TED Talks earlier this month that were submitted to the @tededucation platform. The students’ talks are a culmination of their work with the TFFJ hydroponic farm and program, integrated into each individual student’s interests and passions. Talks range from exploring the impact of school-based hydroponic farms on young people, to how literature can be used as a tool for engaging individuals in community-based activism and advocacy as it relates to environmental, land, and food issues.

We are excited to share footage of these talks in the coming months, and we applaud the students for their confidence and focus in delivering their research.

Learn more about TFFJ via the link in our bio.

#GrowWithUS #FoodJusticeNYC #FoodInsecurity #FoodActivism #CommunityBuilding #ChangeMakers #Communityimpact #DonorSupport #Philanthropist #Charitablegiving

TFFJ Hydroponic Farms inspire both agricultural an

TFFJ Hydroponic Farms inspire both agricultural and culinary creativity. Students from the Queens High School for Information, Research and Technology are enjoying competing in a MasterChef-style competition that serves as the culmination of their school’s weekly cooking club, which takes place at the Far Rockaway High School Hydroponic Farm.

Equipped with ingredients they have grown on the farm, they have been tasked with making their best version of omelets, quesadillas, crepes, and a mystery dish for the May 31st finale!

This competition is just one example of the innovative projects driven by TFFJ students’ passion for experiential learning. We are happy to see their excitement for this uncommon, yet highly valuable, form of education.

You can learn more about TFFJ initiatives by clicking the link in our bio!

#GrowWithUS #FoodJusticeNYC #FoodInsecurity #FoodActivism #CommunityBuilding #ChangeMakers #Communityimpact #DonorSupport #Philanthropist #Charitablegiving

Meet Ja’keia Person, TFFJ’s Farmer-Educator at

Meet Ja’keia Person, TFFJ’s Farmer-Educator at DeWitt Clinton High School. Her boundless enthusiasm is infectious, and her teaching philosophy shines just as brightly as her radiant smile. Ja’keia is a strong believer that her students already have the will and the ability to make positive changes in their communities, and so she strives to show them their own power. Her “positive pathway toolkits” remind students of techniques they can use to elevate their voices, and she helps them become self-confident from the inside out.

She does all of this while also engaging in the tangible aspects of her job as a Farmer-Educator: teaching TFFJ’s curricula, operating and maintaining DeWitt Clinton’s hydroponics farm, and running the Food Justice Collective afterschool program. Thank you for all your positive energy, Ja’keia!

#Hydroponicfarming #HydroponicFarm #LocallyGrown #FarmFresh #Hydroponic #StudentFarmers #locallysourced #locally

May 15th marks the International Day of Families,

May 15th marks the International Day of Families, a topic very close to our hearts at TFFJ. Through activities like our community food distributions and student showcases, we get to see families bonding and growing over the hard work students put in on a daily basis, covering everything from food justice expertise to hydroponics. Here are a few quotes shared by parents that reflect their passion for how their families are benefitting from TFFJ.

Click the link in the bio to learn more about our programming.

#InternationalDayofFamilies #Hydroponicfarming #HydroponicFarm #LocallyGrown #FarmFresh #Hydroponic #StudentFarmers #locallysourced #LocallyGrown

In the 21st century, almost every profession relie

In the 21st century, almost every profession relies on quality marketing techniques with unique and compelling ideas, and the food industry is no different. TFFJ youth are using honest and exciting stories as they advertise their food distribution events to their communities. Here, Unison Food Justice Collective students use both digital and pen-and-paper platforms to invite members of the public to collect fresh TFFJ-grown produce.

Our students know that marketing is about more than just colorful pens and fancy flyers. Through trial and error, and with the guidance of their educators, they have learned how to choose the most effective language and information to convey their mission to the public. And it’s working!

To learn more about TFFJ’s goals, visit the website in our bio.

#Hydroponicfarming #HydroponicFarm #LocallyGrown #FarmFresh #Hydroponic #StudentFarmers #locallysourced #locally

With months of hard work behind them, TFFJ student

With months of hard work behind them, TFFJ students will be ready to roll at our Youth Leadership Conference on May 21st. We are excited to gather in-person at @grownyc ‘s Project Farmhouse, a stunning and sustainable event space that will soon be full of student-led discussion about hydroponics and food justice. Students will also host cooking demonstrations and welcome special guests from the NYC Mayor’s office!!

We can’t wait to see their leadership skills on display and the inspiration they give one another (and us!) as they present their hard work.

For more information on TFFJ’s programs, visit our website.

#GrowWithUS #FoodJusticeNYC #FoodInsecurity #FoodActivism #CommunityBuilding #ChangeMakers #Communityimpact #DonorSupport #Philanthropist #Charitablegiving

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