Personnel
Executive Director
Christine Smith is the Executive Director of Seedleaf. Trained academically as a geographer, she has been with Seedleaf since 2017. Her gardening experience is rooted in the sub-tropics of Florida where she grew up and her grandmother’s Kingston garden and menagerie filled with ginep, breadfruit, pomegranates, scotch bonnet peppers, fish, pigeons, chickens and stray dogs. She is most proud of her title as ‘Ambassador of Flowers’. She can be reached at christine@seedleaf.org.
Education Outreach Coordinator
DaShanta Gray is spearheading our education efforts in K-12 schools and youth organizations in Fayette County. A Native to Lexington's North side, DaShanta first discovered Seedleaf at the Whitney Avenue Community Garden Location. She "fell in love with food cultivation, when [she] learned that food and herbs could be utilized beyond nutrition to also heal bodies from various ailments as a form of alternative medicine." DaShanta is currently enrolled at Kentucky State University and is finishing her degree in their agriculture program. To connect with her for school garden consultations or educational programming, reach out to her at Education@seedleaf.org.
Seedleaf Board President
Will Coffman…
More information coming soon!
Farm Manager
HP Lovelace has happily joined Seedleaf as farm manager. As a professional regenerative farmer, outdoor classroom designer (Teach Outside), and educator, HP looks to creatively explore and promote food sovereignty, spatial equity, and holistic wellness in his home town. HP holds an MTS in Environmental Ethics from Harvard Divinity School, an MS in Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation from the University of Kentucky, and an Ed.D. in Education Policy and Leadership Studies from American University. He can be reached at farm@seedleaf.org.
Farm and Market Assistant
Megan is the Farm and Market Assistant for Seedleaf. Megan is a local Castlewood resident who is passionate about growing food and feeding the community. With a BA from Baldwin Wallace University, she is looking forward to merging her love for the garden with her background in communications. It is one of Megan's greatest joys to weave wellness through a shared need and love for localized food, while helping to build a resilient community. She can be reached at megan@seedleaf.org.
Garden Manager
With Eastern Kentucky roots, Haley moved to the greater Lexington area to attend the University of Kentucky, graduating in 2020 with her B.S. in Dietetics. She is passionate about evidence-based nutrition, growing food, and food insecurity solutions. When not in the garden, her time is filled by getting outdoors and spending quality time with her husband and their 4 rescues. Haley can be reached at haley@seedleaf.org.
Administrative Assistant
Ann is the Administrative Assistant at Seedleaf. She was born and raised in Michigan, where she learned the value of whole, nutritious food. Ann has always had a deep interest in a holistic approach to health and nutrition and is excited to have the opportunity to be a part of a local organization focused on nourishing local communities. You can reach Ann at ann@seedleaf.org.
Agroforestry Program Coordinator
Russ Turpin leads the Seedleaf Agroforestry Program (SAP), a program looking at how food forests might significantly improve our neighborhoods, public green spaces, and farms. Originally from East Tennessee, he moved to Lexington to begin working in environmental restoration, ecological stewardship, and supporting the role of nature in communities. Since 2001, he has worked in landscape design, installation, and management. In 2004, he added an emphasis on native plants, ecological rehabilitation, "green" stormwater structures, and the stewardship of natural areas. To reach Russ, email him at sap@seedleaf.org.