Earstin Whitten is our gregarious Co-Founder who has created a new definition of life after retirement. With his extensive experience as a retired insurance executive and Army veteran, Earstin brings invaluable skills to starting and running a community garden nonprofit. Since retiring and moving to Reno 15 years ago, he has actively served on several local boards, including the Great Basin Community Cooperative and the Nevada Women’s Fund. Born to sharecroppers in Arkansas as one of fourteen children, Earstin is a testament to how growing your own food can transform lives by providing purpose, meaning, confidence, and essential life skills. His passion for Soulful Seeds stems from his desire to share the life-changing opportunities that gardening has provided him with the community he now calls home.

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John Lipinski is our versatile Board Chair and unofficial engineer, capable of building and fixing anything from vintage cars to hoop houses. A retired industry professional and Air Force veteran, John brings a wealth of practical skills including a strong understanding of board development and sustainable business development to our team. He is committed to supporting community-benefiting causes and has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. His passion for Soulful Seeds is driven by his desire to help others achieve self-sustainability through local, sustainable food systems.

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Marc Chapelle is our passionate gardener who can nerd out with our garden crew over everything from dwarf fruit trees to French drains. As a landscape architect with L.A. Studio Nevada, Marc is responsible for land and design planning of all scales and development types. He holds professional education in agronomy, enology, soils, and plant pathology. Coming from a family of passionate gardeners, Marc is an avid gardener himself. His passion for Soulful Seeds’ mission is driven by his desire to cultivate sustainable and thriving green spaces that benefit the community and the environment.

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Melody Bauer is our fundraising powerhouse, bringing bold new ideas and energizing our team’s fundraising efforts. As a dedicated massage therapist and independent businesswoman with a strong background in sustainable business practices, Melody’s commitment to wellness extends beyond her practice. She actively supports environmental stewardship and community well-being. With a history of collaborating with nonprofits, particularly in fund development, Melody strives to create a positive impact both for her clients and the world around her. Her passion for Soulful Seeds’ mission stems from her desire to foster a healthier, more sustainable community.

Dee Schafer-Whitten is the Co-Founder and strategic mastermind behind Soulful Seeds. Hailing from Virginia City, Dee has dedicated her career to making our community a better place. As a retired Healthcare and Non-Profit Executive, she brings a wealth of experience to the team. Dee was the President and Founder of Corporate Solutions, Inc., a strategic planning firm for nonprofits, government, and law enforcement agencies. After retiring, she took a year off to establish Soulful Seeds with her husband, Earstin Whitten, aiming to provide fresh, healthy food to the most vulnerable and help individuals move from poverty to sustainability. Dee is the Director for Client Experience at American Wealth Management in Reno. Her passion for Soulful Seeds is driven by her commitment to improving community well-being through sustainable food systems.

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Janice Bailey is our warm and inviting Treasurer at Soulful Seeds. As the firm administrator for her husband’s Reno CPA firm, Janice brings a wealth of organizational and financial expertise to our team. A passionate cook and master gardener, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Janice is one of the founding board members of Soulful Seeds and enjoys volunteering with the Soulful Seeds education program at the Our Place Campus. Janice’s passion for Soulful Seeds stems from her dedication to making everyone feel seen and appreciated, and her commitment to fostering community well-being through sustainable food systems.

Josh is our unofficial sustainability advocate, championing stronger regenerative agriculture practices at our sites. As the Director of Recreation and Chair of the Green Team at the Grand Sierra Resort (GSR), Josh brings a diverse set of business skills and a passion for building a stronger local food system. Prior to joining the board, he leveraged his role at GSR to implement a green waste program across the resort’s kitchens, ensuring all green food waste is provided to Soulful Seeds for composting. Josh understands that our food system is reaching a critical point in sustainability and believes Soulful Seeds offers a proactive solution to improving access to fresh, healthy food in underserved neighborhoods while advancing a sustainable local food system. He sees Soulful Seeds as a model for communities across the country.

Joleen is a dedicated member of our board who initially joined us as a volunteer, spending two Saturdays a month with our crew in the gardens. As a speech pathologist, she brings extensive experience working with at-risk populations. Joleen was drawn to Soulful Seeds through her passion for supporting women in crisis. She is dedicated to Soulful Seeds’ mission because she has witnessed firsthand the impact of systemic barriers to basic necessities like healthy food access on other parts of a person’s life. Her commitment to breaking down these barriers and improving community well-being drives her dedication to our cause.