Here at Native Foods Nursery, we have a team of unique individuals who have become like family to one another. We take care of the plants; we take care of each other. We are committed to supporting our employees in taking good care of themselves and in doing what they love in the world. Here is more about these amazing individuals and what they would like to share with you about themselves. Enjoy!
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Era Keys (back row, blue hat) is the new office administrator. They come from a background in permaculture design and educating in outdoor recreation. From windsurfing to white water raft guide in Central America, Era spent time diving deep into their body to nature connection. These days Era assists start-up and small businesses in incubating and expanding into their next phase. They also co-own and co-operate a small business called Center for Regenerative Peoples, where they teach permaculture design and farming, while bringing the administration side to the powerhouse. Check them out on instagram @erakeyspermaculture.
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Dima Tsatskin (front row, far left) has been supporting the flow of the nursery for about a year now. He started during peak season of Spring 2020 when plant sales really went up due to people staying at home more. He loves the mission of NFN, and is honored to be a part of the team here. Dima likes to research and practice anything that has to do with deep healing arts and exploring true human potential. He has a dog Gandhi, they love to do most things together. Dima is from Ukraine. He also lived in Moldova, Florida and Mississippi before rooting in Oregon. Dima is fluent in Russian and English, and often thinks in both. For Dima, working at the nursery is a great opportunity to be outside, learn about plants, and hang out with amazing people
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Kurt Smith (front row, middle) has been working in the nursery since the beginning of 2018, as the first employee of the nursery. With a work history in packing and shipping for a large soul-sucking corporation, Kurt was delighted at the opportunity to share his skills with the nursery, and feed Justin’s vision for a native edible plant nursery. When he’s not playing his favorite music and packing with his family of friends in the nursery, he enjoys sharing in potlucks and social time in intentional community with folks in the same “quaran-team.”Kurt is passionate about mining for beautiful music, art, ecstatic dance, cultivating his own self awareness through mindfulness practices such as breathwork, chi-gong, sauna and other exercises he acquires along his life journey.
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Reya Sun (back row, purple) joined the nursery crew during the winter of 2018, and has been in the nursery flow ever since. Reya has become quite familiar with picking plants for orders, wrapping them to be pretty and secure, and packing the plants to be sent off on their adventure to their new homes. She has greatly enjoyed becoming familiar with the 75 species of plants specific to the Pacific Northwest that reside in the nursery. When not in the nursery, Reya enjoys moving her body through dance, yoga, and going on walks through the forest. She holds a deep passion for health and healing, and loves spending time with her friends, and people who fill her heart with joy. Reya is grateful for the opportunity to work on the same land she lives on, with the nursery only being a short walk through the forest from her home. She feels excitement for where she is, in her journey of life. You can find her on instagram @reya_sun_
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River Paige (back row, far right) is one of one of the newer members of the Native Foods Nursery team. She is enthusiastic about sustainability and has a background in permaculture & environmental outreach. River has spent the past few years traveling and volunteering for permaculture sites around the world and last fall settled in at Meadowsong Ecovillage to set down roots in the community. She loves working with her family-community and spending quality time with all the native plants in the nursery. You can find her at @nomadic.river on Instagram.
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Khyla Allis (back row, 2nd farthest right) is an Earth steward and passionate about community, growing food, wildcrafting, and making herbal medicines. Khyla is starting up an educational farm and CSA microbusiness with two others onsite, she is also a passionate energy worker and trained yoga teacher. She wants to share the whispers of the earth so people can hear. Empowering people with the tools to be more sovereign and interdependent in the health of their bodies, and environment around them.
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