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Abby Findley was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. She spent summers and holidays on Vashon Island visiting my grandparents and exploring the island. Her favorite childhood memory of Vashon Island was going for walks in the forest with her grandmother picking native salal berries to dress a salmon she was roasting for dinner with rosemary they picked from the garden. Abby received a bachelor’s degree in Soil Science with a minor in Food Culture and Social Justice from Oregon State University. During her academic career at OSU, she was involved in many food activism projects on campus such as: reducing food waste in the cafeteria, providing fresh produce to the student food pantry, leading volunteers through experiential learning at the student organic farm, and educating community members on soil restoration. She cultivated an interest in community-based agriculture by volunteering and networking with farmers, growers and community organizations in Oregon, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii. She is inspired and motivated by the communities she has had the honor to serve in the past several years. Abby wants to pursue a master’s degree focused on island food systems and indigenous foodways.

Abby serve as a program coordinator between the Vashon Maury Island Community Food Bank and Food Access Partnership (FAP). FAP is a program of the Vashon Island Growers Association and strives to make local food more accessible to community members while fairly compensating farmers. The goal of this collaboration is to connect surplus island harvests with consumers in order to combat the economic obstacles that historically prevent fresh, local produce form being a staple in food-insecure communities.

Abby is profoundly ecstatic to be back on Vashon Island to work with and learn from islanders devoted to food security in their community. When she is not serving this wonderful community, she is spending time with her dog Aidan, enjoying all the delicious libations this area has to offer.