Kelli Cochran-Barram, Plant-to-Plate Director

Kelli has a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and worked in the mental health field for 11 years, before switching gears and pursuing her passion for urban farming. Currently, Kelli holds two part-time positions. She stewards the Legacy Garden at Saint Mary’s College of California, where she partners with professors to offer students out-of-the-classroom experiences that bring their environmental and food justice courses to life. She also directs the after-school internship program, Plant to Plate, teaching students in the low-income areas of Richmond how to grow food organically from seed to harvest, and how to cook and serve it—while developing job skills that will prepare them to secure and maintain employment upon graduating from high school. Kelli's passion for organic gardening and urban farming is rooted in her concern for nutrition education and environmental and social justice.