About Laura
Born and raised in Central Illinois, agriculture is integral to Laura’s identity and family history. Laura spent her childhood playing in cornfields and tending to her family’s garden, before apprenticing at organic farms after college.
After her apprenticeships, Laura landed at the Chicago Botanic Garden, where she co-developed the Windy City Harvest program and provided on-farm training to hundreds of youth and adults. Laura moved on to lead Advocates for Urban Agriculture as their Executive Director, organizing the largest coalition of urban growers in the Chicago region and guiding regional and state-level policy.
In January 2020, Laura joined Elawa Farm Foundation as Executive Director. She is honored to lead Elawa in its next chapter and reconnect folks to the food system through engaging programming. Laura is also a founding board member of the Illinois Farmers Market Association and Northern Illinois Young Farmers chapter.
Favorite produce from the garden: Garlic
Favorite flower found at Elawa Farm: Lilac