OUR STAFF
JAMES GRAY
Marketplace Manager
James Gray has taken the to the helm as Central Oregon Locavore’s new Marketplace Manager. He joins us with a decade of experience in Natural Foods and a passion for supporting good people and eating good produce. He loves to share recipe ideas and get creative with every day meals. This guy is also a total geek for Central Oregon plant ecology. If you bring up an type of wildflower in the area he will talk your ear off about it! Come into the market this month and meet James and the rest of our knowledgeable Locavore staff!
Ian
Assistant Marketplace Manager
Ian is a Virginia native and recent immigrant to Bend. During his teen years he developed a deep love for food, as well as a strong desire to travel the world. Over the last decade, he has lived and worked on 3 continents, visited around 35 countries, and prepared (professionally) and eaten (recreationally) VAST amounts of delicious food…. Ian’s connection to food and the mind-blowing beauty of the Earth it grows from, led him to the world of sustainable agriculture and regenerative ecological design, particularly in the form of Permaculture. He joins the amazing Locavore team with a great deal of enthusiasm for local food systems (and maybe a recipe or two up his sleeve) so come on by and introduce yourself, he can’t wait to meet you!
KATIE FUNK
Cashier
Originally from the countryside of Central Illinois, Katie grew up eating from the one acre organic garden where her mother raised the family’s vegetables. After attending college in Ohio, including a semester abroad in the UK, she moved to Bend to join her mother who was already living here and teaching at the college. Katie has now been in Bend for 14 years and enjoys gardening, cycling, good conversation, and sharing time with the love of her life.
DYLAN STEVENS
Cashier
Dylan comes to Locavore with a true passion for sustainable food systems. He’s an active proponent of permaculture, and believes in urban gardening as a way to restore the land and build community. Dylan has traveled and worked on farms around the world. Here in Central Oregon, he gardens, grows fungi, and forages. If you spot a fruit tree growing in Bend, it might be one of the many that Dylan has planted!
NATALIA KATZ
Cashier
Natalia is so excited to be a new member of the Locavore team! She has always had a passion for health and grew an interest for sustainable and local food. As a result, she moved to Montana for a summer and lived on a farm to learn about how our food is made and how to sustain yourself from the land. She leads a vegan lifestyle and makes a conscious effort every day to be as in touch with nature as possible. Aside from being a locavarian, she is a singer, dancer, songwriter, and actress. She believes natural living and art feed one another and tries to live a life as full of creativity and nature as possible.
MARIE MANISCALCO
Assistant Director
Marie is thrilled to join to Locavore team. You can find Marie behind the scenes orchestrating events, updating the website, and promoting Locavore in the community. She is proud to bring her project management skills to her true passion – local, community-based food! Marie loves cooking, dancing, and playing outside. She’s always on the hunt for locally grown produce and new recipes.