![]() ![]() In addition, she has graduate certificates in Ecopsychology and in Sustainable Food Systems. She continued on to gain a Master’s degree in East Asian Medicine from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine as well as another in Nutrition from the National University of Natural Medicine. Aoife earned her culinary degree from the New England Culinary Institute a million years ago and has since gone on to earn a degree in archaeology from the University of Oregon focusing on people’s use of plants, foods, and ritual. Over the years she has been a caterer, a bookseller, a baker, an archivist, a (very) small-scale farmer, and a healer. Born and raised in New England, wild foraging in the woods and waters alongside her mom, she spent the last many years communing with the plants and wilds of the Pacific Northwest. And of course, she enjoys relaxing at one of South County’s amazing beaches.Īoife Bird loves the woods, the plants, and all things food. Away from work, Delite enjoys working in her own garden, riding her bike, hiking a trail, traveling, and any day that involves more hours outside than less. She was thrilled to find an organization like Farm Fresh RI that is the perfect merger of her personal passions and professional experience. Delite and her partner relocated to Rhode Island in 2019 to be closer to family. ![]() Most recently, Delite served as a Proposal Development Specialist with Utah State University, working directly with faculty as well as state and federal agencies to secure funding for Agriculture and Natural Resource programs. Her 10 years at the organization nurtured her interest in being connected to community food systems and increasing healthy food access. As Associate Director and later Executive Director of YGP, Delite led the organization and staff team, while having a specific focus on fundraising efforts - increasing individual donors, corporate partnerships, and grant awards during her tenure. After stops at Habitat for Humanity in Minnesota and Heifer International in California, she landed in Moab, Utah, at a food-based nonprofit called the Youth Garden Project (YGP). After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Wartburg College (Waverly, IA) she began her career in Development with United Way of Central Iowa where she gained a strong foundation in donor relations and fundraising. My admiration of their work made it easy for me to commit my time to Farm Fresh RI.”ĭelite grew up in Steamboat Rock, Iowa, on her family’s corn, soybean, and dairy farm, learning early on the importance of food origin, food security, and the hard work and dedication needed to grow a passion from seed. When I retired and left my business after 22 years, I was ready to be a volunteer in a community project. Over the years, I have watched the growth and expanding vision of Farm Fresh RI and seen their success in connecting the farming and food-consuming communities in Rhode Island - from operating lively farmers markets to offering nutrition incentives for SNAP shoppers to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, to food service training for young adults from the RI Training School who turn overstock produce from local farms into value-added products. In 2009, Farm Fresh began its Market Mobile wholesale distribution service, allowing me and other chefs to buy directly from a variety of local farmers AND have Farm Fresh deliver those goods in a single order to the restaurant. “As a former restaurateur, I welcomed the vision of Farm Fresh RI and their mission to connect the farmer to local food consumers - be they individuals, businesses, or chefs. ![]()
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