At the Festive Farmettes helm is a renaissance woman and sea captain whose life and work have been shaped by hands-on experience across a wide range of pursuits.

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Much of her life has unfolded in motion—on land, at sea, working for others and building businesses from the ground up.

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She has worked the land directly, commercially growing organic food, seedlings, culinary herbs and cut flowers. That work gave her a practical understanding of what it takes to keep land healthy and productive over time.

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She founded and operated five bed and breakfasts, owned and operated large charter yachts and sailed the Caribbean, Hawaiian Islands, Pacific Northwest and West Coast. Each undertaking required navigating constant variables, managing risk and making decisions where long-term outcomes mattered more than short-term gain.

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She also owned and directed several art galleries. She grew up in a large art gallery, so representing local artists is second nature. Creativity remains an ongoing part of her life, influencing how spaces are imagined, experienced and shared. She dreamed up the Captain’s Charitable Treasure Trove, a unique nauti boutique to support Festive Farmettes financially. She created her Captain’s Originals to help the farming community she creates.

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Her decades as a real estate broker strengthened her ability to recognize and evaluate property. More than a decade spent designing and building custom homes taught her how to start from the ground up, work with nature and manage complex systems.

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Festive Farmettes did not begin as an abstract idea. The Captain discovered its Mission through direct experience during the pandemic, when her own San Diego farm could no longer operate in the ways she had intended.

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She pivoted to help local people who had been locked out of their incomes and physically locked down. Her farm offered a safe way to be outside in nature, while its harvest helped homeowners and renters who were having to choose between their mortgage or rent and eating quality food.

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The food reached beyond people. Tortoises, chickens, ducks, rabbits and other critters were fed too.​

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That experience exposed an often-overlooked need: reliable access to fresh, nutrient-dense organic food for working people who have fallen on hard times. Many still have homes, kitchens and the ability to prepare and store fresh produce. What they may not have is enough money left after housing, utilities and other essentials to afford it.

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The Festive Farmettes Mission grew directly from that experience: protect productive land and use it to keep nourishing food within reach for working people and others who need it.

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Together, these experiences—growing food, managing properties, navigating at sea, building businesses and designing spaces—shaped the way she conceived Festive Farmettes. She understands that if something is meant to last, it must be structured to do so from the beginning.

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As founding trustee, the Captain is building that foundation and setting the course with a long view—steady, practical and designed to continue.

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Over time, future trustees will carry the work forward, building on what has been established while remaining aligned with its purpose.

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And let's not forget Twinsie, the Captain's ginger tabby and Festive Farmettes unofficial navigator. He leads visitors toward the site's hidden corners, where his growing cast of friends may appear.​