Co-founders
Carly Leusner has been enchanted by the topic of nourishment ever since her childhood days of catching crawfish in the backyard stream and making dandelion mud pies. She has studied herbalism and wild food cookery for close to a decade, both formally and as an integrated, vital part of her daily life. Carly completed a 2-year clinical herbalism training with Chris Marano at the Clearpath School of Herbal Medicine. She has also studied with Sage Mauer at the Gaia School of Healing & Earth Education and is currently apprenticing with whole foods chef Alice Cozzolino at Alice's Kitchen. Carly co-founded Acorn Kitchen in 2011 with Felix, and has been stoking the coals, keeping it alive ever since. She works part time at the Old Creamery Coop in Cummington and tends a medicine garden at Taproot Commons Farm. She always looks forward to the next moment she can dance around the stove and share the joy of eating handmade food and medicines with others.
Felix Lufkin lives in the Connecticut River valley of Western MA, and works with folks of all ages teaching nature connection and wild edible plant classes. He also works with Help Yourself, a non-profit that designs, plants and maintains community access gardens and orchards in the Valley, free for all to harvest from; and Ape and Ape, offering on-site, traditional butchering education and services.
Contributing Artists
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Nadia Herman studied visual art and natural science at Hampshire College. She works primarily with Plexiglass printing, artist books and illustration. Her pen and ink drawings often include themes of nostalgia and nature. Her aesthetic decisions are influenced by early botanical illustrations and eighteenth century woodcuts. She is especially interested in exploring relationships between plants and humans in modern society.
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Carly Skye Raber studied Studio Art at UMass Amherst. She is a photographer, illustrator, painter, and an avid plant enthusiast! Some of the themes of her whimsical, colorful designs include the animals and plants inhabiting the natural world around her. She works part time as a baker and food prep assistant for Beets & Barley, an organic, vegetarian, and gluten free catering service based out of Haydenville, MA. She is currently studying with Jade Alicandro Mace at Milk & Honey Herbs and pursuing other gardening opportunities in the valley. She is always looking for inspiration in the day to day, especially by connecting with others and getting her hands in the soil.