Emily grew up in a rural community where tending the family garden was a daily routine. After moving to Knoxville in 2009 at 19 years old, she quickly found herself back in the soil — one of the first things she did in her new home was ask her landlord if she could start a garden. What began as a personal passion soon became a way to build connections with others and the land.
Since then, Emily has helped start a community garden in East Knoxville, worked for six years in a culinary garden focused on sustainable and heritage farming practices, and supported homeowners in creating ecologically minded landscapes. Before joining the Knox County Community Gardens and Growers Alliance, she served as Farm Manager and Educator at Nature’s Way Montessori School, where she and her students managed a one-acre farm and hosted school farmers’ markets. Emily is currently a student in the Agriculture, Leadership, Education, and Communications program at the University of Tennessee.
As Community Gardens Manager with the Knox County Community Gardens and Growers Alliance, Emily helps manage production, distribution, volunteer coordination, and community engagement across the Alliance gardens. She brings a passion for education, sustainability, and connection to every garden she helps grow.