Board of Directors
Phil Toutant
President
Sarah
Member
Dan Perkins
Founder and Member
Matt Treado
Member
Gary Perala
Member
Board Member Application Form →Staff
Jesse Semph
Community Gardens Manager
Jesse Semph manages the community garden plots at Partridge Creek Farm. He's been involved in various gardening projects for over 20 years, and he believes great food and good people are the essential components to living well.
May Tsupros
Director of Programs and Partnerships
May Tsupros, Director (they, them) has been working with Partridge Creek Farm since April 2020. Before PCF, May was an award winning founding highschool chemistry teacher, Dean of Students, turned Executive Director of Gardeneers, a Chicago Farm-to-School non-profit that she co-founded in 2014. She is also owner of SunTree Collaboration, designing permaculture food forests and native landscapes. In her free time, May is a beekeeper, herbalist, mountain biker, yogi, mother of Luigi-dog and Greta-dog.. May is passionate about lifting up Ishpeming and ensuring everyone has access to just, equitably produced, and culturally relevant food choices.
Aaren
Compost Manager
Aaren Joki operates the compost site for Partridge Creek Farm. He collects food waste from various restaurants and Northern Michigan University to create high quality vermicompost. Aaren has had experience in vermicomposting and organic farming since 2013, and has been with Partridge Creek Farm since the Fall of 2016. He believes recycling and living soil is essential for sustainable agriculture and good quality food.
Emily Bateman
Education Coordinator
Emily Bateman moved to the Upper Peninsula in 2018 to attend Northern Michigan University where she studied Environmental Science. During her senior year she interned at Partridge Creek Farm and that's where her passion for food education was ignited. Her internship turned into an official position and she's spent the last 2 years at PCF as the Education Coordinator.
Kate Segula
Community Engagement/Administrative Coordinator
Before joining Partridge Creek Farm in autumn of 2021 Kate worked as a journalist in Marquette County. She has a passion for creating, learning and connecting. In her free time Kate walks the wilderness of the west end, tracking wildlife and she tends to her native wildflower beds. Kate’s main focus is to live a virtuous life.
2022 Interns, AmeriCorps Vista Members, and Volunteers
Dale Honeycutt
GIS Expert and Technology Volunteer
Ray Bush
Seed saving, foraging, and Great Lakes Recovery volunteer
Matt Ricketts
Website Volunteer
Fischer Genau
I’m a student at Northern, where I study English (reading books and answering questions that don't have real answers) and Writing (though so far I mostly still write in my journal about sitting in the laundromat). I’ve worked as a photographer and videographer for the past four years, and I’m excited to apply any talent I’ve chanced upon to telling the story of Partridge Creek Farm.
Jake Lenderink
Hello my name is Jake Lenderink and I am currently going into my senior year at Northern Michigan University. I am majoring in Digital Cinema. I'm from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and currently living in Marquette. I love spending time outdoors either hiking or skiing. Some of my hobbies are playing the guitar and collecting vinyl records.
Jane Iverson
My name is Jane, I'm from Saint Paul Minnesota, and currently I'm a junior at NMU. I'm majoring in environmental science with a minor in spanish. If I'm not studying or working I'm probably outside getting injured trying to learn new activities. I'm super excited to learn and work with PCF this summer!
Lauren Weber
Hi, my name is Lauren. I grew up in North Carolina and came to Northern Michigan University to complete my education as a Medicinal Plant Chemistry and Indoor Agriculture student. I have experience with hemp farming and Korean Natural Farming techniques. While working at Partridge Creek Farm I aspire to become more involved in my community while helping the Earth in the best way I can!
Lydia Ryan
My name is Lydia Ryan. I grew up in Escanaba MI and moved to Marquette 3 years ago. I am currently pursuing a degree in Indoor Agriculture at NMU. After I graduate, I hope to stay involved with sustainable farming practices in my career whether indoor or outdoor (hopefully some of both!). I spend my spare time taking care of my pet chickens and enjoying the short summer season as much as possible!
Malena Michaelson
Hello! My name is Malena, I am a current senior at NMU studying Environmental Science and also completing a GIS certification. I am so excited to be working with the PCF team, and I hope to use my interest in GIS to assist the community in crop management and promote sustainable agriculture in the beautiful U.P!
Olivia Luplow
I'm Olivia, a student at Northern majoring in Sociology and Spanish. I'm super excited to have the opportunity to deepen my connection with our U.P. community through Partridge Creek Farm this summer! After graduation, I hope to do more work with urban farms in cities like NYC or (hopefully) in Spain. I'm always eager to expand my knowledge of food justice and security so that I can make meaningful contributions to those around me and around the world!
Ricky Reitjens
I am a senior at NMU studying medicinal plant chemistry and indoor agriculture. I have a deep love and appreciation for plants, people, culture, and community. I am a member of the Society of Ethnobiology and help aid in student outreach and social media coordination. I love spending my time outdoors, enjoying nature, and foraging for edible and medicinal plants & fungi native to Michigan's UP. When I am not caught up in the natural world, you can find me spending time with friends, dancing, drawing, and playing music. My interests outside of phytochemistry include ethnobotany, mycology, phytoremediation, agronomy, and sustainability.
Other People We Work With
