Our Team
Technical Assistance Provider
koi@pasafarming.org
814.349.9856 x730
they/them
Hablo un poco de español. Todavía aprendo • Mi chat Jamaican patwa
Koi Dem supports farmers throughout the DMV region by facilitating access to comprehensive conservation planning, technical assistance, and project implementation.
Koi is a land steward and educator whose work sits at the intersection of food sovereignty, environmental justice, and cultural preservation. Drawing from a background in urban agriculture, social work, and community organizing, they help cultivate pathways for communities to reconnect with land, food, and one another. Previously as farm manager of an urban farm in Upstate New York, Koi designed and implemented a one-acre permaculture food forest that provides free food to the community, including fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, medicinal herbs, and culturally significant crops representing multiple diasporas and creating a living example of abundance and community care. Koi also led a youth workforce development initiative, mentoring inner-city youth in agriculture and job readiness while growing thousands of pounds of fresh produce annually on just half an acre of land.
Having worked directly with elders, farmers, and community-based food projects, Koi understands that thriving farms require more than successful harvests. They require healthy communities, equitable access to resources, strong relationships, and a deep respect for the land itself. Their work is guided by the belief that agriculture is not only a means of production, but also a practice of healing, resilience, and collective liberation. A proud Black, land steward of Jamaican heritage, Koi approaches farming as an ancestral calling—honoring the wisdom of those who cultivated abundance, reciprocity, and community long before modern systems disconnected people from the earth.
Koi lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with their dog Archie. In their downtime, you can find them hugging trees, dancing and laughing outdoors while looking fashionably stunning, and honing their craft as a vinyl DJ.
