Team
Naima Dhore, Farmer Advisor
Naima is a first-generation farmer, activist and educator committed to caring for mother earth and community building. She founded the Somali American Farmers Association and owns and operates Naima’s Farm LLC in Dalbo, Minnesota. Naima is passionate about organic farming and inspiring young people to become farmers, specifically people from immigrant communities in Minnesota. She is an inaugural member of the Emerging Farmers’ Working Group at the Minnesota Department of Health and educates on sustainable agricultural practices, healthy eating habits and the connections to environmental and community health.
Says Naima: “As a Climate Land Leader I have the opportunity to inspire and mobilize others, drive positive change and contribute to long-term environmental sustainability. My passion comes from a desire to actively participate in finding climate solutions, which is crucial for the well-being of current and future generations and the reason why I joined Climate Land Leaders. I am excited to continue making connections between climate, equity and local foods in this role.”
Christina Foster, Illinois Lead
christina@climatelandleaders.org
Christina (Chris) Foster (she/her) is a sixth-generation steward of her family’s Illinois farmland where she is transforming cropland into pasture for grazing. Her dream is to produce nutrient-dense food using regenerative practices that are good for the land, animals, people and the planet. Off-farm Chris supports the capacity of cross-sector collaboratives to achieve equitable social impacts through facilitation, training and coaching. She loves bringing people together for powerful conversations that promote learning and change. Chris serves on the Farmland Protection Commission for Kane County and lives on the farm with her husband, son and many beloved animals.
Says Chris: “It is an honor to be in community with farmland stewards who care so deeply about their land, how it is farmed, and its impact on our climate. I look forward to inviting other Illinois farmland owners to join this community of leaders who demonstrate that change is possible.”
Sarah Hunt, Program Director
Sarah (she/her) has Midwestern roots, a music background and a limitless love for making and sharing food. She spent the first part of her career at a member-owned financial services organization in roles including operations, organizational effectiveness and new business development. Sarah worked on an organic vegetable farm before joining Climate Land Leaders, where she supports programming, co-leads federal policy advocacy and connects with land stewards to share their stories.
Says Sarah: “It’s deeply energizing to work alongside such engaged and open-minded land stewards who are implementing multi-year, multi-generation changes to mitigate the effects of climate change and build resilience in their communities.”
Wendy Johnson, Federal Policy Co-Lead
wjohnson@climatelandleaders.org
Wendy co-leads Climate Land Leaders’ work on federal agricultural policy and serves as a farmer advisor and spokesperson. She is a 4th generation farmer co-managing her family’s farm, Center View Farms, growing corn, soybeans and small grains. Wendy owns and operates Jóia Food and Fiber Farm (Charles City, IA) growing organic grains, forages, sheep, cattle, pigs, poultry and wool with her husband and daughter. She created a wool fiber business, Jóia Sleep, and is developing Jóia Food Market and Hub in Charles City. Wendy is vice-president of the Perennial Promise Growers Cooperative and the 2024 Iowa Aldo Leopold Conservation award winner. She loves walking in the woods and hosting multicultural experiences on their farm.
Says Wendy: “As someone who works on the front lines, climate change is the most pressing issue for food and fiber farm workers. As a land steward, I believe it is my responsibility to help mitigate its effects by becoming more resilient. Conservation practices are the long-term solutions for climate resiliency. Climate Land Leaders provides the space to learn from others and talk about how together we create more resiliency, from the land level to the federal policy level.”
Theresa Keaveny, Minnesota State Policy Lead
tkeaveny@climatelandleaders.org
Teresa is a veteran leader of sustainability-focused nonprofit organizations, including most recently as executive director of Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota. Theresa has been a rural community organizer in the Dakotas and Montana working on conservation, water protection and family farm and ranch issues and brings extensive experience in civic and policy engagement to her state policy work with Climate Land Leaders. Theresa is a Minnesota native who grew up on a farm near Morton.
Says Theresa: “Land owners who are called to address our changing climate by restoring and stewarding the farms in their care — that’s the unique role played by the Climate Land Leaders. I’m inspired by the Climate Land Leaders as they forge a path towards regenerative agriculture and work with the people who farm their land. This nurtures the landscape, their lives and our communities.”
Alanna Koshollek, Wisconsin Lead
Alanna is a rural landowner passionate about knowing where her food comes from and dreams of a future where local, nutritious, organic food is available for all – and is being grown in ways that are part of our solution to climate change. She, along with her husband and daughter, raise grass-fed beef, vegetables, fruit, and herbs on their southwest Wisconsin farm. Alanna brings two decades of conservation non-profit experience in applied land management, landowner education and outreach, social science research and evaluation work to her role at Climate Land Leaders. She loves baking sourdough bread, reading, doing yoga, and camping.
Says Alanna: “It is truly inspiring to be part of a flourishing community of land stewards who are committed to nurturing and learning from the land and each other. I look forward to working with Wisconsin landowners who share our belief in the power of individual and collective efforts to shape a brighter future through Climate Land Leaders.”
Tiffany LaShae, Soil Consultant
Tiffany LaShae is a farmer, seed grower, food justice activist and farmer educator. She has worked on farm projects and with farmers in many places throughout the USA, Africa and Asia. Tiffany is also a soil steward and scientist, facilitating in field farmer-led soil research and accessible soil health assessments and recommendations.
Says Tiffany: “Healthy soil is not only imperative for our food security and vital living ecosystem – it is also foundational for our cultural and emotional well-being.”
Teresa Opheim, Executive Director
Teresa is a mother, partner, dog companion, former farmland owner and the founding director of Climate Land Leaders. She has spent her career in nonprofit organizations, including the Iowa Environmental Council, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Sharing Our Roots and the precursor to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. She is a former fellow at the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and the editor of The Future of Family Farms: Practical Farmers’ Legacy Letter Project. She has strong Iowa roots, now lives in Minneapolis and spends a lot of time on wild and wonderful Lake Superior.
Says Teresa: “It is my great privilege to work with this group of talented folks who are addressing the climate crisis with compassion and commitment. They bring a myriad of skills and experiences to the cohort and are a sweet reward for a long career.”
Taylor Sklenar, Iowa State Policy Lead
Taylor Sklenar is a Lecturer in science communication at Iowa State University, playwright, and an Artistic Producer for The EcoTheatre Lab. He grew up in Treynor, a small farming community in southwest Iowa, and now lives in Ames. His writing explores the intersection of science, sustainability, and rural life and informs his narrative-based approach to science communication and public engagement. Taylor is passionate about climate action.
Says Taylor: “I am excited to be partnering with Climate Land Leaders in Iowa, helping share stories, connect farmers and landowners to legislators, and advocate for state policies that will encourage more sustainable and resilient practices across Iowa!”
Charlie Zieke, Communications Consultant
Charlie Zieke (they/them) is a Minneapolis-based graphic designer and mulching enthusiast with a decade of communications experience and an enthusiasm for building a better world. They grew up on 40 acres of heavy clay soil in rural Houston County, Minnesota and work to incorporate aspects of land, art, and possibility in all projects. Their past work has included supporting land access for immigrant and queer farmers at Sharing Our Roots and wrangling communications and goats at Great River Montessori. In their free time, they run a small vegetable and flower CSA out of their land trust yard.
Says Charlie: “I see healthy ecosystems as some of the best teachers to learn from – humans need interdependence, collaboration, and relationships to thrive! Climate Land Leaders are working together to make substantial shifts in how we think about stewardship, ownership, and mutually beneficial relationships with land. I’m thrilled to be working alongside such an impactful and needed organization.”