Our Staff

Mary Jane (MJ; she/they) connects organizations and individuals to our demonstration farms and other Savanna Institute programs across Illinois. She plans in-person events to create communal experiences and learning on agroforested land. Reach out to MJ if you are interested in a technical training day or would like an agroforester to speak at a local school. They are also in the process of curating and expanding an extensive agroforestry resource library. Born and raised in the western suburbs of Chicago, MJ is a first-generation farmer that is continually reconnecting with the plants that give them life. MJ is familiar with the difficult unlearning needed to re-establish our collective relationship with the land. Joining the Savanna Institute with a vision of decolonization and climate justice, MJ believes agroforestry is an indigenous idea that should return to the Midwest for the health of our ecosystems and, thus, ourselves. Talk to MJ about your Big Ideas, skateboarding, memes, and getting your friends to eat black currants.