About

My name is Fam Lee. My nationality is lu-Mien.I was a strawberry grower for six years in Elk Grove, CA . My parents were farmers in Laos and in Thailand.

I met Margaret through farm visits and annual meetings. It is an honor to work alongside with Margaret and all of you.

I was born in Laos and moved to Thailand in 1975. I lived in a Thailand refugee camp for five years and then moved to the United States of America in 1979. I was 13 years old when I came to the U.S. and I didn't know any English and learned how to speak English from scratch. Growing up in the U.S., my family lived in an apartment with three Chinese families and one of the families had kids around my age which led me to learn Cantonese instead of learning English first.

Laengh Zingh(Thanks)

Yurytzy Sanchez is a first generation college graduate with a Bachelor's in International Relations(IR) from UC Davis. My family, like many Mexican immigrants, got started in the United States as farm workers. They settled down in the Central Valley where I grew up on a peach farm and raised goats, sheep, chickens, and cattle until I moved away for college.

I fell in love with international relations and tried my hand at the D.C. lifestyle through an internship that allowed me to live and work in Washington, D.C. While in school, I volunteered, then interned at the UC Davis Student farm as a way of reconnecting to my roots. I then applied for a farming position at The Cloverleaf Farm, where I co-owned and managed an 8 acre organic vegetable and stone fruit farm. Now I am with UCANR and looking forward to expanding the program to reach historically undeserved farmers in the area and continue to create long lasting relationships with local farmers.

Outside of work I enjoy taking long walks alongside Putah Creek and going for a swim during the warm months. When I'm not outside exploring or hanging out with friends, I enjoy spending time at home with my cat, Mr.Bones, while watching psychological thrillers and eating homemade popcorn. My long term goal is a homestead where I can provide sustenance for myself and my local community. My favorite farm animals are goats because they each come with their own unique personality.

I grew up in a small town in Northern Vermont surrounded by small dairy and diversified vegetable farms. This early exposure to agriculture helped nurture an interest in community food systems. After high school I took a gap year, during which I studied abroad in Southeast Asia studying environmental issues facing communities living within the Mekong River Basin. During this time abroad, I focused on learning about the environmental issues facing farmers who live in the region. Upon returning to college, I translated this interest into research that focused on how smallholder vanilla growers in Eastern Africa make decisions around climate change mitigation and adaptation. After college, I spent a few years working in Vermont and Colorado before moving to California to pursue a MS in International Agricultural Development from UC Davis. While at UC Davis I studied how higher levels of soil organic carbon can impact nitrous oxide emissions in agricultural soils. While in grad school, I also worked for a local winery in Davis, where I got to take part in everything from irrigation system maintenance, to blending and bottling wines, and working in the tasting room.

In my free time you can find me exploring Northern California, walking the many trails/greenbelts that are in the area, or curled up at home with my cat, Bentley.