Trainers & Trainees

Aleya Fraser

Aleya is the principal consultant at ACRES Consulting Services. The mission of ACRES Consulting is to contribute to the future of regenerative food systems by connecting resources, developing programming, and providing food sovereignty expertise to organizations and individuals. She has over 5 years of organic farming experience and exposure to many strong networks of farmers and organizers in the region and internationally. Aleya began organizing farmers and food activists of color in the region in 2013 by inviting people to the black-owned 5 Seeds Farm in Sparks, MD on weekends. Eventually that evolved into 3-day agroecology trainings on the farm she co-founded on the eastern shore of Maryland. Aleya has worked regionally as the Delmarva Program Manager for Future Harvest CASA and has traveled the region to speak at conferences and facilitate workshops throughout the Chesapeake Foodshed.

Lead trainer in greenhouse holding farm tools

Kimberly Raikes

Kimberly is a Chesapeake Harvest Produce Safety Educator and the Farm Manager at Whitelock Community Farm in Baltimore, MD. Her farming passion began with a family farm in Fort Mitchell, Virginia. From there, she went on to be the first intern for the oldest Black owned farm in Baltimore City, The Greener Garden Urban Farm. She later became the Black Church Food Security Network Garden Coordinator. She has completed the Weed Warrior and Tree Keeper courses at Baltimore Recreation and Parks as well as the Future Harvest Beginner Farmer Phase I Training and the Master Gardener training from the University of Maryland Extension. In 2017, she made many achievements for the Down South Afro-ecology Encounter in Durham, North Carolina. Kimberly is a Member of the Farm Alliance of Baltimore and a Board Member for both Acres4Change and for Future Harvest CASA.

Lindsay Gilmour

Lindsay is the owner of Organic Planet LLC. She plays two roles professionally, as a personal chef specializing in sustainable and healing food, and as a produce safety consultant. Lindsay works as an educator regionally and nationally to provide technical assistance and resources to family farmers and food hubs, helping them overcome their confusion and trepidation and develop produce safety programs that make sense for them, and assisting them in meeting the requirements of diverse wholesale customers. Lindsay is trained in Produce GAPs Harmonized Food Safety Standards, is a qualified internal auditor for USDA GroupGAP, and an internal auditor for ISO 9001 quality management systems for agricultural enterprises. She is a lead trainer for the PSA Grower Training and is a “qualified individual” under the FDA Preventative Controls regulation.

Nykisha Madison-Keita

Nykisha Madison-Keita is an International Agricultural Business Consultant, who specializes in food safety training for African farmers in and out of the diaspora. She is an activist for land and has years of experience in business administration, community engagement, urban farm and community markets management. She has been a food safety trainer since 2018 and has since supported BIPOC on food safety practices that honors and align with practices that uplifts cultural and ancestral wisdom. Additionally, Nykisha actively travels abroad, specifically Ghana Africa where she sees a real need for food safety and is consistently contemplating innovative strategies to aid African farmers including those in the diaspora to grow and handle food safely.

Produce safety educator trainee holding flower

Crystal Forman

Crystal L. Forman, MPH, MHA is the owner and educator of Holistic Wellness and Health were they make healthy living easy, nutritious, delicious and fun with a focus on plant-based foods and meditation to help you live a healthier, compassionate and more vibrant life. Holistic Wellness and Health offers farm and garden consultations including farm risk assessments and food safety plans. They also offer healthy plant-based cooking classes, wellness workshops, and health coaching. Crystal also works to improve food justice and sustainable food access. In addition to her public health and health administration degrees, Crystal is a certified Permaculture designer, a certified Baltimore City Master Gardener and a farm Food Safety Educator. She is currently taking the Resilient Land Management advanced Permaculture course and she has a certification in Holistic Foundation Management for farms and ranches from the Holistic Management Institute. Crystal is also on the Board of Advisors for the Baltimore City Master Gardeners as the Community Liaison.

Produce safety educator trainee holding flowers

Dana Barnes

Dana Barners is an apiarists (beekeeper) and Assistant Food Safety Trainee to Kimberly Raikes. As is an apiarists, she cares for honeybees for agricultural and commercial purposes such as crop pollination and honey production. She constructs and cleans hives. She also inducts wild swarms, split colonies, collect honey, and ensure the overall health of the hive. She is a Food Safety Trainer/ Risk Assessment Assistant and she assists Kimberly Raikes with all of the food safety protocol and risk assessments. Dana is in Level 3 of the Future Harvest Beginner Farmer Training program.