After an extensive search, local food advocate Faith Reeves has been hired by the City of Fairfield as the new Sustainability Coordinator. She will lead the charge in managing the Resilient Fairfield Initiative, a community-led effort to ensure a thriving and healthy future for Fairfield.
Faith has volunteered for a myriad of community efforts over the years. With her hands constantly in the dirt, she has served as a soil expert, farmer, and educator on sustainable practices. For 11 years, Faith managed the Sky Factory Farm, a 3.5-acre perennial food forest that provides fruits and vegetables to its 40 employees. Most recently, Faith was the Fairfield Garden Initiative’s program coordinator and home garden educator. She also sits on the board of the Sustainable Living Coalition, a local nonprofit.
The Resilient Fairfield team was formed in 2022, when the City of Fairfield, Maharishi International University, and the SE Iowa Sierra Club joined forces. Working together, the team secured funding to support a Sustainability Coordinator.
Faith will take on an important leadership role in a process that’s already underway. Earlier in 2023, the Resilient Action Committee (RAC) was formed, with over 35 community members working together to develop recommendations in six areas: Energy and Buildings, Foodways, Enterprise Solutions and Community Connectivity, Land Use, Waste Management, and Ecosystems. Faith will be supported by two Green Iowa America members, Alison Stimson and June Breffle, who have been contracted by the City of Fairfield and the University of Northern Iowa to join the team in developing a new Resilience Action Plan.
To learn more about the Resilient Fairfield Initiative, please email Faith at resilientff@gmail.com.