My name is Johanna Teissere, and I am the Farm Director at Uncommon Good, a nonprofit with a mission to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty through innovative programs in education, health, and urban farming. I am a first-generation Mexican-American and the first in my family to earn a graduate degree and a teaching credential. I became an L.A. County Master Gardener in 2003, and this started an interest in helping low-income families have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. While teaching for the Los Angeles Unified School District, I began taking horticulture classes at Mount San Antonio College, and that led to my present career. I volunteered with Uncommon Good as a youth mentor for 3 years before joining the team in early 2019. Before this, I was the Garden Manager at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes’ award-winning Garden & Culinary Arts Program for 7 years.

I got very sick in my early 30s and learned that food is my medicine, and I needed to eat better to prevent my illness from spiraling out of control. So, preventative methods are something that I talk to people about. Increasing the amount of greens and vegetables in your diet is so important to health.

For me, food is everything; it brings people together, it’s the lifeline.