Phil Messier is a former farmer who loves sharing food. He gets how special local farms are, and he wants everyone to share their bounty. He ran a mobile farmer’s market in Roxbury, Dorchester, and East Boston for a few years. Then in 2022 he started Digger Foods after getting to know Brockton and recognizing the huge need for fresh food in that city.

Cathy is the Interim Executive Director of Just Roots, a food justice nonprofit in Western Massachusetts. Previously she was the Agriculture Program Director at The Trustees, and led childhood obesity prevention and food access programs at Northeastern University and Bowdoin Street Health. She has an MA in International Agricultural Development from UC Davis, and was a Fulbright fellow in Ecuador, studying the impact of urban agriculture in Quito.

Janice has been a Community Outreach Specialist for the Brockton Public Schools since 2016. She connects families to basic resources such as access to affordable food and housing, and helps families sign up for SNAP benefits. Politically active in her community, she is the elected Vice Chair of the City of Brockton Democratic Committee. Her passion is ensuring that no family goes without food.

Barbara was born in Puerto Rico, and has lived in Brockton since childhood. She works for the Brockton Public Schools as an advocate for immigrant families. At least once a day, Barbara receives a phone call from a new client in search of healthy food for their family who say they miss the street markets in their home countries where they could buy fresh fruits and vegetables from the nearby farms.

Elizabeth’s interest in local food security issues led her to Digger Foods in 2022, where she became an avid volunteer. Elizabeth has a BA in nutrition with a focus on community nutrition and education. Previously, she engaged in community volunteerism as an AmeriCorps VISTA service member. Elizabeth is currently a human resources consultant and owns a mobile coffee company, Lady Sunshine Coffee.