Staff
Charlotte Rodina, Director
A love for food and being outside led Charlotte to gardening and farming. She started out her farming journey by lending a hand on her uncle’s market farm near Pittsburgh, PA and then spent a year working on sustainable farms, learning different styles of farming, in Italy and Scotland. An AmeriCorps position led her to Knoxville where she managed the Center for Urban Agriculture and started a school garden at Pellissippi State Community College. Charlotte believes everyone deserves access to fresh, healthy foods and is grateful to demonstrate the empowerment that comes with gardening at Beardsley Farm.
Sarah Heizenroth, Education Manager
Sarah’s first experience in the garden happened as an AmeriCorps member in Austin, TX. She immediately fell in love and spent much of her free time volunteering in community gardens and establishing a garden at her service site where she supported young adults experiencing homelessness. That passion for growing and sharing food led her to work on a teaching farm, a few small scale organic production farms, and volunteer with a variety of organizations working to foster food security in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Sarah is excited to be able to promote food security and education with Knoxville’s community.
Lia Bevins, Farm Manager
Lia was very young when she first trampled through her grandmother’s garden in Southwest, VA. Here, she grew to appreciate nature while hiking through the Blue Ridge Mountains, picking buckets of raspberries every summer with her family, and starting a garden of her own. Lia has experienced the healing abilities of growing food and spending days digging in the dirt and hopes to help others enjoy these benefits as well. After two years working on a CSA farm she is excited to work at Beardsley Farm helping to promote food security within Knoxville.
Mary Woody, Special Projects Coordinator
Born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Mary moved to the Knoxville area in 2015. After serving two terms as a CAC AmeriCorps VISTA (2018-20) she was hired on as a Special Projects Coordinator, helping Beardsley with tasks ranging from grant writing to CRM management. When not enjoying time with her husband and dog in their gardens, you’ll either find Mary with her nose in a book or her head in the clouds. She has held her Private Pilot Certificate since 2004 and enjoys flying single-engine aircraft in and around East TN.
Sweet William, Director of Reception and Rodent Control
Sweet “Willie” Willam adopted Beardsley Farm in 2020, when then AmeriCorps member Connie Flachs recognized his exceptional skills and were able to persuade him to join the team. Willie is quick to welcome each volunteer, enjoys showing off the farm with guided tours, serves as delightful entertainment when he scales the greenhouse or demands fresh water from the fountain, and is a beloved addition to our team. Look for his likeness on our Beardsley Farm t-shirts with custom artwork by Beardsley AmeriCorps alum Emma Vieser.
