The Lady Locavores Awards celebrate women transforming Atlanta communities through food - farmers, chefs, educators, beverage makers, advocates, gardeners. They are agents of change shaping the future of our city.
2024 Lady Locavores Awardees
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Julia Asherman
FARMER
Julia is a badass, period. She is one of the first young farmers of her generation to purchase her own farm, starting Rag & Frass in 2013 and buying it a few years later. In an effort to serve her community in rural Georgia, Julia co-founded the Middle Georgia Growers Coop (MGGC), which has been operating continuously since 2016. Through MGGC she helps aggregate and facilitate sales for 10 other farmers who do not have the ability to attend a weekly market in the bigger metro areas. In 2023 she (along with other farmers in central Georgia) collectively started Poplar St. Farmers Market in Macon, currently the only producer-only farmers market in Middle GA. With 15 years worth of experience in the field, Julia has shown leadership and dedication to her craft. She goes above and beyond in her advocacy for agriculture, visiting Washington D.C. to lobby legislators for the Farm Bill, and testifying for the House Agriculture Committee. Julia is currently serving her second term on the Administrative Council for Southern SARE. She is a leader, a champion, an innovator, and a new mother.
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Ryanne Rothenberg
CHEF
Ryanne (Chef Ry) is a Private Chef, Ayurvedic Wellness Coach, and owner of Ry’s Table, a local pop-up preparing delicious meals featuring global flavors from locally grown seasonal ingredients. After a 15-year career in the Public Health sector, working in maternal and neonatal health, providing outreach education, and building food security programs, she settled in Atlanta with her family and began cooking as a postpartum Ayurveda doula. Her business, Ry's Table, offers events, cooking classes, consultations, and seasonal products. She began a Farmstead at her home in 2020 where many of the ingredients she works with are grown, and is now building an outdoor kitchen in her garden to open for private events in 2024. Chef Ry’s unique background in Ayurveda and Public Health drives the business's core values that food is medicine and nourishing, seasonal, locally grown food should be accessible to all. Guided by seasonal availability, Ry's Table empowers customers to make informed food choices for a stronger local food system by connecting them with growers and the food they eat. Ry is a multi-year Farmer Champion with Georgia Organics and a supporter of many local food justice organizations with a goal of impacting food equity in her own community.
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Sarah Pierre
BEVERAGE
Sarah Pierre is the Owner of 3 Parks Wine Shop in Atlanta, established in 2013. Sarah grew up being passionate about food and the culinary world surrounding it. Prior to opening 3 Parks Wine, Sarah spent most of her career working and managing notable restaurants in Atlanta and New York City, including Twist Restaurant & Lounge, Houston’s Restaurant, Maialino, & Bacchanalia. Her passion for hospitality and her love for food and wine led to the success of 3 Parks Wine Shop. Sarah focuses on small, organic, biodynamic, and natural wine producers. She opened the store with hopes of creating a comfortable, welcoming, and quaint space to purchase wine. Her background in restaurant management and hospitality resulted in a wine shop where people spent time, hang out, listen to music, kick back and enjoy wine.
3 Parks Wine has received national accolades and has been featured in print and broadcast media, including CNN, Thrillist, Eater Atlanta, Garden & Gun, US Weekly, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Vinepair, Kitchn, USA Today, and many much more. She is also the wine columnist for Atlanta Intown Paper.
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Alice Rolls
ADVOCATE
Alice Rolls has devoted her entire professional career to the environment, working for 36 years in the nonprofit arena and lending her expertise to the development of three organizations. Alice is currently closing out a twenty-year tenure as President & CEO of Georgia Organics, a nonprofit investing in organic farmers for the health of the land and our communities. Prior to this position, Alice was Executive Director of Earth Share of Georgia and worked for six years at The Nature Conservancy’s Georgia Chapter. Over the past five years, Alice has been recognized as an influential leader in Georgia Trend and Atlanta Magazines’ Top 500 for propelling positive change.
Alice has been deeply shaped by her experiences at Georgia Organics, cementing an enduring respect for local and organic farmers who steward public and environmental health. No matter where she goes, she will continue to champion them. She is an active volunteer with the Morningside Farmers Market and is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier. When not working, Alice can be found tending her edible garden, transporting herself by bike around town, birding in Piedmont Park, or foraging for mushrooms in undisclosed locations.
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Jasann Lovey Gilliam
EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK
Lovey Gilliam is the founder of Hunger Has No Color (formerly Glliam’s Garden) in Southwest Atlanta and Leafy Greens Market in East Point. Since 2014, she’s been on a mission to nourish her community with fresh, healthy, locally-grown food that is accessible and affordable for all.
Her three-acre urban garden serves as a learning space for youth, seniors, and volunteers interested in acquiring farming experience. The food grown is available at Leafy Green Market and delivered directly to families in the area through a mobile farmers market that seeks to reach those who cannot otherwise access fresh and heathy food.
The inspiration for Leafy Greens came during the pandemic to create another option for her customers to get fresh food. Leafy Greens quickly became a one-stop shop for fresh produce, made-to-order meals, and local snacks. All the items sold at the store are thoughtfully sourced from within the community, creating a point of convergence for local cooks, bakers, and producers. The store is also home to Georgia’s first-ever hydroponic lettuce grown in store and cut fresh to order!
2024 Honorees
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Alison Burnett
ADVOCATE
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Ash Dawson
ADVOCATE
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Ashley Rodgers
FARMER
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Beth McKibben
EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK
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Chef Beee
CHEF
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Hope Webb
ADVOCATE
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Ilana Richards
FARMER
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Ina Musgrove
CHEF
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Jeni Jarrard-Donck
FARMER
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Maggie Huys
EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK
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Marci Scharko
EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK
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Nichole Lupo
ADVOCATE
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Rori Robinson
BEVERAGE MAKER
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Rosario Hernandez
EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK
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Sarah Jackson
ADVOCATE
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Taria Camerino
CHEF
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Wendy Golding
ADVOCATE
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Yohana Solomon
CHEF
Previous Awardees
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Monica Ponce
2023 FARMER
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Stella Dillard
2023 CHEF
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Poorvi Chordia
2023 BEVERAGE
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Sagdrina Jalal
2023 ADVOCATE
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Asata Reid
2023 EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK
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Jamila Norman
2022 FARMER
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Betsy Gonzalez
2022 CHEF
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Brandy Shelton
2022 BEVERAGE
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Shaista Amani
2022 ADVOCATE
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Andrea Blanton
2022 EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK
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Isia Cooper
2020 FARMER
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Cathy Conway
2020 CHEF
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JoVonna Johnson-Cooke
2020 CHEF
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Keyatta Mincey-Parker
2020 BARTENDER
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Kim Karris
2020 ADVOCATE
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Lauren Cox
2020 EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK
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Charlotte Swancy
2019 FARMER
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Maricela Vega
2019 CHEF
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Sarah Dodge
2019 CHEF
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Abiodun Henderson
2019 ADVOCATE
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Almeta Tulloss
2019 EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK
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Filomena Andrade
2018 FARMER
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Mary Rigdon
2018 FARMER
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Jennifer Hill Booker
2018 CHEF
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Angie Mosier
2018 EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK
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Robin Chanin
2018 ADVOCATE
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Rebecca Williams
2017 FARMER
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Sara O'Brien
2017 CHEF
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Kellie Thorn
2017 BARTENDER
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Tamie Cook
2017 ADVOCATE
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Linda Scharko
2016 FARMER
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Virginia Wilis
2016 CHEF
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Judith Winfrey
2016 ADVOCATE
Honorees
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Alison Burnett
Asata Reid
Chyeena W. Kellogg
Haylene Green
Judy Cunningham
Jeannete Katz
Julia Asherman
Julia Leroy
Kashi Sehgal
Lauren Ladov
Lindy Kloepfer
Marci Scharko
Mia Orino
Melissa Nisbet
Melody Shemtov
Micole "Kwanni" Hasan
Monica Ponce
Nichole Fields-Kyle
Petals Adams
Poorvi Chordia
Rachael Pack
Roberta Salmon
Sadiyyah Iddeen
Stella Dillard
Sagdrina Jalal
Stephanie Simmons
Wendy Golding
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Aisha Robinson
Alisa Barry
Andrea Blanton
Andrea Jaron
Ashley Rogers
Betsy Gonzalez
Brandi Shelton
Brandy Hall
Carol Hunter
Chef Ashanti Toi
Danielle Jackson
Erica “Umi” Clahar
Erika Moore and Raquel Ravenell
Jamila Norman
Jasmine Crowe
Jeannette Flores-Katz
Judie Levy
Julia Asherman
Julia Kessler Imerman
Julia Skinner
Karen Minvielle
Latisha Springer
Leah Lonsbury
Leela Basnet
Marci Scharko
Mayra Peralta
Monica Ponce
Myrna Perez
Nichole Fields-Kyle
Pamela Askerneese
Rori Robinson
Rosa McWaters
Rukia Rogers
Sagdrina Jalal
Sara Kazmer
Shaista Amani
Sonya Jones
Stephani Simmons
Stephanie Van Parys
Tamara Harris
Wendy Golding
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Sagdrina Jalal
Yarrow Koning
Alice Rolls
Colleen Morich
Erin Croom
Quianah Upton
Kathryn DiMenichi
Paula Seville
Leah Lonsbury
Mercedez Melendez
Natasha Brewley “Chef Beee”
Haylene Green
Leslie Hudson-Gordon
Kitti Murray
Katherine Kennedy
Jeannette Katz
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Kim Karris
Bethany Thompson & Tal Baum
Yohana Solomon
JoVonna Johnson Cooke
Megan McCarthy
Ashley Rodgers
Isia John Cooper
Julia Asherman
Mary Yetter
Lauren Cox
Elaine Read
Haylene Green
Mercedes O'Brien
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Dale Ralston
Abiodun Henderson
Suzi Sheffield
Kathryn Kennedy
Almeta Tullos
Maricela Vega
Carolynn Ladd
Sara Berney
Quianah Upton