Faculty

David Silver is a professor of environmental studies and affiliate faculty of urban agriculture. He teaches classes on urban agriculture, hyper-local food systems, and food, culture, and storytelling. David recently published The Farm at Black Mountain College (Atelier Editions and Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, 2024), the product of a decade's worth of original research. He serves as the faculty advisor of the USF Food Pantry and is one of the original founders, with Carol Spector...

Rachel has over 20 years of teaching and research experience in the fields of environmental education, place-based learning, food systems education, and environmental justice. Rachel has worked with students from varying grade levels and backgrounds, from middle school students to college students. Rachel is both an adjunct professor at USF in environmental studies and is in the process of receiving her Doctorate of Education at USF as well. Her dissertation research looks at food insecurity on...

Novella Carpenter is the author of Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer and The Essential Urban Farmer. She attended UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism, where she studied with Michael Pollan. She lives in Oakland where she runs GhostTown Farm, a 1/10 of an acre homestead with an orchard, honey bees, chickens, and lots of vegetables.

Story Gartland (they/them) is an educator, ecologist, and storyteller dedicated to fostering inclusive, experiential learning that connects students with themselves, their community, and the natural world. Their approach combines environmental stewardship with hands-on education, empowering students through curiosity-driven exploration.

Currently, Story can be found working in the USF Garden as the Garden Manager as well as teaching ENVS 285 - Nature Immersion.