“When people think about FarmerJawn, I want them to think about being farmed back to health.”
James Beard Foundation Emerging Leadership Honoree
The mission of the James Beard Awards® is to recognize exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive. In 2024, Christa Barfield, Founder and CEO of FarmerJawn, was honored with the JBF Emerging Leadership Award.
Barfield was struck by the integration of agriculture into the community’s lifestyle. “This is just how they lived: We come get our food, and we know who grew it. I was blown away by that and wanted to learn more about those practices. What does that look like in Philadelphia?”
Generation Change Fellow
Generation Change Philly is a partnership with Keepers of the Commons, a nonprofit whose mission is to identify and connect “often overlooked community leaders” to well-established policy and ideas events, in hopes of cultivating local talent and growing their impact.


