Roots Rising
Jessica Vecchia is an accomplished professional in the non-profit sector, serving as the Executive Director and Founder of Roots Rising since July 2017. Prior to this role, Jessica held the position of Director at Alchemy Initiative from 2009 to 2019. Jessica's educational background includes a Master's degree in Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management from The New School and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
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Roots Rising
Roots Rising is an award-winning organization whose mission is to empower youth and build community through food and farming. Our vision is to lift up teens as community changemakers and strengthen the local food system through the transformational power of meaningful work. Roots Rising has three main initiatives: our Pittsfield Farmers Market, our Youth Crews, and our upcoming Youth Farm. Our Pittsfield Farmers Market is the first teen-run market in the region and was the first year-round market in Berkshire County. It was founded with the belief that everyone should have access to fresh, healthy food. In our Youth Crews, we hire Pittsfield teens to work on farms, in food pantries and at our own market. It’s more than just a job. It’s an opportunity for teens to engage in meaningful work—work that needs to be done and serves a larger social good. We believe meaningful work leaves youth feeling purposeful, capable and connected. Roots Rising’s third major initiative will be a Youth Farm in Pittsfield. This farm will be an intersection of our food justice and youth development work.