SEE-LA
Summer Vernon is an experienced professional in marketing communications and farmers' market operations, currently serving as the Senior Manager, Farmers’ Market Operations for South LA and overseeing multiple Certified Farmers’ Markets at Food Access LA since April 2022. Prior to this role, Summer managed the Crenshaw Farmers’ Market as a freelancer while also working as a freelance copywriter, content writer, and content strategist. Past positions include Content and Copywriter at Funraise, Communications Manager at Abode Communities, and Assistant Account Manager at Berbay Marketing & Public Relations, among others. Summer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism - Public Relations from California State University, Northridge, and a Master Gardeners Certification in Horticultural Science from UCANR.
SEE-LA
The Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles - SEE-LA is a leading Los Angeles non-profit, connecting people to healthy food through farmers’ markets, nutrition education and food access programs. SEE-LA ensures food access by operating 6 community-based farmers’ markets in Los Angeles; providing nutrition education to low-income families and to children in underserved schools; being the first local operator of farmers’ markets to accept government benefits at its markets; and piloting and championing the Market Match program, which matches CalFresh (formerly food stamp) benefits for the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables. SEE-LA supports sustainable food systems by operating farmers’ markets that sell seasonal, and regionally farmed/ produced foods; providing opportunities for 150 regional family farms across 16 counties to sell directly to customers in Los Angeles, including the largest farmers’ market in the City of Los Angeles. SEE-LA promotes economic development by providing a marketplace and business development opportunities for its 300 farmers and food vendors, and by operating a Food Business Accelerator that provides technical assistance, entrepreneurial training, and access to capital to cohorts of a dozen local prepared food and food product business owners.