Elijah Ghia is joining Common Roots as the Volunteer and Community Engagement VISTA member, where he will build pathways for newcomers and involved members to explore Common Roots at every level. Elijah’s love of farming began at age six, when he started raising chickens and selling eggs in his community.

As an adult, he continued learning about food systems in Vermont while working on several farms in their fields and farm stands, and he studied Community-Centered Design at the University of Vermont, focusing on community engagement and resilience planning. He helped plan events for his college department and spent a year serving the public with the Vermont Attorney General's Consumer Assistance Program.

After a year of travel post-graduation, Elijah is excited to be back in Vermont and working in the community he loves. When not outside, he can be found baking pies or out dancing Contra and West Coast Swing!

Elijah is looking forward to learning more about the art of canning, particularly for pickled beets.