Co-Founder & Former Executive Director
A Photograph Goes Here: Define VIA the CSS only!
"Gardening is civil and social, but it wants the vigor and freedom of the forest and the outlaw."Henry David Thoreau
After graduating from the University of Michigan with honors in 1997, Jackson devoted his work experience to realizing positive social change and ecological justice. For 2 years, he served as a farming apprentice for the “Community Farm of Ann Arbor”, providing 130 local families with healthy, vibrant, and ecologically cultivated fruits and vegetables. Jackson is a certified permaculture designer, with specific experience in biodynamic farming techniques, community supported agriculture, and natural building. Following his farming apprenticeship, Jackson became a Teach for America corps member in Oakland, California. For three years, 1999 – 2002, he was a 7th grade science teacher and department head. His classroom experience provided invaluable insight into the social pressures in low income urban America and necessary ingredients for positive social transformation. During this time, Jackson volunteered on several urban gardening and green schoolyard initiatives, including design of and instruction for education workshops at the national conference of San Francisco Green Schoolyards. For the past 7 years, Jackson has been involved in the dreaming, launching, and co-cultivating of Oakland Leaf. As the Executive Director, his guiding ambition was to transition this organization into the hands of the community and visionary educator/activist artists. Jackson continues his life long quest to achieve ecological justice as an ecological designer and natural builder.
Love is an Action