Meet Our Team
Sara L. Stewart, RN, MSN
Executive Director, Board President
In 2008, Sara saw the need for fresh, barrier-free food in our community and decided to grow a garden. This spout of an idea has grown and spread throughout our region providing opportunities, resources, and life-long relationships. Her passion for connecting people to healthy food and each other keeps her striving to make this "outrageous" idea the standard everywhere. Contact Sara [email protected]
Executive Director, Board President
In 2008, Sara saw the need for fresh, barrier-free food in our community and decided to grow a garden. This spout of an idea has grown and spread throughout our region providing opportunities, resources, and life-long relationships. Her passion for connecting people to healthy food and each other keeps her striving to make this "outrageous" idea the standard everywhere. Contact Sara [email protected]
Katie Lane
Director of Operations
Katie joined Unity Gardens as an intern in 2021 and has since taken on the role of Director of Operations. She oversees all aspects of the day to day at Unity Gardens, including managing our full time staff, and overseeing our Giving Grove partnership and satellite gardens. She's always happy to talk gardening or fruit trees or rock climbing. Contact Katie [email protected]
Director of Operations
Katie joined Unity Gardens as an intern in 2021 and has since taken on the role of Director of Operations. She oversees all aspects of the day to day at Unity Gardens, including managing our full time staff, and overseeing our Giving Grove partnership and satellite gardens. She's always happy to talk gardening or fruit trees or rock climbing. Contact Katie [email protected]
Danny Davis
Special Projects Manager
Danny joined us in August of 2023 as a jack of all trades. He now keeps the building and garden in shape as well as takes on all sorts of building and infrastructure projects to improve the gardens, including the Geodome, our pack house, and many many raised bed and irrigation projects. Contact Danny [email protected].
Special Projects Manager
Danny joined us in August of 2023 as a jack of all trades. He now keeps the building and garden in shape as well as takes on all sorts of building and infrastructure projects to improve the gardens, including the Geodome, our pack house, and many many raised bed and irrigation projects. Contact Danny [email protected].
Molly Carlisle
HR Manager
Molly has been with Unity Gardens since July 2022 and helps to promote a cohesive, supportive, and efficient working environment. She aids in the hiring of new interns and full time staff and checks in with our staff and interns regularly to keep the team together. Molly loves growing food almost as much as she loves growing community. Contact Molly [email protected]
HR Manager
Molly has been with Unity Gardens since July 2022 and helps to promote a cohesive, supportive, and efficient working environment. She aids in the hiring of new interns and full time staff and checks in with our staff and interns regularly to keep the team together. Molly loves growing food almost as much as she loves growing community. Contact Molly [email protected]
Selina Alcantar
Youth Programming and Events Coordinator
Selina is a South Bend local and recent graduate from Saint Mary's College with a degree in biology, with a concentration in environment, ecology, and evolution, and a minor in environmental studies. Selina's goal is to spread joy and the Unity Garden mission to all that want to listen. She plans the events and any and all youth programming at Unity Gardens. Contact Selina [email protected]
Youth Programming and Events Coordinator
Selina is a South Bend local and recent graduate from Saint Mary's College with a degree in biology, with a concentration in environment, ecology, and evolution, and a minor in environmental studies. Selina's goal is to spread joy and the Unity Garden mission to all that want to listen. She plans the events and any and all youth programming at Unity Gardens. Contact Selina [email protected]
Eve Morningstar
Horticultural Lead
Eve is a South Bend native and a woman of the woods. She is a bare footer, forager, and lifelong student of nature. She is a budding herbalist and is interested in pursuing clinical and community herbalism. Eve is very passionate about holistic health and teaching others how to re-establish their connection with nature and re-wild themselves within a society that strives to hinder us from living in harmony with the natural rhythms of the earth. Through Unity Gardens, she hopes to foster a deep connection between people and plants within her community. Eve takes care of our main garden and market garden.
Horticultural Lead
Eve is a South Bend native and a woman of the woods. She is a bare footer, forager, and lifelong student of nature. She is a budding herbalist and is interested in pursuing clinical and community herbalism. Eve is very passionate about holistic health and teaching others how to re-establish their connection with nature and re-wild themselves within a society that strives to hinder us from living in harmony with the natural rhythms of the earth. Through Unity Gardens, she hopes to foster a deep connection between people and plants within her community. Eve takes care of our main garden and market garden.
Randy Miller
Volunteer and Intern Coordinator
Randy enjoys meeting new people, learning new things and loves to workout! His goal in life is to be a positive influence in the lives of others. Randy manages our intern team and volunteers. Contact Randy: [email protected]
Volunteer and Intern Coordinator
Randy enjoys meeting new people, learning new things and loves to workout! His goal in life is to be a positive influence in the lives of others. Randy manages our intern team and volunteers. Contact Randy: [email protected]
Katy Whittaker
Sales and Satellite Gardens
Katy recently graduated from Indiana University in South Bend. She's a social work major with a criminal justice minor. Katy loves learning about agriculture. She grew up doing 4-H and working with animals and is excited to learn about how the social work and agriculture worlds can combine to teach people how to provide food and animal products for themselves and their loved ones! She now backs up the satellite gardens and manages our sales locations. Contact Katy: [email protected]
Sales and Satellite Gardens
Katy recently graduated from Indiana University in South Bend. She's a social work major with a criminal justice minor. Katy loves learning about agriculture. She grew up doing 4-H and working with animals and is excited to learn about how the social work and agriculture worlds can combine to teach people how to provide food and animal products for themselves and their loved ones! She now backs up the satellite gardens and manages our sales locations. Contact Katy: [email protected]
Ian Quinn
Community Engagement
Ian graduated from IU Bloomington in 2024 with a major in International Studies and a minor in Psych. He recently moved to South Bend! He enjoys gardening, kickboxing, computers, coffee, and learning different languages! He loves to write, and you can usually find him buried in a book or running along South Bend's trails. At Unity Gardens, Ian writes grants, conducts outreach, and helps with Youth Programming. Contact Ian: [email protected]
Community Engagement
Ian graduated from IU Bloomington in 2024 with a major in International Studies and a minor in Psych. He recently moved to South Bend! He enjoys gardening, kickboxing, computers, coffee, and learning different languages! He loves to write, and you can usually find him buried in a book or running along South Bend's trails. At Unity Gardens, Ian writes grants, conducts outreach, and helps with Youth Programming. Contact Ian: [email protected]
Erskin Jenkins
Full Time Support Staff
Erskin Jenkins is a Re-Entry Center Intern who joined our team full time in December 2025. He is a South Bend native who loves spending time with family and watching sports and reading non fiction biographies. His favorite thing about Unity Gardens is reconnecting with the community. He will helping support our full time.
Full Time Support Staff
Erskin Jenkins is a Re-Entry Center Intern who joined our team full time in December 2025. He is a South Bend native who loves spending time with family and watching sports and reading non fiction biographies. His favorite thing about Unity Gardens is reconnecting with the community. He will helping support our full time.
Victoria Kintzele
Part Time Support Staff
Victoria is earning her bachelor's degree in biology at IUSB and joined Unity as an intern in 2025. She has a profound fascination for entomology and botany, but you can find her all over the garden. She loves to embrace her creative side with our handcrafted products, while also getting her hands dirty during the growing season! She will be supporting our staff part-time during the winter season.
Part Time Support Staff
Victoria is earning her bachelor's degree in biology at IUSB and joined Unity as an intern in 2025. She has a profound fascination for entomology and botany, but you can find her all over the garden. She loves to embrace her creative side with our handcrafted products, while also getting her hands dirty during the growing season! She will be supporting our staff part-time during the winter season.
Jonathan Gonzalez
Garden Guide
Jonathan has been part of the Unity Gardens team since 2010! You'll often see Jonathan out in the garden, helping visitors harvest, taking people to meet the goats, and being a listening ear.
Garden Guide
Jonathan has been part of the Unity Gardens team since 2010! You'll often see Jonathan out in the garden, helping visitors harvest, taking people to meet the goats, and being a listening ear.
Chad Bartalone
Beekeeper
Chad Bartalone is a recent graduate of IUSB School of Social Work pursuing a graduate degree in clinical therapy. Prior to joining the team at Unity Gardens, Chad worked for the past twenty years as a firefighter and paramedic in the Southwest Michigan area and later for the South Bend Fire Department. He lives on the west side of South Bend with his wife Raquel and two children. Chad is serving as our new beekeeper.
Beekeeper
Chad Bartalone is a recent graduate of IUSB School of Social Work pursuing a graduate degree in clinical therapy. Prior to joining the team at Unity Gardens, Chad worked for the past twenty years as a firefighter and paramedic in the Southwest Michigan area and later for the South Bend Fire Department. He lives on the west side of South Bend with his wife Raquel and two children. Chad is serving as our new beekeeper.
Tobias Neil
Market Support
Market Support
Taylor Waldron
Market Support
Taylor is a South Bend native who joined Unity Gardens as an intern in 2017. Since then, she has worked part-time on Saturdays at our farmers' market booth. During the week, Taylor works for a local print and embroidery company in Mishawaka.
Market Support
Taylor is a South Bend native who joined Unity Gardens as an intern in 2017. Since then, she has worked part-time on Saturdays at our farmers' market booth. During the week, Taylor works for a local print and embroidery company in Mishawaka.