TALLAHASSEE, Fla - The Red Hills Small Farm Alliance (RHSFA) Board of Directors has selected the organization’s first full-time executive director.
Tyler Turkle has joined the not-for-profit organization, made up of 120 small farmers, ranchers and artisan food producers located within a 100-mile radius of Tallahassee, Florida.
Turkle has vast experience working for nonprofits. He served as executive director of the Foundation for Leon County Schools for eight years, then Habitat for Humanity another eight years. Turkle was the executive director for Habitat of the Big Bend in Florida, then Sonoma County, CA and later served as manager for Habitat US and Canada in Americus, GA.
Turkle’s earlier career was focused on art, photography, and filmmaking at Florida State University, where he served as a Visiting Lecturer, Assistant Professor and Artist-in-Residence. His films have appeared in national and international film festivals, and his paintings and sculptures have been widely exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the U.S. and Europe.
Turkle returned to education in recent years as a faculty member at Ft. Braden Middle School in Tallahassee. He said he is looking forward to using his community connections on behalf of the farmers and producers in North Florida and Southwest Georgia.
“The idea of working with a smaller, younger organization is very appealing to me,” Turkle said. He added that his first order of business is to work with the Board of Directors to come up with a broader vision and increase the organization’s capacity to get to the next level.
RHSFA Board President Christina Lynch, stated, “We are incredibly excited to be welcoming a talented, experienced leader to guide RHSFA to further support local farmers and producers, continue sustainable growth and positive regional impact for our community.”
The 13-year-old Red Hills Small Farm Alliance’s mission is to support the economic stability of local farms, offer farmer training/education, and help expand local food access. The organization is most widely known for its Red Hills Online Market, which connects producers with local citizens and coordinates the delivery of fresh produce, locally produced food items, meats and more.