Our staff

John Creasy, Executive Director and Lead Designer

John Creasy is the founder and Executive Director of Garfield Community Farm. For over fifteen years John has worked to create an ecologically diverse neighborhood farm on nearly three acres of land at the top of the Garfield neighborhood. John leads an excellent staff at the farm who collectively lead hundreds of students and volunteers each year. The farm serves the neighborhood as an open community green-space and as a site for ecological education. Of course we grow and distribute a lot of food too!

AJ Monsma, Director of Community Engagement

After graduating with a BSW from Grace College, AJ spent three years in Rwanda serving as a Peace Corps volunteer. It was in Rwanda that she first witnessed the power that agriculture has in building community. Confident that God was calling her to continue that work of building community, she took very intentional steps after landing back in the states. These steps ultimately led to an MA in Social & Public Policy from Duquesne University, her current position at Garfield Community Farm, buying a house a block from the farm, and becoming a member at Valley View Presbyterian Church.

Vania Arthur, Community Education Coordinator

Vania Arthur is a visual artist and a community gardener. Preferring to work with her hands she curates spaces that are multi-dimensional in nature, ones that offer a place where everyone can dream bigger and differently. Born in Brooklyn, raised in Bethlehem, PA she received her BA in Photojournalism from Point Park University in 2018 and since then has worked alongside local non-profit organizations in Pittsburgh in the realms of art and education and greenspace. She's exhibited and curated in spaces such as Brewhouse Association, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and Bunker Projects. Currently serving as a co-lead at the Kincaid St Community Garden where she manages communications, volunteers, and growing, she’s excited to continue this work at Garfield Farm as their Community Education Coordinator!

Bre Stanton, Director of Production & Distribution

Bre Stanton grew up in Garfield and did her farming apprenticeship and Permaculture Design Certification at Garfield Community Farm. She studied Sustainability and ceramic arts at Chatham, and has spent the past few years working on urban farms! Bre is interested in building community resilience through agriculture, and movements for land and food sovereignty. She loves reading, camping, and cooking. She loves growing onions, potatoes and yellow tomatoes! 

Mahogany Thaxton, Production & Distribution Assistant

Mahogany is a McKeesport native who now lives in Homestead and has been a friend of Garfield Farm since last fall when she completed our Permaculture Design Course. A lifelong learner, she’s currently getting a master’s in library science degree and committed to learning how to grow her own food. She's in her second year as a farmer pre-apprentice at Braddock Farm. She’s looking forward to learning and putting into practice regenerative agriculture practices as Garfield Farm’s Production & Sales Assistant this year.  Community building, community wealth sharing, and resource sharing are important aspects of her life so she’s excited to learn, work alongside, and be the primary point of contact for folks tending their individual lots in our community allotment garden.

Board members

Nick Burdette (Board President)

Alyson McAtee (Vice President)

John Stullken (Board Secretary)

Ryan Duchene (Board Treasurer)

Stefani Danes

April Roebuck

Alex Ruzanic

Blanch Bennett

Kyle Webster

Elizabeth Taylor