Meet the Undergraduate Students on the 2025-26 Farm and Apiary Teams
Lillian Abadi
(she/her)
BS Environmental Science, Sustainability Minor - Natural Resources Management
Sustainable Agriculture Apprentice
“I hope to see a return to farming methods which mimic the cyclical nature of natural systems and acknowledge that the presence of all the components necessary to farm effectively already exist in the land that surrounds us. I hope to be part of the change in perspective which sees man as a part of nature rather than a conqueror of it.”
Lilli is a Sustainable Agriculture Apprentice on the Eden Hall farm team. Lilli first discovered her love for farming after spending a summer working at an organic farm, and she knew then that she wanted to continue to build on her experience in agriculture. Since joining the farm team, she’s been able to deepen her knowledge and understanding of organic agriculture practices that are implemented here and how these applications benefit the farm operation.
Outside of her apprenticeship, Lilli works as an Ecological Research Technician alongside professors Dr. Jill Riddell and Dr. Ryan Utz. Their research examines the ecology of Eden Hall Campus, gaining insight into how invasive species, canopy density, and deer forage influence soil moisture and overall forest health.
Rahwa Angesom
(she/her)
BA in Food Studies
Sustainable Agriculture Apprentice
“I want to help people eat healthier and reduce the risk of health issues that come from poor nutrition or eating disorders. As I learn about food and health, I have seen how people’s wellbeing is connected to what they eat and the type of food they can access.”
Rahwa is a food studies major at Chatham University with a background in community work and education in Pittsburgh. Prior to her enrollment at Chatham, she interned with ARYSE supporting events, assisting with interviews and creating a welcoming environment for the youth. She has also worked as a PRYSE academic counselor, where she led a class to help recently immigrated newcomer students to adjust to Pittsburgh culture and encourage them to build confidence and speak for themselves. She enjoys working with people learning from different cultures and building good community spaces.
Originally from Eritrea, Rahwa remembers working in agriculture back home and is now focused on learning about a new set of agricultural practices and plant species in Pennsylvania. She has a deep passion for food systems, working with the environment and managing farms. Rahwa hopes to impact her community by encouraging youth to create healthy environments in the food system. When Rahwa was in high school here in Pittsburgh, she noticed that students never learned about how food is grown or how the food system works, so most students at that age never saw it as a possible career. She hopes that this can change, and would like to see more students become interested in farming and food systems.
Rahwa’s farming experience has taught her that farming requires a lot of planning, patience, observation, plant monitoring, and an understanding of the environment in order for crops to stay healthy and grow well. She believes that to be a successful farmer requires a lot of preparation before planting or seeding anything.
Celia Benito
(she/her)
BA in Food Studies
Farm Research and Education Assistant, Sustainable Agriculture Apprentice
“I think addressing food apartheid and supporting the health of a community requires a holistic approach. To me this means supporting resources and efforts that improve mental and physical well-being. Our relationship with the food system needs to be healed while we also build better food systems. Gaining community landownership, supporting community resources, investing in youth, and promoting economic opportunity play a part in this. I want to promote community health and resilience through advocating for land access for BIPOC farmers and strengthening relationships with local food systems through youth farm education.”
Celia is originally from Chicago, Illinois with a background in public arts, education, and herbalism. Before her decision to go back to school, she worked for 5 years as a professional artist and muralist, and taught for 2 years as an art teacher and educator with Chicago Public Schools. Her passion for the arts, youth programming, and farm education led her to the Braddock Youth Project where she worked as a Garden Team Leader and the Mural Team Leader from 2024-2025. Since this past summer, Celia has taken the role of the Farm Research and Education Assistant at Eden Hall as well as a position on the farm as a Sustainable Agriculture Apprentice.
Community gardening has always been a part of Celia’s life at one point or another, but it took most of her life to recognize those interests as deeper passions that she wanted to continue to pursue. In high school, Celia recalls working in a youth employment program with other kids from her school where they got to learn from collectives involved in food justice such as Assata’s Daughters in their community on the south side of Chicago, and worked on the community garden called Vernon Park Garden. This experience left a lasting impact and is now one of the biggest reasons why she strongly believes in the importance of youth mentorship, hands-on learning, and supporting youth’s active role in their communities in a positive way.
In just a short amount of time at Eden Hall Farm, Celia has been able to learn a lot about crop rotation, pest management, and operations now that the farm has their Good Agricultural Practices certification. She’s learned how difficult farming organically can be with all of the record keeping, time, and labor that goes into it, especially for a small, local farm. She’s interested in understanding more about how sustainable agriculture can be made possible in an urban setting, and how to create curriculum for farm education.
Ashley Righi
(she/her)
BA in Food Studies
Apiary Assistant
“I hope to see the relationship between food and medicine becoming more central to healthcare with increasing access to fresh, healthy food in underserved communities. I hope to see fresh food more integrated into schools and healthcare systems, where growing food on-site can introduce children to diverse fresh ingredients, inspiring future generations to cook with whole foods.”
Ashley is entering her final year in the BA Food Studies program, and is currently working her second year as an Apiary Assistant with the Eden Hall Farm Team. As a Registered Dietetic Technician, Ashley is passionate about preventing disease through food, and aims to position her career around systemic health. She was drawn to beekeeping because of her own dreams of maintaining bees in her future garden and orchard, as well as by the mysterious sisterhood of the hive.
Ashley is most passionate about the preventative side of disease. She thought, to do this, one needs to start from the beginning. For Ashley, that beginning starts with the ground along with an understanding of how to grow, harvest and prepare fresh food. By connecting people back to where their food comes from, she believes this empowers them to make better choices that work towards nourishing their bodies.
Amari Spivey
(she/her)
BA in Food Studies
Sustainable Agriculture Apprentice Internship
“I want people to learn and appreciate farming and how good of a skill it is to have. You don't need to have a huge amount of land to make an impact.”
Amari’s passion for agriculture goes back to the time she and her grandma worked together to grow tomatoes. She remembers setting up the plant stand for the tomatoes to sit on, gathering the seeds and dirt, assembling everything into the pot, watering the newly planted seeds, and finally, waiting for the growth to begin. She recalls how they would go outside together often and see the plant grow over time until it was time to harvest. The appreciation she had for this experience ultimately pushed her in the direction of her dream of becoming a farmer.
Amari currently works on the farm for her internship, and she feels that she learns something new everyday. One of the things that makes learning on the farm helpful is that a lot of the day-to-day teaching is student-led— others can share their knowledge on the job, and share the best way to start a specific task, what to do, and what not to do.
It’s important to Amari that we develop a food system that takes better care of both people and the planet. She believes that there is a need for more understanding, appreciation, and support for farmers and agriculture. She hopes that in the future, food can be grown in ways that don’t bring harm to the environment or people, and that everyone has access to food.
Amari aspires to own her own land and farm where she hopes to also raise farm animals such as horses, cows, chickens, and pigs. In the meantime, she enjoys playing squash and playing guitar during her free time.
Madison Setzenfand
(she/her)
BS Sustainability, Sustainable Business Track
Sustainable Agriculture Apprentice
“I hope to make a lasting impact by helping organizations and communities transition toward more equitable and sustainable systems. Whether through corporate sustainability initiatives or nonprofit advocacy, I want my work to empower others to see that environmental responsibility and economic success can go hand in hand. I aspire to support communities disproportionately affected by environmental challenges, ensuring their voices are included in decision-making processes. Ultimately, I hope to contribute a future where sustainability is not just a goal but a standard in how we live, produce, and do business.”
Madison is currently a junior Sustainability major on the Sustainable Business Track at Chatham University. Her belief in organizations’ ability to drive meaningful environmental and social progress led her to pursue this path. She has always been active in her community, organizing local events and volunteered regularly, especially at her local food pantry. She first learned about the powerful impact of community-based action through the Environmental Club she started at her high school. The club organized park cleanups, volunteered at a dog shelter, and even tried maple syrup tapping. She always had a deep love and respect for the environment from camping and hiking, but her involvement in these activities deepened that connection and inspired her to continue pursuing environmental work. Now, her research focuses on environmental justice in Pittsburgh, corporate responsibility, and sustainable policy.
Working on the farm has reinforced her belief that farmers are truly the backbone of our food system, and she has gained a deeper respect for the labor-intensive work they do every day. Working in the Pennsylvania summer heat gave her a firsthand appreciation for their dedication and resilience. Madison has loved learning about the behind-the-scenes aspects of organic farming, from record-keeping and soil management to the harvesting process. She believes that being part of the farm team is a rewarding experience that offers the opportunity to work alongside others who share a passion for sustainability and stewardship.
Madison wants to help bridge the gap between sustainability and business strategy to create resilient, ethical supply chains. She’s especially passionate about how businesses can integrate circular economy principles, reduce environmental impact, and create long-term value through sustainable sourcing and responsible operations. In the future, she sees herself working either in corporate sustainability as a consultant or with a nonprofit focused on supporting environmental justice communities.