Anna Chotzen, Farm to Farmer Coordinator (Skagit)

Anna is the Business & Marketing Manager at Viva Farms, a non-profit farm business incubator serving aspiring and limited-resource farmers in Western Washington. Anna manages Viva Farms' sales program, as well as the development and implementation of its business training program. She is deeply committed to helping farmers achieve financial viability, and has worked as an advocate for and advisor to small-scale farmers, particularly on topics related to business and marketing, for over a decade. As the Skagit County coordinator of Farm to Farmer, Anna collaborates with her colleagues at Viva Farms to draw on their knowledge and expertise on a wide range of agricultural subject areas, including diversified vegetable and berry production, food safety and land assessment, and leasing and purchasing land. Anna is thrilled to expand Viva Farms’ impact to the broader agricultural community through land access programming like Farm to Farmer, which aligns closely with Viva Farms' mission to empower the next generation of farmers and preserve our agricultural economy for generations to come. 

Nayla Jiménez Cabezas, Farm to Farmer Network Manager

Nayla was born and raised in Costa Rica surrounded by family and nature, having grown up on seven acres of land that her grandparents restored. She received her BA in Education and Business Administration, and went on to pursue a Master’s in Environmental Education with a focus on organizational sustainability from Goshen College. Nayla has worked as COO of a federally qualified health care center, as a small business development consultant, and as an independent project manager for a variety of organizations and businesses. As Farm to Farmer Network Manager, Nayla is excited to help launch the Farm to Farmer Network, a collaborative model for growing Washington Farmland Trust's land access work to serve more communities across the state. Motivated by her own journey and experiences as a Brown, gay immigrant, Nayla cares deeply about issues of access and equity, and is a strong believer in the transformative power of relationships. Nayla aims to apply these values to her work as she connects with farmers, landowners, and other partners across the state. 

Mark Bowman, Farm to Farmer Coordinator (North Olympic Peninsula)

Mark Bowman has lived and worked in rural communities throughout his life. Mark holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Agricultural Business from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. Currently, Mark serves as the Sustainable Ag Coordinator for North Olympic Development Council (NODC), where he helps farmers overcome hurdles to growing their businesses. Before joining NODC, Mark spent the last seven years as a rural economic development and lending consultant working with small businesses, non-profits, and farmers. Prior to that, Mark spent 17 years as a lender for Farm Credit System and Craft3, where he supported farmers, rural business owners, and First Nations communities. As the North Olympic Peninsula Coordinator for Farm to Farmer, Mark work one-on-one with clients to identify business risks, and finds creative solutions to promote stability and growth. Mark and his wife, Nancy, have lived and worked on the Olympic Peninsula since 1999. In his spare time, Mark owns and operates a goat ranch in Port Angeles, selling meat to restaurants, grocers, and individuals.