Michelle Ajamian

Michelle Ajamian is a versatile professional with a background in Community Organizing and Social Justice, specializing in network development in Food Systems.

She co-founded the Appalachian Staple Foods Collaborative in 2009 with Brandon Jaeger to address the challenge of staple foods' absence in the local food movement.

Ajamian played a pivotal role in launching Shagbark Seed & Mill in 2010, a social enterprise focusing on creating a replicable model for regional-scale high-nutrition grain and bean processing.

The core mission of ASFC and Shagbark is to provide enterprise solutions for food access, empower farmers with market and agronomic information for transitioning to organic high-nutrition crops, and foster rural wealth through agriculture.

Her educational background includes a BS in Appalachian Ethnography from Ohio University.

Michelle Ajamian has held various significant roles, including Principal at Shagbark Seed & Mill, Network Developer at Rural Action-Appalachian Staple Foods Collaborative, Polyculture Design at Deep Garden Design, Director at Appalachian Staple Foods Collaborative, Coordinator at Athens Food Policy Council, and Communications Director at Rural Action.