Frankie Rafferty

Frankie Rafferty (they/them/theirs) is a queer, trans, and non-binary farmer located in Jefferson County in Washington State. Having just finished an AmeriCorps term as a Community Food Systems Specialist, they are now a proud member of the Orchard Crew at FinnRiver Farm & Cidery in Chimacum, Washington. Originally from the Midwest, they moved to Washington in March 2022 from Chicago to pursue a life in local, organic agriculture. Rafferty studied Environmental Policy at Loyola University Chicago, where they pursued food system and agricultural courses, internships, and research opportunities. For the past three years, they have been involved in a research paper with Dr. Tania Schusler and Dr. Mariana Valencia Mestre. This study analyzed how the COVID-19 pandemic affected students’ food security status, and was published in March of 2023 the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development.