Parthenia Myers - Executive Director

Parthenia Myers is a grower, chef, forager, plant medicine maker and creator of sacred space from St. Mary's, Ga. She comes from a family of farmers and earth keepers deeply rooted in their Gullah Geechee culture. She is the founder of Mystic Roots, a portal for Ancestral ways of BEING that promotes a holistic way of life and a sacred connection to the earth via land cultivation, plant based cuisine, a return to folk medicine, and a deep communion with the earth via her Sacred Earth Retreats. She spent 7 years in Atlanta, GA managing several different urban farm sites after obtaining her Urban Agriculture Certification through the HABESHA Works program in 2013. She now resides on Sapelo Island where she continues to cultivate the land and is working on the Mystic Roots Medicinal Herb Farm and Apothecary. 

She has worked and partnered with organizations such as HABESHA, OndaFarmPros,

Gangstas2Growers, Black Land Matters and the Raccoon Hogg Community Development Corporation. You can find her on the full moon, seeking out the wild spaces she calls home, in search of sacred plant medicine.

Chauncie Benjamin is a Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother from Fernandina Beach, FL. She obtained her Associates  Degree from FSCJ North Campus Jacksonville, Florida, and her Bachelor of Science Degree at Georgia Military College Kings Bay, Georgia. Both of her degrees are in Criminal Justice. She worked for the St. Mary's, GA Sheriff's Dept for 19 years as an At Risk Advocate, and another 15 years with at risk juveniles. She worked six years as Supervisor at the Cheltenham Juvenile Rehab Center in Cheltenham Maryland, and 9 years as an Advocate for HARK (Helping At Risk Kids) in Jacksonville, Florida. She also worked as a court advocate for domestic violence victims for 11 years. After years of great service work, she now spends time with her family, traveling, and tending to her backyard flower garden.

Juanita Tomlin is a wife, Mother and “NiNi” from St. Mary's, Ga. She has worked in the HR (Human Resources) field for 18 years. She holds titles such as HR Generalist, HR Specialist, HR Admin, Staffing Supervisor, and Talent Acquisition Specialists. She spends her free time traveling with her husband and family and tending to her beautiful herb garden. 

Tiras Myers is a Father and business owner from St. Mary's, Ga. He obtained his Associates in Science Degree in 2016 for Emergency Medical Technician and worked 5 years as an EMT-P Paramedic in Jacksonville, Florida. He is co-owner of Bunna Cafe, an Ethiopian Coffee Distributor,  and a Florida real estate agent, licensed  from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), since 2004.

Jerry Calhoun is a Father, master farmer and permaculturalist from Fernandina Beach, Fl. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force and Coast Guard. From December 2005 until December 2008, he studied abroad (agriculture) in Shashemane, Ethiopia (Indigenous Sustainable Agricultural Techniques). He obtained his Bachelor of Science Degree in Sustainability Management from St. Petersburg College, Clearwater, FL in 2017. He currently studies green construction, fundamental science technology and policy know-how for meeting today's sustainability challenges. 

Xavier Calhoun is a Father, farmer, author and business owner from Fernandina Beach, FL. He spent 7 years living and studying abroad in Shashemane, Ethiopia, acquiring skills in indigenous farming and permaculture techniques. He is the co-owner of Bunna Cafe, an Ethiopian Coffee Distributor, and the author of a children's book entitled “A Day Built By Nature and Family”.