Zack Wyatt – President & CEO
Zack Wyatt grew up in northern Virginia. His family were caretakers of a 300-acre, old dairy farm. His family had a large garden, pigs, horses, chickens, and he also worked on neighboring farms. After graduating from Coastal Carolina University in 2003 with a degree in Business Administration, he worked in home mortgage lending and IT. Zack’s passion for bringing community together over food, his understanding of the importance of equitable food access, and his drive to improve local food systems led him to found Carolina Farm Trust in 2015. As the CEO of Carolina Farm Trust, Zack has produced two documentaries (The Farmer that Feeds Us series), and an annual music festival fundraiser called Carolina Jubilee. Zack lives in Cornelius with his wife and five children.
Allyssa Reitz – Chief of Staff
Allyssa Reitz is a dedicated professional with a passion for administration and a deep commitment to nonprofit work. As Chief of Staff at Carolina Farm Trust, she supports the organization’s mission of fostering sustainable farming practices and ensuring equitable access to fresh, locally-grown food. Her skills amplify real impact because of her belief in the power of grassroots efforts and the importance of community collaboration.
Beyond the office, Allyssa enjoys outdoor adventures, frequently gardening, hiking and camping to connect with nature.
Toni Eskridge – Operations Manager
Toni was born and raised in Charlotte, NC where she attended and graduated from Harding University High School top of her class. She turned her passion for helping the community and bringing people together into a business for Events and Marketing. Toni has worked with large corporations to assist in managing their Trade Show and Event Planning needs. When stepping away from her business due to the pandemic Toni brought her passion for helping others and making a difference to Carolina Farm Trust. Toni enjoys cooking, traveling, culture events, giving back to the community, museums, wineries and festivals.
Amanda Halter – Farm Liaison Specialist
Amanda is a born and bred Georgia Girl that loves to learn through travel, adventure and most importantly by making deep connections with her community. Rural life has always been a part of her roots. Growing up she would travel to her family farms throughout the south where you could find acres of corn, cotton, soy, peanuts as well as cattle, goats, chickens and a few pet cows too. This appreciation for the hard work and dedication it takes to be a steward of the land has always been a pillar on how Amanda would approach her journey in food.
She received a Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Georgia with studies in Food and Nutrition, Food Science and Food Consumerism. Her career has covered quite a spectrum from restaurant line work, catering, product development and demonstrations, cookbook publications and most recently her 16-year career in Organic Grocery where she worked hard to build leaders and educate consumers on the value of our food systems and how we can work together to grow, sell and eat better.
Adam Ferguson – Farm Apprentice
Adam is the first to join our Farm Apprenticeship Program and make an impact in the urban farming community. Adam’s background in construction gives him the confidence to work with his hands and seek out opportunities to learn new things. He has a passion for cooking at home and one day hopes to manage a farm of his own. Adam lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with his awesome wife.
