Meet Our Team

Chris Wimmer joined the Missouri Coalition for the Environment’s Food & Farm team as the Known & Grown Farm Specialist in July of 2019. Chris was born and raised in St. Louis and always dreamed of becoming a farmer. He received his BS in Agronomy from University of Missouri Columbia.

Eager to combine his passion for environmental stewardship and growing food Chris founded The Farm at Kraut Run in 1995. The farm produced organic vegetables and meat sold locally through a Community Supported Agriculture program, farmers markets, and local restaurants. The farm’s hands-on educational field trips were designed to impress on visitors the importance of enhancing nature while producing food responsibly. In 2017 MCE sponsored a trip to the farm that introduced Chris to the effective environmental work they have been doing for the last 50 years. He is happy to be part of the Known and Grown Team which expands the availability of locally grown, organic and humanely raised food.

Nicki brings a passion and commitment to sustainable farming and a connection to the local food network in the St Louis region. Through her education and experience as a farmer, she has come to understand that food – and equitable access to the rights and means to produce and receive it – is at the root of societal stability.

Nicki, along with her family, founded HartBeet Farm in 2015 in Eolia, MO. This diversified farm produced Certified Naturally Grown vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, pasture-raised eggs, and maple syrup. Their products were sold through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program as well local farmers markets, wholesalers, and grocers.

HartBeet Farm was one of the first operations to join MCE’s Known & Grown STL program and later Nicki would serve on the Farmer Advisory Committee. She looks forward to joining the Known & Grown team to promote sustainable farming in the St Louis region and expand access to healthy foods in the community.