Tina Masciarelli, Buy Haywood Project Coordinator, is a native of Haywood County and grew up in the historic Bethel community. After graduating from Pisgah High School in 1990, Tina went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work with a minor in Women’s Studies from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. Upon graduation, she dedicated a year of service to Americorps as the Director of Social Services & Community Outreach at San Miguel Middle School in Back of the Yards Community, Southside Chicago. After returning to Haywood County in 2000 with her husband to raise their family, Tina has been actively involved in various community projects with local organizations such as Leadership Haywood, Bethel Rural Community Organization and the Master Gardener Volunteer Association.
In 2011, Tina completed her Master of Liberal Arts degree at the University of North Carolina at Asheville with an emphasis on sustainable community food and farming systems. Her graduate research approached the complexity of the global food system and its relationship to poverty by weaving together a solution-focused investigation into sustainable community food systems with environmental, social and economic implications. Tina joined Buy Haywood in September 2012 and has served in the leadership position since March of 2013. She supports farming and agriculture on a regional level by serving on the WNC Food Policy Council.
In addition to being passionate about Buy Haywood, Tina is also a writer, photographer, educator, explorer and optimist.
Ed Kelley, the one & only Ridge Runner, who we consider to be an extraordinary photographer, creative inspiration, generous friend and avid supporter of preservation.
Ed is a true artist! He serves Buy Haywood as a technical adviser and web designer, graphic design consultant on our Uniquely Local project, annual “Find your Adventure!” agritourism guides, and adds tremendous visual impact to our various projects through use of his breathtaking local photography.
As a true grassroots organization, we operate on the wings of some generous and passionate volunteers. There are truly too many to mention individually here—from the folks at Bethel Rural Community Organization whose steadfast commitment to farmland preservation was at the very heart of Buy Haywood’s birth…to stakeholders who crisscross the county year-round to deliver and restock agritourism guides and recipe cards…to agripreneurs who maintain our guides and other materials at their small businesses to share with visitors…to our community of fellow farming and agriculture enthusiasts who faithfully read our Farm Fresh blog and share our social media posts to help spread news…all the way down to our Project Coordinator’s husband & children who have given up many a Saturday to volunteer at Buy Haywood events. To every stakeholder whose hands have touched Buy Haywood in big and small ways, we see you and are grateful for you!
Over the years we have benefitted from the hard work of some wonderfully talented interns. We are grateful to each who brought their passion to our various projects. At present, we do not have any internship positions available.
Meet OUR CONTRIBUTORS