Meet the Team
The hearts and hands behind TruCulture Community Market
ROOTED IN TRADITION
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GUIDED BY ANCESTORS
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HONORING OUR LINEAGE
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TRUCULTURE
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ROOTED IN TRADITION • GUIDED BY ANCESTORS • HONORING OUR LINEAGE • TRUCULTURE •
Founder / Operations Director
Bailey Hutchison is a multifaceted horticulturist, herbalist, and artist born in the historic 7th ward of New Orleans, Louisiana. She holds a Bachelor's in Natural Resource and Ecology Management from Louisiana State University with a focus on conservation biology. She continued independent studies supported by One Family Farm in Trinidad and Tobago and has deep roots in the Caribbean islands and the deep south. In Trinidad, she spent the majority of her time in La Lune village studying growing practices and herbal remedies from village leader Noriga Granger, his daughter Giselle Granger, and other respected herbalists and cultivators.
She is a third-generation grower and herbalist that specializes in Afro-Indigenous ethnobotany, the study of the traditions and customs concerning plants and their medical, religious, and spiritual uses. She works closely with local and international black and indigenous communities to find creative ways to help regain food sovereignty and normalize the practice of herbalism. As the founder of TruCulture Community Market, she continues to share Black agrarian life skills, traditional chemical-free foods, and the dying art of herbal healing with her community.
Bailey Hutchison
James Hutchison
Farm Manager
James Hutchison, born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a multifaceted land steward, skilled builder, and devoted community advocate. With deep roots in both finance and team management from his early career, James seamlessly transitioned these competencies into his work as the manager of TruCulture Farm. His leadership spans over 20 years, marked by a unique blend of strategic planning and hands-on expertise that fuels the farm's growth and sustainability.
James's specialties are as varied as they are impactful. He is a master of woodworking, electrical work, and masonry, channeling his practical skills into lifeskill facilitation that empowers others. He has a talent for teaching, guiding community members to develop trade skills that promote self-reliance and economic resilience. His projects are known for their creative flair, each embodying a thoughtful design that showcases his dedication to both functionality and artistry.
Beyond his technical and managerial prowess, James's role in the community extends to that of a mentor and steadfast supporter, affectionately known as “community Baba” or "Papouy." His rare combination of masculine strength and compassionate spirit has made him a pillar of the community. His deep commitment to sustainable agriculture, land stewardship, and community building has earned him immense respect, as he tirelessly champions self-determination and resilience for those around him.
Director of Arts and Culture
Karen Hutchison is a lifelong planter and a keeper of land, lineage, and living memory. Specializing in exotic plant species, she was Bailey’s first teacher, passing down ancestral knowledge of cultivation, care, and the quiet language of growing things. Her hands have always known how to nurture life, whether rooted in soil or rooted in community.
A born culture bearer, Karen began weaving and crocheting at twelve years old. What started as a childhood craft has grown into more than twenty-two years of dedicated textile artistry. Her woven pieces carry the weight of heritage and the softness of home, calling us back to our roots with every thread.
For over forty years, Karen has poured into her community as a coiffure artist. Her salon chair has long served as a sacred space where hair is tended, spirits are restored, and stories are honored. As both stylist and confidant, she has shaped far more than hairstyles. She has shaped lives.
Karen is also a devoted lover of books and education. She believes deeply in the power of learning as liberation. Through her artistry, her plant wisdom, and her unwavering commitment to her community, she continues to cultivate beauty, preserve stories, and weave together the culture that raised her.
Karen Hutchison
Market/Herbalist Apprentice
Lillie Crumwell is a budding herbalist rooted in the woods of Ridgeland, Mississippi—a self-described “country-city girl” whose relationship with the land began early. Drawn to plants, earth-based care, and holistic living, her journey started through hands-on experimentation: creating natural hair and skin remedies and learning to listen to the healing intelligence of plants.
Now a Market apprentice and member of the TruCulture Community, Lillie is deepening her study of herbalism while learning alongside the land. Her work is grounded in intention, care, and respect for ancestral plant knowledge. She is also developing Earthly Aroma, a plant-based offering of handmade body care, teas, and herbal goods crafted to support everyday ritual, rest, and reconnection.
Lillie envisions creating a future that centers accessibility, education, and ease— creating products, loose herbs, a communal tea bar, and workshops that invite people to slow down, reconnect, and remember their relationship to the natural world.
Lillie Crumwell
Resident Artist & Farm Apprentice
Shawneece Miley is a horticulturist, crop and garden designer, urban farmer, and permaculture practitioner currently holding a resident apprenticeship with TruCulture. Her work is rooted in cultivating sustainable food systems and designing growing spaces that honor both land and community.
As a certified Holistic Nutritionist and Life Coach, Shawneece brings an integrative approach to wellness—bridging food, movement, mindset, and land-based practice. She is deeply aligned with TruCulture’s mission to unify lived experience, education, and ancestral knowledge in order to nurture a community of like-minded, care-centered individuals.
Through her love of cooking, gardening, and holistic living, Shawneece views food and land as powerful tools for healing and connection. Drawing from her experiences in growing, coaching, and creative practice, she is excited to be part of TruCulture and looks forward to evolving alongside the land and the community it serves.
Shawneece Miley
Resident Farm Apprentice
and Builder
Growing up in Eastern Oregon Fontaine Miley gained experience as a farm hand from an early age. He quickly found appreciation for working outdoors and with his hands while developing an understanding for and respectful relationship with the livestock and land.
His interest in herbal medicine began as a compassion facilitator for cancer patients and his journey as a facilitator for positive growth led him to become a Holistic Wellness Practitioner.
Fontaine has been certified as a life coach, spiritual guide and tai chi instructor. He enjoys physical activities like long distance running, gardening learning and experimenting.
As an apprentice at the Tru Culture Community farm he is excited to experience the wealth of knowledge that Tru culture has to offer and come together to grow a prosperous community.