Megan Allen-Lazaro

Megan Allen-Lazaro

Megan Allen-Lazaro has been an organic vegetable farmer for 22 years. She and her husband, Lalo, started their farm, Care of the Earth Community Farm, in 2009. They operated a 80-100 member, 42-week CSA and grew seed on contract for 13 seasons before transitioning to only growing seed and developing new vegetable varieties in 2022. Megan's focus is on identifying or developing varieties that produce well under variable climatic conditions (specifically heavy rains and long dry periods) and under intense disease pressure common in East TN. She has released three new varieties through Common Wealth Seed Growers and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange: “Mira Red Stem Kale,” “Margie’s Melon,” and “Xiye Butternut Squash”.