Duskie Estes stepping down as executive director of Healdsburg’s Farm to Pantry

After four years of collecting 1.6 million pounds of food that would otherwise go to waste, Duskie Estes has announced that she is stepping down from her position as executive director of Farm to Pantry.

The food-gleaning nonprofit expanded exponentially under her leadership, providing fresh produce, meat, fish and dairy to underserved populations in Sonoma County.

"It has been an amazing four years of being part of a community standing up for food justice. I have been so lucky to be at the helm of Farm to Pantry with gleaners that give of themselves for others they don't even know," Estes said by phone this week, as she traveled to Sacramento to meet with food policymakers as her role changes from leadership to consulting for the organization.

Estes said her decision was largely based on needing to assist her aging parents.

"I want to show up for my parents in a way that I've been unable to with all the responsibilities on my shoulders," she said.

A familiar site in her bright green Farm to Pantry shirt as she delivered winter citrus, tomatoes, lettuce and organic meats to more than 100 food distribution partners in Sonoma County, Estes played many roles in her life before being an executive director, including co-owner of Zazu restaurant, a celebrity chef on the Food Network and the Queen of Pork at the Aspen Food & Wine Festival in 2011.

Sandi McCubbin, co-chair of the Farm to Pantry Board of Directors, said the nonprofit has already begun a search for a new executive director as it becomes a significant player in addressing the region's growing hunger problems.

More than 23% of Sonoma County residents are food insecure, according to a 2023 study by the United Ways of California.

McCubbin credits the longtime chef with almost unimaginable growth, expanding from less than 100 to 1,200 annual gleanings and adding 310 sites to their roster — wineries with ornamental fruit trees and private homes with small gardens to large farms with overproduction.

"Farms always have food out there that is not fit for sale, whether it's the wrong shape or size, or they have too much of something. There is always food out there. All we have to do is be connectors," said Estes.

Farm to Pantry works with over 100 local nonprofit food assistance partners, including Ceres, Sonoma Family Meal, The Living Room, La Familia Sana, FISH Pantry and residents of Burbank Housing.

"She's an energetic go-getter, and it seems like with her leadership, they've been able to grow and scale to provide more food during times when people needed it more. It's been cool to work with local farmers to do that," said Jacob Rich, Burbank Housing resident service manager.

Several of the affordable communities throughout the county receive free weekly food boxes with organic produce, eggs, meat and other food items through Farm to Pantry.

Estes organized funding for five local organizations to receive organic produce for their clients from FEED Sonoma for the next eight months from the cooperative of over 50 sustainable farms in the North Bay. She calls it Operation Swan Song. Estes plans to continue working with her husband, John Stewart, at Black Pig Meat Co. and cater at local wineries.

But Farm to Pantry will always be a project close to her heart.

"It's just been a swelling of community power and people seeing they have power in their backyard to feed the world," said Estes.