Instructors
Arvind Auluck-Wilson is a Baha'i since 1979 from India, settled in the US for the last 17 years with his wife and daughter. He trained as a physicist at the Indian Institutes of Technology in Mumbai and Kharagpur, he is a consultant in holistic health, sustainable development & appropriate technologies.
Dr. Daryl L. Cooper, Doctor of Chiropractic, Certified Applied Kinesiologist, Structural Integration Specialist, has post-graduate studies in orthopedics, radiology, blood chemistry, nutrition, acupuncture, motion palpitation, pediatrics, pain control, osteoporosis, scoliosis, exercise rehabilitation, biophysics, and Rolfing. In 1998 he became director of the Balance My Body and Osteoporosis Prevention Institute.
Rupa Dash was born in India and came to the U.S in the seventies with her parents. She has her own business named Surya, Inc. meaning The Sun. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota in Genetics and Cell Biology. She enjoys the rich cultural and food heritage that originates from India and her philosophy is: Bring fun in your life through healthy, flavorful cooking.
Tod Drescher has been practicing astrology for 30 years. He studied astrology under Twin City astrologer Lynne Burmyn. Tod has taught Astrology classes in the St. Croix Valley, including The Aveda Spa in Osceola, WI.
Maria Emmerich is a wellness expert who holds a degree in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. She shares a passion for helping others reach their goals of optimal health. She struggled with her weight throughout childhood and decided enough was enough. She decided to study health and wellness so she could help others stop wasting their time being discouraged with their outward appearance and not feeling their best mentally. For more information about Maria, check out her website marianutrition.com .
Sharon (Sharona) Erickson graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Dietetics and Nutrition. She has been on staff at River Market for 29 years, serving in all capacities. She is committed to natural and organic food and ever enthusiastic in helping others make positive choices to better health and eating. Currently her focus is Community Outreach, Staff and Customer Education, and Customer Services.
Barry Farrell Barry Farrell is an organizational psychologist who has been providing resource management consulting for the past 30 years. He has had a lifelong, avocational interest in the healing arts, including massage and reflexology, and has been giving therapeutic foot massages to family and friends for over 20 years.
Gerald Green, River Market Deli/Meat/Bakery Manager, has been working in the culinary field at a variety of restaurants and catering establishments for the past 15 years. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin River Falls with a degree in Natural Resource Conservation. He also worked as a volunteer at the Washington County Soil & Water Conservation District office helping with tree plantings, sediment depth testing of lakes with recent shoreline development, erosion site monitoring, and a variety of other tasks. Gerald is best known at River Market for his popular deli soup program and is a Certified Food Safety manager with the State of Minnesota.
Khaiti Kahleck started working in the Twin Cities co-op scene in 1999. Starting in the deli, as a juice bar girl, she moved into Management, and now you’ll find her in the aisles at River Market working with the grocery crew. Khaiti calls herself a “homesteader in progress,” living in Osceola, Wisconsin. She tends milking goats, gardens, cooks and cans from her garden’s bounty. Khaiti is very interested in self-sufficiency, “back to the land” living, sustainable agriculture and the do-it-yourself philosophy.
Geralyn Karl, Master Food Preserver and Certified Foods Judge, has judged numerous senior and junior foods divisions and food revues at county fairs throughout western Wisconsin and various food bake-offs including the St. Paul Bread Club and St. Paul’s Atlas Cookie Club. She has presented at the MN State Fair the past two years on the art of food preservation and on guidelines for entering food items in contests from a judge’s perspective. Actively grows and preserves own food, for almost 30 years, and enjoys sharing experiences and educating all ages. She resides in Amery, WI and is a Public Health Educator with St. Croix County HHS-Public Health.
Allan LaValier, a Stillwater resident and River Market member since 1996, has been involved with growing plants for many years and continues to enjoy sharing his knowledge and wisdom gained from the garden. He has studied the GROW BIOINTENSIVE Method of sustainable agriculture with John Jeavons and Carol Cox of Ecology Action in Willits, Ca. He is a lifetime member of Seed Savers Exchange (International seed exchange) and Ecology Action.
Peg Leutele has spent over 25 years reading, studying and searching for ways to support her inner being. Feng Shui, Reiki, Touch for Health, and Qi Gong are some of the modalities she was lead to study. Feng Shui is based upon ancient principles and rules, many of which seem outdated, but understanding the principles of energy and intention in our space and our lives can help support our well-being. Today our world is in much transition. Integrating our whole being of mind, body and spirit can help lead us to our core truths and living a heart centered life.
Sara Morrison is the owner of “The Backyard Grocery” an urban vegetable garden consulting company based in Bayport, MN. She has a strong love for plants and the delicious foods that can be grown in home gardens no matter what the size. Her main focus is on heirloom vegetable varieties and their unique flavors. Her love of the home vegetable garden started as soon as she had a patch of dirt to call her own, and every year her grass suffers “garden creep” as she expands her raised vegetable garden square footage. She was the Produce Manager at River Market in 2004-2006.
Brian and Lisa Roesler are the parents of six healthy, home-educated children. They are avid vegetable gardeners and backyard chicken farmers and have adopted the Weston A. Price Foundation principles of traditional, nutrient dense eating. They have been able to help themselves and others resolve many physical and mental health issues through nutrition.
Kiva Sherr is a Licensed Certified Nutritionist and Clinical Herbalist. She has been working in the field for over ten years in Minnesota as well as Vermont and Connecticut. Kiva graduated from the Rocky Mountain School of Botanical Medicine in Boulder, Colorado. She also attended Advanced Clinical Herbalist Training at the Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center in Barre, Vermont. She then received her Certified Nutritionist license from the American Health Science University in Aurora, Colorado. She has extensive experience teaching classes on wellness, diet, aromatherapy, cooking, and nutrition.
Donald Slinger, gardner for many years, grape, daylily and hosta hybridizer. He uses raised beds, French double digging, intensive planting and heavy mulching in year-round hoop house gardening.
Olivier Vrambout, a baker and a biker, originally from Belgium, was taught how to bake by his grandmother. He lived on the West Coast for the last ten years where he ran a bakery and a restaurant. In 2008 he opened The Bikery in Stillwater where he combines his two passions: baking and biking.
Jeffry Jeanetta-Wark is a licensed independent clinical social worker in private practice with over 19 years experience working with people of all ages. He works as a psychotherapist, educator and presenter incorporating an eclectic, holistic approach. Jeffry currently is headquartered at the Center for Integrated Well Being, Inc. in St. Paul, MN, which he established in 2004. Jeffry has presented, consulted and facilitated stress management and self-regulation trainings in a wide variety of settings.