our team
Stacy Miller
Stacy Miller
Stacy Miller
Stacy is a mom of two boys, can eat her weight in fresh figs, and founded good phyte foods in 2016.
Jen Lucas
Stacy Miller
Stacy Miller
Jen was born in North Dakota but has since lived in North CArolina and has called Charlottesville home for 25 years. She loves beets!
Stacy Miller
founder and lead snaxperimenter
Stacy moved to Charlottesville in 2011, and fell in love with the profusion of small farms dedicated to renewing the land and nourishing people. At the time, she was the Executive Director of the Farmers Market Coalition, committed to advancing the movement toward more resilient, diverse local economies.
Not long after, Stacy had her first son and was quickly frustrated and disenchanted with the available options for truly nutritious snacks. good phyte evolved with a double mission to support local vegetable sustainable farms while helping people eat cleaner to fuel their best selves.
In 2019, she was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, an autoinflammatory spinal arthritis that reinforces her belief in the direct relationship between what we eat and how we feel.
Stacy has a B.A. in English and Environmental Studies from Saint Mary's College of Maryland and a M.S. in Agricultural and Environmental Education from West Virginia University. She is certified in Sports Nutrition.
Listen to Stacy's interview on the Edacious podcast to learn more about good phyte's evolution.
photo credit Jillian Regan
Jen Lucas
production manager
Jen joined the good phyte team in April 2024. She is a long-time Charlottesville resident with a master’s degree in nutrition who is passionate about consuming whole foods from local sources whenever possible. Jen enjoys back-country camping trips, and her cooking experiments often involve lightweight foods that can be prepared easily with water.
She has been a fan of good phyte foods for several years. When Jen had some challenging health issues, she followed a Paleo diet and relied heavily on good phyte’s products to maximize and recover her health. She is thrilled to be part of the team who brings these foods into being.
Jen has a B.A. from the University of Virginia and a Master of Public Health in Nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Jen is a mom of a teenager, an enthusiastic fan and member of the sauna at Rivanna River Company, and a lover of merino wool.
work with us
we're hiring!
Production Assistant Internship through VTOP
Calling all college students! We are hiring a dedicated, reliable, and energetic Production Assistant (PA) intern to join the team in our kitchen. This internship is a unique opportunity to gain practical experience in the health food industry, including food production, ingredient preparation, and packaging, while learning about operational efficiency and quality standards.
Details:
Location: 1111 Rose Hill Dr #3 Charlottesville, VA 22903
Position Type: Internship
Pay: $17/hour
Hours: 10-12 hr/week
Start: Immediate
Duration: 6 months
Responsibilities:
- Count, label, and properly date bags for finished product. May assist in filling bags with finished product once trained
- Prepare vegetables for recipes (chop/roast/steam and weigh for storage)
- Assist the Production Manager and Supervisor with ingredient preparation (accurately weighing fruit, seeds, etc.)
- Assist in execution of recipes
- Assist in labeling, bagging, and properly storing finished product
- Aid in the proper storage and organization of ingredients and supplies
- Wash and appropriately store cooking appliances, instruments, utensils, cutting boards, and dishes; as well as properly cleaning food preparation areas according to established standards of hygiene
- Participate in maintaining the cleanliness of food preparation areas, including sweeping, mopping, and sanitizing surfaces
What You’ll Gain:
- Hands-on experience in food production processes within a small health food business
- An understanding of health and safety standards in food preparation and storage
- Skills in teamwork, communication, and operational efficiency
- Exposure to the inner workings of a growing business in the health food industry
Requirements:
- Previous kitchen experience of some degree is beneficial, but the most important assets are a passion for nutritious food, a willingness to learn, and attention to accuracy and consistency.
- This position requires the ability to stand for extended periods, and the ability to work collegially in a friendly team environment but also independently as needed.
- Must have good organizational skills and effective communication skills
- Must have transportation to the good phyte kitchen in downtown Charlottesville (1111 Rose Hill Dr.)
To apply: This internship is sponsored by the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (VTOP.) Applications are managed through a third-party site called Handshake. To apply, sign in to your Handshake account and apply here.
Note from VTOP:
iQuasar is supporting a statewide initiative to create more internships across the Commonwealth of Virginia. The VTOP Program (sponsored by the State Council for Higher Education of Virginia) is designed to create more paid internships. As part of this program, iQuasar is helping new employers’ onboard interns. Students participating in the internship program will be paid by iQuasar, but the internship will be facilitated by the employer: For more information on VTOP or UVA's relationship with the VTOP internship program, please contact David Lapinski (dal8d@virginia.edu).