Our People

Nick was born and raised on the edge of East Irondequoit near the Beechwood neighborhood of Rochester. Though always passionate for sustainability, his interest in plants, native/invasive ecology, and agriculture blossomed in college at SUNY Geneseo. There Nick interned for the college’s late Office of Sustainability, working in the campus garden and doing trail work and landscaping in the campus arboretum. The community he found there was transformative and led him to seek out similar community upon moving home to Rochester in spring 2024. Nick started regularly attending 490 volunteer nights that July and joined the Board of Directors at the start of 2025. Nick is grateful for all he has learned as a member at 490 Farmers and is excited to continue involvement as the space grows with its community. 

Contact: nbruno@490farmers.org

Christiana DeLuca is a Rochester transplant that grew up in Huntington, NY and moved here in 2019 to study geology at SUNY Brockport. After working as an environmental consultant for a few years, she is now pursuing a MSeD in Earth Science education and hopes that being an educator will allow her to spread knowledge and passion for gardening and sustainability practices to local schools. She joined the garden in 2026 and is both proud and excited to be a part of this meaningful community space. 

Contact: cdeluca@490farmers.org

Chloe Smith grew up in Scottsville and studied Illustration at RIT. Since 2014, she has worked as a local artist & muralist with a passion for beautifying the community she lives in. She started 490 Farmers in 2017 as an effort to build community, and feels so blessed to have seen it come to fruition and to have found community in the process. Chloe loves vegetables, animals, being outdoors, and traveling.

Contact: csmith@490farmers.org