Mary Blackmon explains what Farm Star Living is about, as well as her inspiration behind the brand, and website!
Farm Star Living’s mission is to help others achieve mind, body and spirit wellness through farm-fresh foods, farm-sourced products and mindful practices. This ‘farm to wellness’ focus offers a new, holistic way to lead a healthy life, especially needed now while people begin to recover from the the stress, illness and anxiety due to Covid-19.
Blackmon has expanded the business with new wellness and health content, along with the continued focus of farm-fresh food as the basis of a healthy lifestyle. Blackmon is combining more than twenty years of expertise into this new ‘farm to wellness' focus for Farm Star Living. She is tapping into her previous ten-year career as a spa & wellness expert, achieved through her first business Spa-Addicts.com, which she launched in NYC in 2003 and ran for approximately ten years until she took over her family rice farm in the Arkansas / Louisiana Delta. All of this now combines with her experience serving as a farmer / farm advocate for the last ten years, culminating in a new, relaunched Farm Star Living offering a holistic focus of mind •body•spirit wellness. She also has become a certified Integrative Health & Wellness Coach, allowing her more expertise in guiding people through their own journey to achieve their own personal health and overall wellness goals.
Farm Star Living is run by a team of talented editors, internet marketers, designers, researchers, and programmers all over the USA and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
John Reynolds - CFO
John D. Reynolds serves as CFO for Farm Star Living after a career as an Investment Advisor for A.G. Edwards and Sons and Portfolio Manager for First Commercial Bank in Little Rock, which was acquired by Regions Bank. He has also been involved in economic development in Arkansas and currently serves as Executive Vice President and on the Board of Directors of the El Dorado and Wesson Railway Company, Natural Resources Inc., and Triangle Industries Inc. He is also a tree farmer. In his spare time, Mr. Reynolds has served on numerous boards and committees such as Arkansas Special Olympics, Arkansas Children's Hospital, and the Arkansas Repertory Theatre. He received an award as one of the Outstanding Young Men of America in 1989.
Michael Machat - Legal Department
Graduate of Duke University and UCLA Law School, Michael Machat has had a long career in law, from music entertainment to trademark and IP. In the music industry, he followed his father's footsteps, who was the first ever music entertainment lawyer with incredible clients including Phil Specter, Leonard Cohen, the Who, Rolling Stones, E.L.O, the KINKS, Herman Hermits, Phil Specter, Leonard Cohen, the Platters and more. Michael's clients have included New Edition, James Brown, Genesis, John Waite, Sister Sledge and others, but he found his true calling in Trademarks and Intellectual Property. In fact, he brought one trademark case to the Supreme Court, tried it and won. He serves as Farm Star Living's counsel and defends all trademark and IP initiatives for the business.
Brieanna Moore - Content, Recipe Developer & Photographer, Social Media Manager
Brieanna (aka Brie) joins the team after spending many years in the restaurant industry, customer service and event coordination. With a passion for people, fresh food, and the #livegrounded lifestyle, she’s helping Farm Star Living by bringing her strong work ethic and detail-oriented approach to the team, and managing all recipe operations. Brie is also in charge of managing the social media channels, site content updates, developing and photographing recipes, and keeping Farm Star Living on the pulse of all things 'new’.
Carole Ann Padgett - AccountantCarole Ann Padgett has been in practice for 25 years and serves as Farm Star Living's Accountant, Bookkeeper and Accounts Receivable. She received her Masters in Taxation from Georgia State University and keeps Farm Star Living books up to date and all accounts in good standing.
Jason Byron Nelson - Creative Graphics, Web Designer
Jason Byron Nelson is our creative designer and guru and follows his own styles and passions. It wasn't until after college, where he majored in fine-art, that Nelson began to follow the path created by the illustrators that inspired him years earlier. Today, Nelson works as an art-director for an advertising agency and is our point person for our creative design and graphic illustrations. Focusing on illustration and design, as well as his own fine-art, Nelson dives in head-first. A touch of the unconventional, a bit confrontational, but always engaging, Jason Byron Nelson tries his best not to bore his audience - and we at Farm Star Living are never bored with what he creates!
Joe McGinley - Programmer
Joe McGinley began programming at the early age of 10 years old. At the age of 13 he started programming in c++ and enrolled in courses. Joe realized his passion at an early age and has since established himself as a respected software developer with proficiency in C#, Java, HTML, LAMP, JQuery (JavaScript), Objective-C, among other languages and technologies. Joe specializes in applying his mobile app design and development skills in iOS, Android, and Windows Phone to mobile initiatives. Joe was also awarded first place in the FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) program in 2009.
If you are interested in interning with us, please email us with your resume to staff@farmstarliving.com.