I am so excited about the relaunch of Southern Soil and that excitement is due, in large part, to our newest team member, Kelly Morris! Kelly is taking on the role of our newly established Director of Development and Engagement.

Kelly Morris at her Bloom (Where You’re Planted) Flower Farm in Garden City

Kelly’s career spans the tri-sector—nonprofit, public, and private—where she has worked to build collaborative partnerships, strengthen community engagement, and drive strategic growth initiatives. As a small business owner herself - Kelly and her husband Andrew are the owners of Savannah Hydroponics & Organics - Kelly has a strong understanding and passion for local communities, especially as related to food-centric enterprises.

She combines her business expertise with a deep-rooted food philosophy: that food is not just sustenance, but a powerful connector capable of bringing people together, fostering shared experiences, and strengthening communities. This belief is perfectly aligned with Southern Soil’s mission to create meaningful connections across our local food system.

Kelly will be working closely with local businesses to build mutually beneficial partnerships—helping them reach a wider audience while strengthening the network of small farms, food producers, and entrepreneurs in our region.

Kelly is a mom of two young boys, she is an avid gardener and cook. She brings a fresh and valuable perspective to Southern Soil. From the start, Kelly has had a strong understanding of the mission and goals of Southern Soil and our working relationship has truly been a joy. It's a rare and beautiful thing when you have the right person in the right job at the right time and I'm looking forward to seeing how we will grow together - as a team, as a business, and as a community of people who want to see positive changes in our local food systems.

Welcome aboard, Kelly! I look forward to accomplishing big things together and having a lot of fun along the way!

LeeAnna Tatum, Founder/Publisher