Sheila Darmos is a farmer and a social entrepreneur in the agri-food sector and civic engagement field in Greece. With a background in Sociology, she took on to manage her fathers olive and orange grove in rural south peloponnese, who had been one of the first organic farms in Greece; together with the family business revolving around sourcing and crafting organic artisanal fine foods mainly from the region and exporting it to a diverse set of clients all over Europe and further. With this precious but at the same time troublesome insight into the rural context and challenges and into the international agri-food business, Sheila came soon to reinvent her own family business and the management style of it, while starting soon after the non-profit organisation The Southern Lights, to actively create solutions for those challenges. Since then she is leading both organisations, while having transformed her farming operation into an experimental and educational site welcoming learners from inland and abroad, incorporating community living aspects as well. One of the most important projects to mention is “Regenerative Farming Greece” initiative that is stewarding the regenerative farming transition in Greece, through providing tools, education and networks, while at the same time she co-initated multiple networks that aim to support change makers in Greece on various levels and thematic fields. The most recent initiative aims to bring her own region, Laconia, on a regenerative trajectory, bringing back young people and reversing the ecological and social desertification. She is founding member of EARA (European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture), and a member of the Greek Agroecology Network and seeking to create bridges among divides. She draws her inspiration from natural systems and has a passion for transforming surroundings through biodiverse plant scapes, while being intrigued by social dynamics and processes.
