Desirae Abella

Natural Resources & Food Systems Extension Agent, NC State University, EBCI Center

Desirae Abella is an enrolled member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and of Omaha descent. She currently serves as a Natural Resources and Food Systems Extension Agent with NC State University, working in partnership with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Her work centers on advancing Tribal food sovereignty, strengthening community-based food systems, and supporting Indigenous-led stewardship practices. Desirae holds a B.S. in Plant and Environmental Science from Clemson University and an M.S. in Plant Sciences from The University of Arizona. Desirae has a decade of experience in agricultural and natural resource conservation, including previous roles with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Natural Resources Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Desirae is passionate about empowering Indigenous communities through land-based relationships, cultural revitalization, and sustainable resource management. Desirae resides in Western North Carolina with her husband and daughter, on the ancestral homelands of the Cherokee.