ECO-FARMER

Why did you begin farming? I began farming by volunteering on an organic farm in 2006 and discovering I loved the way of life. I started learning about permaculture a couple years later, but I didn’t realize I could really make a life and career out of permaculture and farming until a bit later; once it got in my blood it was impossible to do anything else.

What do you most enjoy about farming? I have always loved the natural world, so what I love most about farming is the symbiotic relationships between plants and animals that I can use to grow all different kinds of food in an ecologically healthy and regenerative way. When it all comes together, it’s pretty magical.

What is your biggest current challenge? My biggest current challenge is probably just having enough time in the day to get everything done! You could call that the challenge of prioritizing things; deciding which things on the to-do list can’t wait another day and which things you can probably live with not getting done at all; there will always be things on your to-do list that will never get done, no matter how hard you work.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received about farming? The best piece of advice I received was probably from my farming mentor at the first farm I worked at. We raised pastured animals and she told me to never ignore that voice in your head that is telling you that something is wrong. Maybe you forgot to close the gate to the pigs or turn the charger for the turkeys on. Or maybe you need to check on the chickens because you just have a bad feeling about something. And you need to listen to that voice even if, and especially if, it’s the middle of the night and you are all cozy in bed. That piece of advice has saved me countless times.