When did you work at Finca? And what was/were your position(s)?
“I worked at Finca from August 2019-December 2020, as first the farm assistant and then farm manager.”
What are you doing now?
“I am now the Program Assistant at Big River Farms – a farm incubator/farm education program for underrepresented farmers in Minnesota.”
A special memory/favorite event you have from the farm?
“SO MANY FAVORITE MEMORIES!!! Loved the fall farm dinner in November 2019, Beer and Bands beginning of March 2020, loved breakfast tacos early in the mornings, Saturday farm stands were always such a blast.”
What is something you learned while farming at Finca that you have taken with you even after you left?
“So many things, but I often think of my conversation with Tommy about pest management–we were dealing with a pretty gnarly aphid problem on most if not all of our brassicas and I asked Tommy what it was that was causing our pest issue and how we were supposed to remedy it and he told me that pests were a sign of plants being unhappy–when plants were stressed, they attracted pests–and this conversation made everything click for me, the connection between farming/growing/land stewardship and our own lives. Growing plants is like caring for a loved one, from seeding in the greenhouse to harvesting–care, intentionality, and respect for our plants is a mirror and reflects the importance of caring, intentionality, and respect for ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities.”
What are you most proud of about your time at Finca?
“I’m so proud of how the team responded to the pandemic, we were able to adapt and support each other so that we could not only continue to provide but also expand our reach to provide free and affordable produce to our community, while also collaborating with other growers and food producers to give and receive support during a time of such loss and uncertainty. I was so proud of our team, our family of growers and producers, and our community.”