Faces of the Farmers

Paige Witherington, farm manager–I began managing Serenbe Farms in 2006. This is my 8th season farming. The first time that I volunteered on a farm, I learned so much, and I was amazed that the most delicious lettuce that I was enjoying for dinner was a product of my diligent work.

I discovered my love for farming in Montana, spent over a year in the red clay soils of Clemson, SC, and learned for 2 years more in the beautiful dark (and super rocky) topsoil of the Hudson Valley region of New York. After graduation from Clemson University in Biosystems Engineering, I decided I didn’t want to be an engineer; I wanted to create solutions by developing local food systems.

I’m happy to be in the South where we need more small sustainable farms and have a suitable climate for growing. I’m very pleased to have a supportive community here in Georgia, Serenbe and beyond.

Justin Dansby, first mate–Born in South Carolina, I begin working with my father on his tree farm at an early age. The fascination with planting and cultivating a crop to reap such an incredible reward got me hooked.

At Clemson University I majored in Computer Science and minored in Forestry. Upon graduation, I moved to Sisters Hill Farm in New York and begin working as an intern. This internship solidified my future. I had a chance to be a key player on a working farm and was able to complete my own chicken livestock operation. Baking a fresh chicken with my own carrots and potatoes was the consummate experience I needed to change my life forever.

I’ve been at Serenbe Farms part-time for a few years and have recently moved into a full-time position. I enjoy the many working facets of Serenbe Farms, it always keeps me on my toes. I feel lucky to live in a place where organic farming is so respected and our community is so involved.

Stephanie Pearce, weekly work share volunteer since 2007–I am grateful everyday that I make a living at what I love doing – giving massage and teaching yoga. “Making a living” can come in different forms. And that was how I approached my volunteering at Serenbe Farms…that I was working for organic food. So now I say “I make a living at what I love doing – massage, yoga, and farming.” The hardest day in farming in August 2007 that felt like breathing underwater was the day that I decided I needed this. Working that day with Farmer Paige and the interns in such hard conditions was the truest meaning of community.

Gretchen Weiher, 2010 apprentice–I grew up in a big family in Ohio, where we spent a lot of time outside all year long. Though I do miss the snow, I have lived in Atlanta since 2001 and love its extended spring and fall–my favorite seasons.

I graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a psychology degree, thinking I would eventually get a masters of social work…until I started volunteering, first in a horticultural therapy program and then at Serenbe Farms. I fell in love with the land and the work and the beautiful food they create and knew I wanted to try my hand at farming.

I am really excited to begin what I hope is a long and productive farming career here at Serenbe Farms.

Ashley Rodgers, 2010 apprentice–I grew up in the northwest suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. With a love for math and a desire to go somewhere new, I moved to Charleston, SC after high school attending the College of Charleston , graduating in May of 2009 with a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Finance.

Since graduating, I have searched for new passions and interests, becoming conscious of our ever changing world, developing a love for cooking and an interest in sustainability and locally grown food. Through my first agricultural job, an apprenticeship here at Serenbe Farms, I hope to further support the organic food movement and educate others about producing organic locally grown foods.

A few previous interns:

Natalie Sevin, 2009 apprentice–I am looking forward to putting the information I’ve learned at Serenbe Farms last year to the test

in Winston-Salem, NC. I plan to run a market garden off an acre currently under sod. My operation is currently “under construction”.

Jack Matthews, 2008 apprentice and current farmer, Cure Organic Farm in Boulder,

CO–Once a former apprentice at Serenbe Farms, I have since moved out to Colorado to pursue a management position on a family farm located 6 miles east of Boulder. I believe my experience with Paige led me to discover a lifestyle and love for agriculture that I might not have otherwise found. I continue to build upon the education I received at Serenbe Farms, and look forward to the years of farming ahead.

MK Wyle and Andrew Barnet, 2008 apprentice and current farmer, Misty Brook Farm–Going in, I had no idea that 9 short months at Serenbe would leave me pathologically addicted to farming. 2010 brings me to Barre, MA, where I and fellow Serenbean Andrew Barnet will be managing one acre of vegetables as part of a “Whole Farm” CSA (milk, meat, eggs, and veg). Andrew got a taste of the South at Serenbe, and he liked it so much that he went back for more the next season, at Polyface Farms. In the future, we hope to find land of our own (somewhere a bit warmer!) where we too can grow good food and future farmers.