I am land seeker with 8 years’ farming experience, eleven years’ service in seed organizations, and a sole career in agriculture since studying agroecology at UC Berkeley. Through this Farm Link platform, I would like to put out word for both small amounts of land to get started on, and a larger and longer-term piece of ground to more deeply invest in and grow into as the farming enterprise grows. Lease or purchase arrangements can both work. I hope to hear about possible opportunities available this fall and the coming year, with emphasis on Lane County locations, first (particularly north Eugene and Junction City), and Benton County locations, second.
As an applicant to steward your land, I bring organic land management and farm production skills, in combination with business experience, good interpersonal skills, and management experience. I hope to offer you as the landholder a smooth experience and lifestyle, and to learn more about your particular needs and wants. I also hope to help your land reach its potential, for both productivity and natural beauty. I am ready to be patient in these conversations and I am open to discussing a variety of arrangements. This will be my second farming lease situation, and am prepared to put my best foot forward for a high integrity relationship.
Thank you for giving thought to my profile, and please reach out if you’d be interested to talk and share your vision for your land.
Water rights for irrigating. Well-drained ground suitable for arable cropping, for at least some portion of the total property. Electricity access, or ideally existing 3-phase power. Enough non-flooding ground to be able to build basic facilities.
I studied agroecology at UC Berkeley, then studied smallholder farming and seeds in Central America and learned to speak Spanish. At that point, I developed my interest in actually farming myself, and in 2013 I volunteered for the Rogue Farm Corps, which is a farmer training immersion program associated with this land linking service. In 2013 and 2014 I apprenticed with two farm mentors to learn about farming management and production fundamentals, while taking advantage of the programming from the Rogue Farm Corps program. In 2015, I moved to the Bay Area to seek out my first farming lease, and in the meantime gained useful experience working for a year in retail organic produce and working farm side jobs. In 2016 I found a place to set up a small farm, and from 2016 to 2018 operated a small and productive operation growing produce for natural foods stores and restaurants. After this experience, I aimed that the next time around I would shoot for a medium scale enterprise, rather than a one or two person farm, and so I began training further in the areas of business management that were previously weaknesses. By 2021 I was back in Oregon, and late that year I joined a medium-scale organic mixed vegetables farm in the mid-Willamette Valley. I was hired to become their finance lead, business manager, and sales manager, which was a nice use of the skills I had been building since my first farm. After eight months I also began to direct the farm's fertility program, which is a long-running passion. A year ago I became general manager, and I have been doing my best to help the business and its staff succeed. As a $2.5M business, this experience has allowed me to sharpen my farm management skills and to engage with local produce buyers. We deliver a very high quality product, and have owners and a talented teammates who I feel proud to work alongside.
Establish core infrastructure while staying lean in the early years, securing our early-stage customer relationships, and founding the heart of our new management team. Eventually (or from the start if eligible), I would like to certify the land and the farming operation as organic, as this is important for organic vegetables sales and for organic seed sales.
Develop an ecologically and financially sustaining business model, and foster a workplace culture that our staff are proud to be part of. Serve customers with consistency week in and week out, while earning a reputation for being a forward-thinking ecological farming operation. Gradually scale the business, as appropriate to access the opportunities of the future and in order to create room for growth for long-term managers. I feel particularly driven to advance the cause of nutritionally fortified foods, and want to be involved in the evolution of how food quality is recognized and incentivized in the food system.
Housing as part of the property is desirable, but by no means necessary.
I want to create meaningful and inclusive workplace for people of all types and from all walks of life. We all need connection and safety -- it is inherent to our nature. I believe we also thrive with a sense of purpose, and with fun. With respect to diversity, I have had cross cultural experiences living in a very different country, and I speak Spanish, which have found useful in my journey of building bridges with others, and which will continue to be part of my personal and work life with this farm.
To contact a land seeker, you must first create a land listing and have it approved by our staff. Thank you.
