REFLECTIONS AFTER THE FIRST MONTH

May 2022

My first endeavor in agriculture came about quite by mistake. The details aside, I spent 4 years operating a small organic vegetable farm that provided for 2 cafes, a restaurant, and a farmers market. The next agricultural twist was 6 years growing shellfish seed in a hatchery setting and another year growing chinook salmon. 

Before these forays in farming. Coming out of high school I was accepted and enrolled at The University of Maine with the plan to study Wildlife Ecology. I took a year off to work in Alaska with sled dogs and never did end up going to college. Alaska led me to Oregon where I mostly worked in forestry, which led me to Washington and the farming.

For me the once upon a time interest in wildlife ecology has only grown. A love for birding and grasslands ecosystems being at the top of my list. So, when I started to wrap my mind around the fact that grasses evolved with grazers and therefore are 100 percent necessary to maintain grasslands and all the species that live there. Working on a ranch and combining my desire to farm with the ability to positively affect grassland ecosystems became a clear choice for me. That choice, or desire has been bouncing around my head for years. 

I’ve filled out job applications for ranching jobs and looked at countless others that I knew I was under qualified for. Not being from a ranching family or community can make it difficult to get a start. Which is why I am very grateful for The Quivira Coalition and their NAP program.    

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