What chapter: South Willamette
RFC Host Farm: Deck Family Farm
Graduated: 2014
Where are they now: Farm Educator, Chewonki Foundation, Wiscasset, MAINE
Lisa works at the Chewonki Foundation in Wiscasset, Maine in the position of Farmer/Educator. Chewonki inspires transformative growth, teaches appreciation and stewardship of the natural world, and challenges people to build thriving, sustainable communities throughout their lives. As Farmer/Educator, Lisa works with students ages 8-18 to foster connections between the head, hands, and heart on the farm. Chewonki’s farm intensively manages 1 acre of vegetables with the help of their trusty draft horse, Sal, and raises pigs, sheep, cows (beef and dairy), and chickens for milk, meat, eggs, and fiber. The farm also produces about 25 cords of firewood each winter. Lisa loves working with students on the farm and operates with the philosophy that the best education is integration into meaningful production. Being a part of RFC was a great step on Lisa’s path in farming. The time she spent at Deck Family Farm in Junction City, OR helped her to understand how to work with and manage livestock. She also loved being part of a farming team and took many lessons away from the farm that weren’t even about farming! The classes offered through RFC allowed her to gain a better understanding of how different farming operations are scaled and how important it is to visit other farms in order to gain perspective. She continues to draw on her experience and knowledge from her time in the program today.