The apprentices have been busy planting hoop houses, building greenhouse benches, weeding perennial crops and turning compost piles. I have asked each of them to introduce themselves as follows:

 

 

I’m Elizabeth Hammond. I grew up in Central New York, and this is my third year working on farms.  I studied Agroecology in the Pacific Northwest for a little bit, then returned to New York  State to start working. I’ve come to Orchard Hill to learn about this wonderful draft horse powered CSA, and to hopefully help out a bit. I love farming, and I hope to one day be farming with horses on my own. Maybe some raw milk. I also love cooking really big meals and making cheese. Dogs are pretty great, too.

 

 

My name is Paul Papadatos.  I am 25 years old and this is my 5th year as a farm apprentice. I came to OHF from New York State to learn about how to farm with draft horses.  Farming is a way of life for me and I cannot imagine spending my time any other way.   I enjoy reading, eating, climbing on things, farm animals, swimming and bike riding. I hope to someday have a farm/homestead of my own.

 

Hi! My name is Amanda Luchsinger and I was born in Toronto, but have been living in Santiago, Chile since I was 8 years old, in 1995. Back there, I studied Agronomy and currently I am finishing my thesis on ecological restoration for my degree. I have always been interested in organic production and getting the community involved in their own food production in some way, but in Chile, the opportunities for this are scarce, so when a friend of my mom’s from London introduced me to Ken and Martha and said that they received apprentices, I asked for an interview immediately back in 2009 so I could work when I finished my studies! I hope to start a CSA farm in Chile and allow more people to get involved in their own food production, opting for a better life quality and health.

 

My name is Bill van Zanten.  I was born and raised in Port Stanley, not far from Orchard Hill Farm.  Some of you may know my parents and relatives who still live and work in the area.

After more than a decade of living in Western Canada while working in silviculture, forestry, and mineral exploration, I have returned home to pursue another sort of natural resource.  I am thrilled to have been selected for apprenticeship at Orchard Hill Farm and I look forward to meeting all of the CSA members.