Meet Your Farmer, Becca

Growing up in Rhode Island with one foot in a salt marsh from an early age, I knew I wanted to work outdoors, promoting environmental stewardship and nurturing a connection to the natural world.  That lead me to a degree in Environmental Analysis and Policy, which lead to work as an environmental educator.  Just by chance, that lead to a project interviewing farmers as part of a USDA grant supporting beginning farmers in Southern New England.  

Visiting small farms and talking with farmers was inspiring.  After several years of working for non profit environmental  organizations and never feeling quite impactful enough, I was introduced to a whole new world of passionate, dedicated farmers stewarding the land and having a real, measurable impact on their environment and communities.  I was hooked, and knew I was on the wrong side of the desk.  I wanted to be the one caked in dirt, not the one carrying the clipboard.  

But I was in my early 20’s, and wanted to see a bit more of the world before putting down roots both physical and metaphorical.  So I quit my job and signed on board the tall ship Lady Washington, telling myself I’d go sailing for a year then figure out how to become a farmer.

One year stretched to nearly 7, but during that time I alternated seasonal farm work with sailing contracts, and even read books about growing vegetables while off watch on ocean crossings.  I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to work as an apprentice at Wild Harmony Farm, an organic, pasture based livestock operation in Exeter, RI (link), and Frith Farm, an innovative, no till, small scale organic vegetable farm in Scarborough, Maine (link).  Those two apprenticeships laid the foundation for creating Williwaw Farm.

I am forever grateful for the ongoing mentorship I have received, from those two and from the various farmers, soil experts and consultants I have had the opportunity to work with and learn from through Future Harvest.