Brian Allnutt After receiving a bachelor’s degree in literature and philosophy, I spent some time in New York City where I worked in a junk store and was a security guard in various art galleries. I left New York for my home state of Kentucky, to settle down in Louisville and read Wendell Berry’s The Unsettling of America. This book had a big effect on me, although it took a few years for this influence to manifest itself. Eventually I relocated to Detroit, where I began to learn about farming and urban gardening. I spent a season working at Earthworks Urban Farm on the east side of Detroit. This gave me a chance to work on a first class organic farm, where pheasants and woodpeckers visited regularly and bottles of Mohawk vodka ended up in the rows of cover crop. It was awesome.
I’m at the farm this year to further my learning and think about my next step. I know I want to have my own farm eventually, although I’m not sure if that’s going to be in the City of Detroit or somewhere not too far away. I’m interested in all kinds of growing, especially developing permaculture systems, which I feel are important for long-term sustainability. I also write and I’m especially concerned with the power literature has to convey the wisdom we find in nature.
Joannée DeBruhl Joannée DeBruhl has always loved growing things. Just seeing a tree in the middle of a field or smelling a hyacinth when it first blooms reminds her of how amazing this world can be. She has a degree in Forest Engineering and is thrilled to be a student in the Organic Farmer Training Program. She has partnered with her county's Hunger Council to create Seed Your Future Alliance – Strengthening Roots in Livingston County that will be a financially sustainable non-profit farm and community gardens. They will be growing fresh produce to address the food shortages at the local food bank and pantries. Joannée will be its first Farm Manager.
Jae Gerhart Jae began farming last May when she was on a bicycle tour down the west coast of Oregon and California. She paused to work on a small 5 acre farm in the Coastal Mountain range and fell in love with good food and outdoor work. She moved back to Michigan to be closer to her family and worked on the Ware Farm in Northern Michigan and Tantre Farm in Chelsea. With a degree in Dance and General Studies from the University of Michigan, she continues to perform/choreograph when time and space permits. Originally from Midland, MI, she’s a diehard mitten-state lady and has an almost unhealthy obsession with fresh water and four seasons. She’s really into bikes and also enjoys running, poetry, picking the guitar, sewing, and listening to radio shows.
Walker Hancock Hello farm friends! My name is Walker, and it’s very nice to “meet” you! I was born and raised on a thoroughbred horse farm in Kentucky, the “Bluegrass” state, along with my five younger siblings. My parents also raised tobacco, soybeans, and cattle. After moving around the country a little bit (going to school in Virginia, living in New Mexico for a short while, then eventually in California for about 4 years), I came back to Kentucky with a hope to one day run my own small organic farm and to live off the land that I so cherish! I have cultivated my passions as I helped build gardens, worked on farms, volunteered with an urban farming organization in San Francisco, and gained employment at the Arboretum in Lexington, KY. The important connection between healthy communities and clean food is growing stronger, and I hope to be able to assist in bringing this essential piece of our lives back into the daily "puzzle"! My vision to one day create a welcoming environment for friends and family to come and enjoy the sweetness of the land is slowly blooming into fruition! Coming to Lansing to join the community at the Student Organic Farm has been an awesome adventure so far that has already begun to give me so many of the tools necessary to make this dream come true. I'm also excited to be able to share in interests such as seed saving, food preservation, beekeeping, crafting, hen fruits and tree fruits, music, hiking, biking, reading, tap dancing, making art, cooking, and the list goes on and on! I can’t wait to rock the 2010 season with you!
John Hanlon I grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan, but have spent some time in Texas and Wisconsin too. I worked in shipping and receiving at a warehouse for the past eight years until this economic downturn hit and several employees - myself included - were laid off. I began to think of a new direction I could take and had the good fortune to happen upon an article about the OFTP. I am looking forward to working and learning in this unique community environment. I enjoy reading, listening to music, and eating delicious foods, along with enjoying nature on walks or hikes. One day I hope to have a small farm of my own and I welcome all the teaching, knowledge, and wisdom I can get.
Carolyn Harper
Maggie Kantola Hello there! My name is Maggie, and I recently finished a year of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Allen Neighborhood Center, on Lansing’s Eastside. While I was with ANC, I worked in areas of all things food: greenhouse manager, community cooking facilitator, and volunteer coordinator for the Allen Street Farmers Market.
After graduating from the University of Michigan in 2007, I traveled around the country, living and working in Utah, North Carolina, and Vermont. I worked on an organic farm in Vermont, volunteered with the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project in North Carolina, and was a cook (and snowboard bum) in Utah.
I love gardening and planted my first garlic crop this fall! I also recently learned how to grow oyster mushrooms, thanks to the Great Lakes Bioneers Conference! Some of my other interests are: cooking, snowboarding, painting, my dog, mountain biking, playing guitar, learning banjo, camping, seed saving, going to concerts and festivals, swimming in Lake Michigan, traveling, reading and spending time with family and friends.
Eventually, I would like to own a sustainable restaurant, with an organic farm that would supply the majority of the menu’s ingredients. In the meantime I hope to continue working for non-profits that focus on sustainable agriculture and urban farms. I anticipate the SOF to give me the skills and knowledge that I will need to make these things happen!
Kurt Lardie Kurt grew up working on a conventional dairy farm in Ionia County, MI and has always had a love for agriculture. An opportunity arose to completely change careers and he took it, applying for the OFTP at MSU. He is enthusiastic to learn all aspects of Organic Farming, especially organic disease and pest control. When not farming, he enjoys being outdoors, especially with his wife and seven year old son.
Jessica Meskin Growing up in California, Jessica comes to the farm after a short stint in Cleveland OH. Studying Landscape Architecture at Berkeley combined her love for plants and the outdoors with her passion for art and creating livable spaces. Much of her schoolwork focused on sustainable living, and integrating agriculture with design.
She is always looking for an excuse to feed people, opportunities to drink tea and hopes to learn more about canning, preserving and making delicious food from scratch. Jessica is interested in year-round growing techniques, poultry and other pastured meat production, exploring different CSA systems as well as developing community education programs helping to making people feel comfortable with different ways of eating and buying food. She is excited to be a part of the 2010 cohort and looks forward to working hard and learning all she can at the SOF.
Bobbi Jo Minor
My life long love of nature and a desire to live more simply and sustainably landed me in an intentional farming community in Northern CA in 2007, where I was introduced to a few different organic farming systems and able to get my hands dirty and plant a seed in my mind. Now, a few years later, I believe that my disciplined yoga practice and teaching has brought into perspective for me the fact that we, as human beings, are not separate from nature and in order to live peacefully and responsibly we need to practice living harmoniously within our surroundings. I feel a responsibility to learn to live in a truly sustainable, gentle way on this planet. Yoga and farming are alike in that they are both systematic, scientific approaches that promote growth, mindfulness, care and dedication to overcoming challenges and both bring a deep sense of satisfaction and connect us with the cyclical nature of our existence! At the SOF and in the near future I plan to expand my knowledge of how to grow and produce herbal medicine and learn about the business, production and beauty of cut flowers.
Josh Moses Josh hails from the great state of Michigan. Born and raised in Michigan, he has a knack for the outdoors. Josh attended Le Cordon Bleu at The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. Where his passion for organic foods, local foods, what is in your food, food culture, hoophouse growing and urban agriculture came from. Josh has been blessed with many great experiences, friends, family and teachers. He plans on opening up his own Contemporary Italian Bistro/Deli in East Lansing, growing herbs and vegetables in a small greenhouse and growing other produce on a small piece of land or city block. Josh also wants to educate people about organics and how to grow and cook the ecologically friendly food's, people could purchase from the greenhouse or the small piece of land. Somewhere down the line Josh is also interested in raising livestock, viniculture and viticulture, and having a farm on his land up north by Traverse City where his friends and family can come crop mob and enjoy great times around the fire. Josh is looking forward to the years to come, new friends and managing his own ecosystem.
Rob Nussbaumer Hello my name is Rob Nussbaumer and I have lived in Michigan all my life and love it here. I have always been concerned about the environment and the impact humans have had on it.
When I graduated from college in 2008, I really didn't know what I wanted to do or where to go with my life. I had been to the Student Organic Farm in 2007 on a field trip and was impressed with the idea and liked the people I meet. I started to volunteer in November 2008. The more I volunteered at the farm, the more I got to know the students in the program, the students on crew, and the instructors. I realized that I wanted to be a farmer and that organic farming would allow me to combine my passion for social justice and my passion for plants into one profession.
I believe that we are at a crossroads right now in our society and organic farming offers the best solutions to solving the problems that affect us, like poverty, food security, and the environment. It won't fix all of the problems or change the world overnight, but if offers us a way to reconnect to the land and create strong economic communities. Right now I am planning to do the Peace Corps after the program or get a job working for a organic seed company. So that I can start one here in Michigan.
Michele Ranieri Michele Ranieri grew up most of her life in Aurora, IL. She graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree in Marketing and a minor (and passion) in Sociology. Her interest in sustainability issues really flourished while participating in 2 1/2 years of hurricane recovery work in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast area. Michele’s primary interest is in sustainable food systems. She is intrigued by urban agriculture and is interested in exploring how nutrition, sustainability, organic food, and food security all interconnect. She feels really lucky to have found the MSU program and is excited to be part of the 2010 cohort.
Kate Rotblat I was born and raised in Freeport, Illinois, a small farm town in the northwest corner of the state where I spent most of my youth dreaming of leaving the corn fields behind for the big city. However, after I made the move to Chicago I began to appreciate the beauty of the farm land I left behind, and realized my deep connection to it. Though I had a love for the land, it was my background as an African American studies major and interest in addressing food policy issues that influenced my decision to learn more about agriculture. On a bit of a whim, I began volunteering Peasant's Plot, at a small organic farm about an hour south of Chicago and immediately fell in love with the work and knew that I could not be happy spending my life in a cubical when I could be out in the field covered in soil.
When I think about my my life as a future farmer I am reminded of Gandhi's famous quotation, "be the change you wish to see in the world" and am extremely honored and excited to be a part of this change because I consider it to be the most important issue of our time. This said, when I am not diggin in the dirt, I like going on bike rides, making things (and often messes), trying my hand at cooking and sewing, learning how to make medicines and beer, and seeing live music as often as possible.
Greg Van Drie Gregory Van Drie has been volunteering at the Student Organic Farm since September 2009. Organic Farming has quickly become his passion. Greg has enjoyed a varied business career including the managing of hotels, call centers, and a hospitality design and furnishings business. He now owns and operates Hoop-De-Dew Farms ( www.hoopdedew.com ). It’s not hard to see Greg loves his new career. He is known for his special ability to work with differing individuals and focus them towards one goal. Greg particularly enjoys coaching individuals with employment barriers in order to see them reach higher levels of independence. Greg has an accounting degree from Davenport University of Grand Rapids Michigan. He lives in East Lansing Michigan with his wife, their son and two cats. When Greg is not working, he spends time coaching Special Olympic Basketball teams, working in his gardens, and attending MSU sporting events.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in literature and philosophy, I spent some time in New York City where I worked in a junk store and was a security guard in various art galleries. I left New York for my home state of Kentucky, to settle down in Louisville and read Wendell Berry’s The Unsettling of America. This book had a big effect on me, although it took a few years for this influence to manifest itself. Eventually I relocated to Detroit, where I began to learn about farming and urban gardening. I spent a season working at Earthworks Urban Farm on the east side of Detroit. This gave me a chance to work on a first class organic farm, where pheasants and woodpeckers visited regularly and bottles of Mohawk vodka ended up in the rows of cover crop. It was awesome.
Joannée DeBruhl has always loved growing things. Just seeing a tree in the middle of a field or smelling a hyacinth when it first blooms reminds her of how amazing this world can be. She has a degree in Forest Engineering and is thrilled to be a student in the Organic Farmer Training Program. She has partnered with her county's Hunger Council to create Seed Your Future Alliance – Strengthening Roots in Livingston County that will be a financially sustainable non-profit farm and community gardens. They will be growing fresh produce to address the food shortages at the local food bank and pantries. Joannée will be its first Farm Manager.
Jae began farming last May when she was on a bicycle tour down the west coast of Oregon and California. She paused to work on a small 5 acre farm in the Coastal Mountain range and fell in love with good food and outdoor work. She moved back to Michigan to be closer to her family and worked on the Ware Farm in Northern Michigan and Tantre Farm in Chelsea. With a degree in Dance and General Studies from the University of Michigan, she continues to perform/choreograph when time and space permits. Originally from Midland, MI, she’s a diehard mitten-state lady and has an almost unhealthy obsession with fresh water and four seasons. She’s really into bikes and also enjoys running, poetry, picking the guitar, sewing, and listening to radio shows.
Hello farm friends! My name is Walker, and it’s very nice to “meet” you! I was born and raised on a thoroughbred horse farm in Kentucky, the “Bluegrass” state, along with my five younger siblings. My parents also raised tobacco, soybeans, and cattle. After moving around the country a little bit (going to school in Virginia, living in New Mexico for a short while, then eventually in California for about 4 years), I came back to Kentucky with a hope to one day run my own small organic farm and to live off the land that I so cherish! I have cultivated my passions as I helped build gardens, worked on farms, volunteered with an urban farming organization in San Francisco, and gained employment at the Arboretum in Lexington, KY. The important connection between healthy communities and clean food is growing stronger, and I hope to be able to assist in bringing this essential piece of our lives back into the daily "puzzle"! My vision to one day create a welcoming environment for friends and family to come and enjoy the sweetness of the land is slowly blooming into fruition! Coming to Lansing to join the community at the Student Organic Farm has been an awesome adventure so far that has already begun to give me so many of the tools necessary to make this dream come true. I'm also excited to be able to share in interests such as seed saving, food preservation, beekeeping, crafting, hen fruits and tree fruits, music, hiking, biking, reading, tap dancing, making art, cooking, and the list goes on and on! I can’t wait to rock the 2010 season with you!
I grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan, but have spent some time in Texas and Wisconsin too. I worked in shipping and receiving at a warehouse for the past eight years until this economic downturn hit and several employees - myself included - were laid off. I began to think of a new direction I could take and had the good fortune to happen upon an article about the OFTP. I am looking forward to working and learning in this unique community environment. I enjoy reading, listening to music, and eating delicious foods, along with enjoying nature on walks or hikes. One day I hope to have a small farm of my own and I welcome all the teaching, knowledge, and wisdom I can get.
Carolyn Harper
Hello there! My name is Maggie, and I recently finished a year of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Allen Neighborhood Center, on Lansing’s Eastside. While I was with ANC, I worked in areas of all things food: greenhouse manager, community cooking facilitator, and volunteer coordinator for the Allen Street Farmers Market. 
Kurt grew up working on a conventional dairy farm in Ionia County, MI and has always had a love for agriculture. An opportunity arose to completely change careers and he took it, applying for the OFTP at MSU. He is enthusiastic to learn all aspects of Organic Farming, especially organic disease and pest control. When not farming, he enjoys being outdoors, especially with his wife and seven year old son.
Growing up in California, Jessica comes to the farm after a short stint in Cleveland OH. Studying Landscape Architecture at Berkeley combined her love for plants and the outdoors with her passion for art and creating livable spaces. Much of her schoolwork focused on sustainable living, and integrating agriculture with design. 
Josh hails from the great state of Michigan. Born and raised in Michigan, he has a knack for the outdoors. Josh attended Le Cordon Bleu at The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. Where his passion for organic foods, local foods, what is in your food, food culture, hoophouse growing and urban agriculture came from. Josh has been blessed with many great experiences, friends, family and teachers. He plans on opening up his own Contemporary Italian Bistro/Deli in East Lansing, growing herbs and vegetables in a small greenhouse and growing other produce on a small piece of land or city block. Josh also wants to educate people about organics and how to grow and cook the ecologically friendly food's, people could purchase from the greenhouse or the small piece of land. Somewhere down the line Josh is also interested in raising livestock, viniculture and viticulture, and having a farm on his land up north by Traverse City where his friends and family can come crop mob and enjoy great times around the fire. Josh is looking forward to the years to come, new friends and managing his own ecosystem.
Hello my name is Rob Nussbaumer and I have lived in Michigan all my life and love it here. I have always been concerned about the environment and the impact humans have had on it. 
Michele Ranieri grew up most of her life in Aurora, IL. She graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree in Marketing and a minor (and passion) in Sociology. Her interest in sustainability issues really flourished while participating in 2 1/2 years of hurricane recovery work in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast area. Michele’s primary interest is in sustainable food systems. She is intrigued by urban agriculture and is interested in exploring how nutrition, sustainability, organic food, and food security all interconnect. She feels really lucky to have found the MSU program and is excited to be part of the 2010 cohort. 
I was born and raised in Freeport, Illinois, a small farm town in the northwest corner of the state where I spent most of my youth dreaming of leaving the corn fields behind for the big city. However, after I made the move to Chicago I began to appreciate the beauty of the farm land I left behind, and realized my deep connection to it. Though I had a love for the land, it was my background as an African American studies major and interest in addressing food policy issues that influenced my decision to learn more about agriculture. On a bit of a whim, I began volunteering Peasant's Plot, at a small organic farm about an hour south of Chicago and immediately fell in love with the work and knew that I could not be happy spending my life in a cubical when I could be out in the field covered in soil. 
Gregory Van Drie has been volunteering at the Student Organic Farm since September 2009. Organic Farming has quickly become his passion. Greg has enjoyed a varied business career including the managing of hotels, call centers, and a hospitality design and furnishings business. He now owns and operates Hoop-De-Dew Farms (