ABOUT ME

MY STORY

For the first 25 years of my life, I was the quintessential nerd, deep into video games, tinkering with computers, and loving every pixelated moment. I began building websites at an early age – even building a website for my high school (and it was a lot harder than it is now). But, by the time I completed college and obtained my degree in computer science, the typical gamer sedimentary lifestyle + mountain dew + poor diet had taken a heavy took a toll on my health and I found myself in need of a change. In addition, environmental issues started tugging at my conscience – I decided it was time for a reboot.

Enter my journey into the world of cooking from scratch, where, in time, I began centering my diet around locally sourced veggies. There was a long road ahead – picture me at my first farmers’ market in Salt Lake City in December wondering where the tomatoes were. Eventually, I moved to Cedar City where I became a regular at the farmers’ market and fate intervened – that’s where I crossed paths with Sara and Symbria of Red Acre Farm and Red Acre Center for Food and Agriculture.

These women are a powerhouse. Intrigued by their passion and commitment to sustainable, biodynamic, and organic farming, I began volunteering at Red Acre Farm, trading my time for a weekly CSA box. Little did I know, that decision would be a game-changer. The more I got my hands dirty in the fields, the more hooked I became. Before I knew it, I was waving goodbye to my soft hands and diving headfirst into a full-blown farming career.

Six years later, I am the Director of Botanical Affairs at Red Acre Farm, orchestrating a symphony of veggies, maintaining our organic certification, writing grants, and training the next wave of farmer heroes in partnership with Red Acre Center. It’s a far cry from my video game days, but the digital fantasies can’t compare to the real-life adventure of farming. It’s been absolutely worth every level gained. 🎮🌾