Daniel Mays

Daniel grew up in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where through his Waldorf and Quaker educations he developed a respect for nature and a sense of environmental responsibility. Since then he has studied math and physics, taught at a boarding high school, bicycled through Mexico, earned a graduate degree in environmental engineering, and worked on a number of farms. He is passionate about farming and excited to have planted roots in Scarborough, Maine. He believes farmers should be stewards of the land, not miners of its resources, and that farms should be hubs of the community, not distant sources of its calories. He also believes that economic sustainability need not be sacrificed, but rather can come directly from the union of environmental stewardship and community involvement. But in the end, he farms simply for the love of farming.

 

Josh Girard

Josh grew up in a small town in southern Maine. After high school, he moved to Boston, earning a degree in engineering. Fueled by his curiosity about other cultures and places, he joined the Master’s International Program at the University of South Florida. As part of his graduate studies he spent two years working as an aquaculture extension agent for the Peace Corps in Zambia. His experiences in gardening in Zambia and at home taught him the joys and rewards of growing food. He is grateful for all the wonderful hands-on experience that will come from working at Frith Farm this season.

 

 

 

 

Liz Reynolds

Liz is southern, born and raised, and is currently venturing into the wilds of Maine for the first time in her 26 years. Her roots in Tennessee and Georgia gave her an appreciation for the simplicity and peace that she finds in forests and under a clear blue sky. Unfortunately, or fortunately as the case may be, she had to wind her way through several stints living abroad in Russia and working as an English teacher there. Although she misses her Siberian home and speaking Russian, she is happy to be pursuing a lifestyle that puts her closer to learning practical skills for sustainable living. There is some land in the Georgian plains that is in the back of her mind, and when push comes to shove, she knows that life was always leading her back there in the end.

 

 

Will Troy

Will grew up in Massachusetts, but moved to Colorado at the age of 18 to get a degree in Anthropology. After looking into the infinite abyss of corporate “real world” jobs, Will decided that the only logical thing to do was to become an organic farmer. Since that decision, he has worked in central California, southwest Louisiana, and now, Maine. Experienced primarily with vegetables, Will is delighted to be learning more about the day-to-day habits of Frith’s various animal friends. An avid surfer, you are more than likely to see him at the beach after a long day of work, washing off the sweat of the day in the beautiful Atlantic ocean.  

 

 

 

Joseph Natividad, 2012

Joseph spent his early years in the Philippines, with memories of his grandpa tending to the family garden and raising pigs in the backyard. Moving to Pinole, California when he was nine years old, Joseph later attended college in San Diego and lived in Washington, DC after graduating in 2011. On the bus to work every day, he read books on farming and agriculture, soon yearning for a chance to apply what he studied on paper into actual practice. Trading in his leather shoes for a pair of rubber boots, Joseph looks forward to being a part of the full season at Frith Farm and continuing to learn about sustainable farming methods. In the future, he hopes to join the Peace Corps as an agricultural volunteer.

 

 

Dawn Charnetzky, 2012

Dawn spent her youth in the tropical humidity of southeast Florida catching snakes, lizards and spending as much time as possible in the water.  A lifelong fascination with insects, birds and undersea creatures as well as drawing and sculpting led to a split degree in Biology & Art from University of Miami, and a string of unrelated jobs from laboratories to courthouses.  After several years in Colorado she started caring about where food comes from.  Eventually her passion for gardening and desire for outdoor work blossomed into a full-fledged obsession with small scale organic farming that could no longer be contained within the cubicle walls of her office job.   Dawn is thrilled to be a part of the philosophy and daily rigor at Frith Farm and grateful for the hands-on opportunity to learn sustainable agriculture outside of a classroom.  As the only resident underwater hockey player, she enjoys surfing and swimming when not being immersed in dirt.   

Kirsten Gill, 2012

Kirsten joined the team at Frith Farm later in the season after moving back from the French Caribbean island of Martinique, where she was an English teacher. She grew up off the grid in the forests of New Hampshire with three siblings, trained by her mother to slave in the vegetable garden but otherwise free to run wild. This upbringing fostered a strong connection to the land. Kirsten recently graduated with a B.A. in both French and Studio Art, and comes to Frith Farm with an interest in developing her ability to be self-sufficient.

 

Jeff Ruby, 2012

Branching out from his Midwestern roots, Jeff has spent much of the last two years traveling and pursuing a hands-on education in alternative agriculture. He is thrilled to continue that education in the energetic, joyful environment of Frith Farm. Humane and sustainable livestock management, closed-loop agricultural systems and artisanal food & beer are of special importance to Jeff. When not fully absorbed in farm work (or related literature from the likes of Pollan, Fukuoka, Berry, etc.), Jeff may be found playing or listening to music, or on an exploratory bike ride. He hopes that one day his wandering ends (at least for a while) in a peaceful country life of his own.

 

 

 

Jack Chebuske, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hillary Barnard, 2011

Hilary hails all the way from sunny California. She fell in love with
farming while pursuing an environmental studies degree at UC Santa
Cruz, and try as she might, she hasn't been able to stay away from it
since. She has farmed and gardened in New Mexico, Costa Rica, Southern
Oregon, various locations throughout California, and now Maine! She is
so excited to be living the simple life in the "pine tree state" and
learning the ways of the Maine fahmah. When she's not wrestling
piglets or planting beet seeds, she can be found combing the beach for
treasures, geeking out on essential oils, or hiking around in the
woods. She is slowly but surely becoming an Atlantic seafood
connoisseur, and can't wait for spring to show its colorful face!