North Star Orchard

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Helpers

There are many wonderful people who help out to make the farm work. Helpers work in the fields on the farm, in the barn cleaning and packaging produce or CSA shares, and helping out at farmers' markets. Many of our helpers are young people who want to learn, hands-on, about sustainable farming before they go off to start their own projects.

To the left is a slideshow of some of the people who have helped us over the past several years. All of these folks are important to the farm, whether they work 2 hours a week or 50. We appreciate them all!

Do you want to get your hands dirty? Check here for staff openings.

Brint - Assistant orchardist. Brint started with us in February 2011. He is interested in learning more about new and antique fruit varieties that are not typically found in stores, and hopes to spend a lot of time in the orchard gaining a better understanding of modern pruning and training systems that are helping to make fruit growing more efficient. After enjoying the 2010 season as a volunteer with the Sankanac CSA in Kimberton, Brint is excited to see the vegetable garden and orchard throughout the entire growing season. Brint graduated from Eastern University in 2010 with a degree in sociology, and is interested in the systems that are making locally-grown produce more available to neighboring communities. In addition to field work, he is looking forward to helping out with the Farmers’ Markets and CSA shares.

Rachel, our Vegetable Manager, started with us in February 2011: "Although I grew up on a small farm in Cecil County, it wasn't until the last few years that I considered that agriculture would be my life's passion. I finished my Elementary Education degree from Towson in 2005 but quickly found that teaching in a "traditional" setting wasn't for me.

After we were married in June 2006, Josh and I moved to Vermont for two years. We found that farming is alive and well as well as homesteading arts and midwifery. Jaden, now four, was born at home on Blue Ledge Farm, a dairy goat farm and we quickly fell in love with homebirth. After working on a few farms in the Champlain Valley, we moved back to Maryland in August 2008 and found it to be better than we had expected. All we could remember were strip malls and SUVs, but upon reexamination we found that there is a growing community of produce and vegetable farmers, artisanal cheesemakers, and responsibly raised herds of cows and sheep.

Shortly after we moved back we learned that we were pregnant with Enid and quickly found a way to give birth at home here in Maryland where midwifery is still illegal. Jaden and Enid are our motivation for almost everything we do. Their constantly inquisitive spirits are a source of joy always. We are currently beginning the process of envisioning a new plan for our family farm that will benefit both the community of localvores and introduce our neighbors to a new definition of small farms. This seems to be a daunting task, but we are confident that over the next few years North Star Orchard will be a perfect learning environment.

I'm thinking of this time as my graduate program - with classes in the garden and greenhouse on topics like "How to Deal with Harlequin Beetles in the Brussels Sprout Patch" and "Developing a Consistent Seeding/Harvesting Schedule for the Home Garden and Field". Through these first few years in "Grad School" I've learned that I love the feeling of being exhausted at the end of a long day in the field and sitting down to a salad made from things exclusively from our garden and farm, chatting about when the tomatoes will be ripe and listening to our girls giggle till the fireflies begin to dance.

Kelly, originally from the Carolinas, comes to North Star Orchard as Assistant Vegetable Manager in 2012 with several years of organic vegetable growing experience from the lower Hudson Valley of New York and the suburbs of New York City. Over the years, she has developed a strong interest in soil science, fertility management and heirloom vegetable varieties. In addition to her farming activities, she was also a community compost educator in New York City helping community gardeners and individual residents learn the ins and outs of composting. Kelly is excited to finally be growing for a CSA operation and looks forward to learning more about plant breeding and seed saving on the farm.

John is a year-'round helper on the farm: "Born and raised west of Philadelphia, I have always called Eastern Pennsylvania "home." Having been brought up just a stone's throw away from Valley Forge, the natural beauty of Chester County has always been a part of my life, filling my Summers and crowding the Winters. I ventured further south for my College education, across the Mason-Dixon and on towards Baltimore, Maryland. There, I attended the Maryland Institute College of Art and graduated in 2009 with my BFA in Painting and with my Masters in Teaching the following Spring.

Following that final semester I resolved that it was time for a change. I had come to the realization that after nearly an entire lifetime spent in school, I hardly remembered the calendar year without semesters and grades. I spent the better part of six months following graduation exploring where I had positioned myself, and where I wanted to go. My girlfriend Melissa had yet to finish the Teaching program at MICA but already we were talking about a plan for the months ahead. After spending her final year apart, it was extremely important for both of us to find work that afforded us a chance to work together.

Between the desire to experience the seasons anew, an ever-more fulfilling creative practice, and the persistent longing to work with my hands, it seemed farm work was only natural. I began working for Ike and Lisa at North Star in April of 2011, and Melissa followed in May. It has been an opportunity for extraordinary growth, with some of the most rewarding work I've known. I rest comfortably in the knowledge that I am part of something bigger than myself, in a community that is what I will call "big time small." Being able to see the same folks at market and know the depth of their appreciation for lovingly grown produce and healthful living inspires me daily.

Melissa and I have moved into the farmhouse on recently acquired North Star property and have been set about making it ready for fellow co-workers in the Springtime. I relish this time spent renovating the house, learning skills that will no doubt follow me through many future homes. Working on the farm has also allowed me time to build my Design portfolio in the evenings, when I'm not too terribly exhausted from the day, that is. I have loved seeing the changes not only in the seasons, but in ourselves as well. Melissa and I have both grown tremendously in our time on the farm, and I have no doubt that the upcoming season will hold much of the same.

Melissa is a year-'round helper on the farm: "To quote one of my favorite authors Anne Lamott, "I live in joy and motion... in the nourishment of the sun and the warmth of the people that love me." Or to be more accurate, I strive to live life in that kind of freedom and depth. I was born and raised in Malvern, PA with my two younger brothers whom I love dearly. I grew up loving baking, being outside, making crafts and being with my friends... and I must say that not much has changed.

I went to college at the Maryland Institute College of Art where I earned my BFA in Ceramics and my Masters of Art in Teaching. After living 5 years in the city I desperately needed a change and the door opened for my boyfriend John and I to work here at North Star Orchard. Honestly, in addition to LOTS of encouragement and support from John and those that were closest to me, it was the knowledge and hope of this job that greatly helped me finish out my final semester at school. Now that I've been here for about a year, I must say that although it is hard work and trying at times, it is a wonderful job, one that I am very thankful for.

I love the opportunity to be outside, even on the bitter cold days (although some of the hardest, those days cause me to appreciate a warm house, cozy sweaters, and a hot cup of tea all the more). I love watching things grow, and literally reaping the fruits of our labor. I find such satisfaction in cooking a meal with the food that I have helped to grow. At times my heart just overflows when I can prepare and share one of those meals with someone that I love, and I have the opportunity to do that every single day. John and I moved into the new farmhouse in November and we are both settling in quite nicely. One thing is for certain: we don't mind the commute a bit!

During the time that I am not working, I like to travel, spend time with the people I love, bake/cook and make art. I love making things, whether it is a delicious baked good, or a new art project, I think my hands are happiest when they are busy. It is so nice to live in a place where I can observe the seasons so closely. I consider myself fortunate to be able to experience an entire year on the farm and I am eager to see what the next season holds. I have already learned a lot from Ike and Lisa and I know that there is much more in store. I am learning that although life can be hard and messy, at it's core it is good. Not a superficial, flighty 'good', but a rich, deep good. The kind of good that goes right through your bones to your soul; like the envelopment of cool water in the peak of summer when you can bear it no longer, or the soothing embrace of a friend that is somehow a salve to the deepest wounds. It is this life I am learning to be a part of, this honest, raw and real life.

Wahi is a part-time Seasonal Helper who is returning for a second season: "I've lived in southeastern Pennsylvania my entire life. My interests have always been plants, reading, and animals. At college I was a creative writing/fine arts major, but after four years working at a bookstore and only gardening for fun, I came to the conclusion that I would much rather work with plants for a living and keep the reading and writing to a hobby. I currently have a flock of ten chickens who are awesome and have some quirky personalities. I also have two rabbits, one of whom is an English Angora whose wool I am (slowly!) learning to spin with a drop spindle. I started working at North Star Orchard last August and loved it. I'm really looking forward to experiencing the complete season this year. I've learned a huge amount already and hope to learn much more!"

Laura Beth is thrilled to join North Star Orchard in 2012 as a Seasonal Helper. Before she caught the farming bug, she studied classical flute performance and East Asian religion with a focus on Chinese medicine. After she graduated from college in '11, she worked her first full season on an organic veggie farm in Massachusetts. She loves to experiment with vegetables (mad scientist style) and share ideas about good, organic food, and to be outside all day long growing it. She has lived in Boston and New York, but she is originally from Baltimore, which remains her favorite. She likes to do yoga, play games, take road trips, and she thinks arts and crafts are the best thing ever.

Lindsey joins North Star in 2012 as a Seasonal Helper: "I grew up in north-western Virginia and was drawn to farming a few years ago. It seemed like a challenge, an endless opportunity to learn, and a way to get out of the AC and atrophy of a desk job into meaningful work and healthier living. I ended up on a lush, 5-acre veggie farm in western Virginia - no machinery but a tiller, no running water, a much slower pace of life .... and it rained every Wednesday as we harvested for market. Perfect! I love being physically active, creating temporary order out of the seeming chaos of nature, and witnessing the bounty of creation (which sometimes is a bounty of kale, sometimes of customers and sometimes of weeds!). I've since worked on two other Virginia farms - another veggie farm and a flower farm - and am excited for the new opportunities coming up this season at North Star. I just hope it will be as humid in PA as it is in VA!"

Karen is eagerly anticipating her first year as a Seasonal Helper at North Star Orchard. "As an avid gardener, local food advocate and outdoor enthusiast, I am excited to dive headfirst into this opportunity at North Star. I’m passionate about promoting sustainable farming and am particularly captivated by the thriving urban farm scene in Philadelphia. Originally from West Chester, I’m looking forward to returning to the the area after a year-long AmeriCorps term as an environmental educator where I lived and worked in the wilderness of northwestern New Jersey. I’ve also recently enjoyed a brief stint volunteering at an organic avocado and exotic fruit orchard in Southern California. After graduating from Penn State with a history degree in 2007, I worked full-time doing data entry for 8 months, an experience which convinced me to further pursue my education. I received my M.S. in geography from Shippensburg University in 2010. In my free time, I like to explore new places through hiking, kayaking and road tripping. I also enjoy live music and reading.

Inge returns to help out on a part-time basis year after year (since 2004!), helping with veggie harvest and CSA share packing. She also managed our West Chester Growers' Market stand for two seasons. In the off-season, she is busy guiding nature programs on Sanibel Island in Florida.

Bill - our amazingly intrepid helper (rainy days are 'refreshing', Bill says), who's been with us since 2001. Bill helps us get tree pruning done in winter and spring, and is an invaluable help during orchard harvest. He picks fruit so fast, you can barely see his hands move! Come to that, he doesn't really stand still for a photo either, so pictures of him tend to show him buried in a tree, picking fruit.