Meet Laura!
Adrienne L. This is your second season working in the farmstand and hello café, what brought you to the farm initially?
Laura A. - I’ve always been passionate about food, sustainability & agriculture but ended up going down a different path after college. I was working for a cultural exchange company in Stamford, CT when I saw the job opening at Cedar Circle, and decided it was a great time to make a change in my life, learn something completely new, and pursue a career in something I care so much about.
AL - Have you ever worked on a farm or in retail before you came here?
LA - Other than a brief stint at the Circle K/Irving next to campus when I was a student at UNH years ago, I hadn’t worked at a farm or in retail before this.
AL - Can you share a favorite story about working at CCF?
LA - Last fall, I got to work with visiting school groups (grades 1-3) during pumpkin season. They were all so engaged and enthusiastic, especially about picking pumpkins. We talked with them about the life cycle of a seed, and I was surprised to hear that a lot of them already knew about things like germination and photosynthesis!
AL - As a young person in the Upper Valley, what do you like to do in your off-work hours?
LA - On my days off, when I’m not working for the Men’s Lacrosse team at Dartmouth, I spend a lot of time with my family – playing trains with my nephews, exploring, cooking, and hiking whenever possible.
AL - What is your favorite veggie/ fruit that we grow? How about Cedar Circle Farm kitchen prepared item?
LA - Lacinato kale (sautéed with eggs & sriracha for breakfast). And as some of you may already know, I have a weakness for the bread puddings!
AL - Can you tell me something about yourself that may surprise me?
LA - For my Master’s thesis, I compared conservation programs in the US Farm Bill with the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (in French!).
AL - Wow! In French…that’s impressive Laura! Are you able to keep up your French language skills in the Upper Valley?
LA - Honestly, it hasn’t been a focus for me this year. But as I continue to settle in here, I’ll work back into it.
AL - Thanks for chatting with me, I have one last question…In a sentence or two, tell me something that you’ve learned from being at the farm for 2 seasons?
LA - It’s been interesting to see which produce comes over to the farmstand from processing each day. It’s been eye-opening realizing how short (or long) each season is. It’s also exciting to see veggies briefly reappear when we thought the season had ended!
