Farmer Spotlight: Adrienne Mauney
“People have a lot of commonalities to plants, in their need for care, time, and patience. Like all good things, farming takes time and effort.”
-Adrienne
Passion built upon education, culture, and nature
Adrienne’s primary passion is teaching in an outdoor setting. In college, she taught outdoor education by guiding backpacking trips. She says “When people experience open nature and all it has to offer, they inherently become part of an intentional community.” An intentional community is a group of people that are authentically part of your life. Outdoor education is coupled with a community of people that work alongside each other to connect with nature. Traveling abroad to learn and teach about the environment, Adrienne found another passion for understanding regional cultures. Adrienne is seasoned in the opportunities of educational experiences; she saw how education opens doors for people. With a background in Linguistics and fluency in Spanish, she helped start a non-profit ESL program in North Carolina where she worked as an ESL teacher for adults that were not given the opportunity to learn English. The program did the groundwork needed to help people from Central and South America learn English and aid in their transition to the United States.
“Outdoor education, international experience, and teaching has shaped who I am and why I am passionate about farming. Farms are important for community education as well as caring for and learning from Earth.”
-Adrienne
New beginnings
Starting on a journey from North Carolina to California, Adrienne combs the horizon to find a space that empowers her devotion for outdoor education, international experience, and teaching. In June, she joined Spade & Plow Organics where she could exercise her passions in the agricultural realm. Communities and food have a mutualistic relationship; when they are equally supported, everyone benefits. With opportunities to both teach and learn, Adrienne aspires to nourish her community with the knowledge she gains at Spade & Plow, personally and professionally.
Adrienne has engaged in many activities at Spade & Plow. She currently manages the greenhouse and flower program. She helps support CSA program needs by helping in the packing shed. As Spade and Plow Organics continues to grow, financial support is needed to aid in scaling production. Adrienne is helping us write grants to keep our vision moving in the right direction.
When asked what she loves most about working for a farm, she shared, “I love being part of a driven team all working towards a common goal. Leadership and customer relations are unique in farming. It is not something you come across with any large scale operation.” Adrienne also appreciates the creativity that has been added to her cooking by being part of the Spade & Plow’s CSA program. Receiving farm-fresh produce has influenced how she cooks and shops; picking foods that are in season and supporting local businesses whenever possible.
“Just as we are cultivating the land, the land is cultivating a lot in us.”
-Adrienne