Meet the Farm-ILY
ALISHA UTTER,
F
armer
Alisha grew up in New York's Hudson Valley. After earning a B.A. in Environmental Policy and Marine Science from the University of California, San Diego, she participated in the University of Vermont's Farmer Training Program in 2014. Along the way, she fell in love with Vermont and the people here. She is grateful to the farming community, especially mentor farmers Pam and Ray Allen (Allenholm Farm) and Nancy and John Hayden (The Farm Between - where the black currants pictured here were harvested).
Alisha is presently working on her PhD in Plant and Soil Science at the University of Vermont. Her research focus is on veganic farming in the United States. She was recognized as the 2017-2018 James Beard Foundation scholar for the northeastern US. She presently serves as a farmer representative on the Working Lands Enterprise Board and a board member for the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association.
And now meet who is really running the farm:
Fay
We adopted Fay from the New York City Animal Control Center (NYCACC) on the day she was scheduled to be euthanized. Today, Fay's interests include playing fetch, running wild, playing fetch, eating watermelon, and playing fetch.
Mable
Mable was found left tied to a fence in Harlem. Like her sister (Fay), we adopted Mable on the day she was scheduled to be euthanized. Mable has been described as a “gremlin” given her knack for causing chaos and sneaking snacks of strawberries, cucumbers, and misfortunate insects.
The Flock
The Arbor Farmstead hens have all been re-homed from farms and backyards where they were no longer welcome due to decline in production, etc. At Arbor Farmstead, the ol’ gals live out their lives doing whatever they please with no expectation of eggs…or good behavior.
Peter, Paula, & Mary
We took in a small flock of retired hens - and with them came the three ducks that they grew up with. The trio are amongst our most vocal and opinionated residents demanding a constant supply of mealworms, leafy greens (torn, not chopped), and slightly warm swimming pools.
Esther & Alice
Esther was found hopping through Queens; we adopted her from the NYCACC. Alice was a “pet” rehomed to us by a local who could no longer care for her. They are best friends and live with the flock of chickens enjoying fresh grass and plenty of garden scraps.