My name is Franci Haeg, and I’m a curriculum and training (CAT) apprentice at Spark-Y.
This past November another CAT apprentice and I had the privilege of interviewing three local urban farmers over Zoom along with our curriculum manager Gabrielle Anderson. These farmers were Elyssa Eull of Califonia Street Farm, Andrew Rescorla of Urban Greens, and Frank Licari of Appetite for Change. We learned how they made it in the industry, what they found to be most challenging and rewarding about their jobs, their typical workdays, and the changes they predicted we’ll see in the industry.
Elyssa Eull - California Street Farm
Elyssa Eull owns and operates California Street Farm, located in the Bottineau neighborhood of Northeast Minneapolis. It is a diversified flower and vegetable farm that sells goods at the Northeast Farmers Market and to CSA shares. They utilize a low to no till farming strategy and avoid the use of toxic chemicals on their plants. Elyssa achieved her position at California Street Farm by studying biology and international studies which sparked her interest in agriculture and food systems, and then working at a series of vegetable and livestock farms. Her advice to young people interested in becoming urban farmers is to find mentors who are in different stages of their careers and to work for others to gain experience - but never for free.
Andrew Rescorla - Urban Greens
Andrew Rescorla is the owner and jack of all trades at Urban Greens, an indoor hydroponic farm in Columbia Heights. The microgreens grown at Urban Greens are sold at local co-ops and grocery stores including Eastside Food Co-op and the Seward Community Co-op. He studied environmental engineering and began exploring his interest in urban agriculture by running a hydroponics system in his basement which slowly expanded into Urban Greens. He encourages those interested in urban agriculture to simply “do something” about it, start by growing something in your house. Aquaponics and hydroponics labs can be tabletop projects!
Frank Licari - Appetite for Change
Frank Licari manages the urban agriculture program at Appetite for Change, whose mission is to use food as a tool for health, wealth, and social change. This past year Appetite for Change has run mealbox programs, youth programs, and cooking workshops in North Minneapolis. Frank started out by “WWOOFing” (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms). He lived and worked on an organic permaculture farm and loved the lifestyle. His advice to young farmers is to “pace yourself” and make sure to set boundaries with your work so you don’t burn out.
Common Themes:
There were some overarching themes I noticed in all three interviews. First of all, every farmer said that they worked long hours and that the work of the farm never seemed to be done. That’s also why they all preached the importance of boundaries; taking time for self care, not working for free. It sounds like the urban farming industry is one that is easy to burn out of if you’re not careful. Another common theme that made me optimistic was that all three farmers expected the more sustainable urban farming industry to grow and flourish in place of traditional commercial agriculture. Overall, it was an inspirational and enlightening experience that helped me imagine a future in the growing urban farming industry.