Abigail Wessels

(she/her)

Legacy Apprentice - Love is Love Cooperative Farm, 2024

Jasper Hill Farm

I am currently studying Environmental and Food Studies at the University of Oregon, driven by a deep commitment to sustainability, community, and the power of food to create positive change. Last summer, I had the privilege of working as an ASLF Apprentice at Love is Love Cooperative Farm in Mansfield, Georgia, where I gained hands-on experience harvesting produce, working in the greenhouse, assisting with CSA shares, and witnessing the dedication required to run a sustainable farm. Building on that experience, I spent this past fall interning at King Estate Winery, where I fell in love with the nature of preserving perishable foods – a beautiful intersection of creativity and science that fosters a new product. I am eager to explore the aging process of cheese and draw connections to my experience with wine fermentation and aging. This summer, I am beyond excited for the opportunity to continue learning and growing at Jasper Hill, where I look forward to deepening my knowledge – and, of course, eating plenty of cheese!

Aelia Russell

(she/her)

Middlebury College

Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden

I'm a rising sophomore at Middlebury College from Maine, studying Biolody and Studio Art. Working at vegetable and aquaculture farms in Ireland and Maine has made me interested in how food systems can build community and adapt for the future. With the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund, I'm excited to learn about urban farming, meet inspiring people, & help grow good food!

Allan Chu

(he/him)

Cornell University

Monti Verdi Salumi

Hi! I’m Allan, a current student at Cornell University where I study Agricultural Sciences. I grew up in Anaheim, California where Disneyland is and became very interested in working in food sovereignty initiatives and aquaponics while there, which sparked my interest in agriculture as a whole. While studying agriculture more formally, I have come to realize the importance of both research and also communication when it comes to working with farmers. My ultimate goal is to work in Agricultural Extension, where I can help to support, work and learn from farmers. I am super excited and grateful for this opportunity, and hope that I can learn from my host farm and gain a network of people who are also passionate about sustainable agriculture and food systems!

Amanda Ohnmacht

(she/her)

Arizona State University

The Refugee Collective

Amanda is a Sustainable Food Systems graduate student at Arizona State University. She holds a BFA in Ceramics with a minor in Applied Biological Sciences from ASU and a certificate in Sustainable Agriculture from Mesa Community College. She is passionate about building a sustainable and regenerative food system through the use of ecological farming techniques. She hopes to one day have her own farm based on agroecological and is grateful for the opportunity to apprentice! In her free time she enjoys gardening, reading sustainable agriculture literature, and composting organic wastes in her backyard.

Amy John-Terry

(she/her)

New York University

D-Town Farm

Amy John-Terry is originally from PG County, Maryland and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. Raised by Guyanese immigrants, she is deeply passionate about abolitionist and decolonial approaches to learning, knowledge, and being. At NYU, she designed her own concentration focused on the intersections of Black and Native Studies. This summer, she is honored to be a part of the Black food sovereignty movement at D-Town Farm.

Anna Captain

(she/her)

Legacy Apprentice - Firefly Farms, 2024

Seguinland Institute & Glidden Point Oyster Farms

My name is Anna Captain! I currently work as a cheesemonger at NYC’s Spitfire Cheese and Sundry and serve as the Drinks Assistant at Food & Wine magazine. I studied culture and rhetoric at NYU’s Gallatin School. I adore the serendipity, community, connection and empowerment fostered through the food and beverage space. A commitment to nourishing others is a demonstration of faith in the future. I’m thrilled to have received this opportunity with ASLF and cannot wait to dive headfirst into the world of aquaculture this summer!

Anna Yankee

(she/her)

Hamilton College

Lively Run Goat Dairy

Anna is a recent graduate from Hamilton College passionate about food system sustainability. Her love for food was fostered through a childhood spent growing pumpkins, frequenting the farmers’ market, and reading cookbooks before bed. Anna became interested in the intersection between food and environmental issues while studying in France in high school. She continued to explore these subjects while majoring in Environmental Studies at Hamilton. Anna is particularly passionate about food waste, especially after having founded an on-campus food waste recovery program. This past year, Anna had the opportunity to study food system sustainability in Italy, later extending her stay to intern at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters in Rome. She is very excited to be delving into the world of goat cheese at Lively Run Dairy in September after spending the summer interning with Indigo Ag in Boston.

Benjamin Iannini

(he/him)

Reed College

Red Hook Farms

I'm Benjamin Iannini, a current freshman at Reed College in Portland, OR. I have been extremely interested in nature and the outdoors since I was young. I've also volunteered across the country through Outward Bound, working for farms, towns, and national parks. Through this, and yearly hiking trips with the same organization, I've fostered a love for hard work, community engagement, and learning from as well as leading my peers. This summer, I will be volunteering at Red Hooks Farms, in a neighborhood I've spent a lot of time in as I've grown up in Brooklyn, NY. I believe my experience will let me engage with my many aforementioned values, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do so.

Bethany Edwards

(she/her)

Urban Green Lab

Brother Nature Produce

Though I was raised by a long line of family who sought to nurture the land, it wasn’t until later in life that my own experiences solidified my desire to do the same. Working on farms as a volunteer with WWOOF, I’ve milked goats and made cheese, planted and harvested lavender, planted plots of veggies, got between a farm dog and “their” chicken egg, the list goes on. Ankle-deep in mud, sunburnt and sore, but deeply content. I currently work for a sustainability nonprofit in Nashville, Urban Green Lab, and provide education and resources to help workplaces implement sustainability into their every day. It really feels like the chance of a lifetime to have this opportunity with ASLF and I’m so excited to learn all that I can.

Cali Tran

(she/her)

Asian & Pacific Islander Health Forum

Weavers Way Farms

Hi! My name is Cali Tran and I'm the proud daughter of refugees hailing from the Red River Delta in Vietnam, now rooted in the City of Brotherly Love. I have my bachelor's degree in anthropology from Temple University and my master's degree in social work from West Chester University. My work has mostly been in public health, from community-based contexts to the national nonprofit landscape. Food has always been a personal passion, especially learning about diverse foodways and how history has shaped ancestral traditions and tastes. I find myself here at the crossroads of public health and food systems to fight for the wellness we all deserve. I am thrilled to be joining Weavers Way Farm right here in Philadelphia to learn hands-on the magic of what happens when a community comes together to nourish one another and inspire the next generations to do the same.

Caterra Cornejo

(she/her)

Legacy Apprentice - Anishnaabe Agriculture Institute, 2022 & Southside Community Farm, 2023

Blue Acres Aquaculture

Caterra is a 26-year-old future farmer from Southern California passionate about feeding her community A two-time alum of the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund, she currently works as a chef at a treatment facility while furthering her education studying urban agriculture at San Diego City College.

Charlotte Iradukunda

(they/them)

New York University

Rise & Root Farm

kunda is a multidisciplinary creative, who is also a student of abolition. They are passionate about community work such as mutual aid, as well as having community spaces and resources available for all marginalized folks. They love nature and being outdoors, and are a refugee from Uganda continuing their ancestors' connection to farming and liberation.

Charlotte Maffie

(she/her)

Legacy Apprentice - Catskill Wagyu at Hilltop Farm, 2024

Jasper Hill Farm

Charlotte is a senior studying Chemistry at Bates College and will graduate in May of 2025. After taking a class on the biology of cheese in her sophomore year, she decided to pursue a career in food science. Last year she worked for the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund at Catskill Wagyu at Hilltop Farm where she learned how to milk and care for cows, and make small batches of cheese. This summer at Jasper Hill she is excited to learn more about large scale cheese production and grow her skills in cheesemaking and animal husbandry.

Clara Honsinger

(she/her)

Oregon State University

Rogue Creamery

Clara was raised in Southern Oregon where she spent her childhood exploring the surrounding mountains and rivers. Her summers were highlighted by picking apricots in local orchards and trips to a friend's goat farm above town. She went on to earn her BS in Nutrition from Oregon State University while pursuing a career as a professional road and cyclocross cyclist. Through bicycle racing, she had the opportunity to travel throughout the U.S. and Europe and was fascinated by how different cultures and communities interacted with their food. Upon retiring from racing in 2024, she returned to Oregon and completed several internships at local craft breweries. Inspired by the industry's dedication to quality and collaboration in artisan food, she began an MS in Food Science and Technology at OSU and currently studies proteins in cow’s milk. She hopes to develop expertise and use her education to help artisan creameries identify challenges and create solutions. Her ASLF apprenticeship at Rogue Creamery this summer will be a truly unique opportunity to learn from some of the best cheesemakers in the country.

Danielle D’Antuono

(she/her)

New York University

Avenue 33 Farm

Danielle D’Antuono is a recent graduate from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study in the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholars Honors Program. She earned a BA in Individualized Study with a concentration titled “Actual Living Sense: Garden-Variety Expressions of Society and Culture.” Over the last four years, she’s explored how what we eat shapes who we are–how food can be a source of creativity, community, sustainability, and joy. She is passionate about urban agriculture and design, food media and marketing, and cultural expressions of foodways. Danielle grew up in Altadena, CA–she hopes to learn how to steward Altadena’s land sustainability with community members and neighbors in mind. Danielle is so excited to return home and work at Avenue 33 Farm in Los Angeles!

Delaney Hackett

(she/her)

Legacy Apprentice - Urban Growers Collective, 2023

Seguinland Institute & Veggies to Table

This is my second year as an apprentice with ASLF, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work and learn in the stunning, rural landscape of Maine. I find my greatest joy being outdoors, exploring nature, and embracing new experiences. Currently, I’m a rising senior at the University of Vermont, where I’m studying Sustainability, Ecology, and Policy, alongside Spanish. I’m excited for the new connections and opportunities that lie ahead!

Eli Moore

(he/him)

SUNY Cobleskill

Paradise Locker Meats

Hello! - My name is Eli; I am beyond grateful to have the opportunity to apprentice at Paradise Locker Meats this summer. For several years now the food system has been my vocation. So far, much of my career has been spent learning culinary arts and working in food service operations. Recently, I have been studying Applied Fermentation, and Food Systems and Technology at SUNY Cobleskill. Things that make me happy are cooking, eating, being in nature, reading, swimming and disc golf. It is a privilege to have been chosen for an ASLF apprenticeship; I am very much excited and looking forward to this experience.

Emma Burke

(she/her)

University of California Santa Barbara

Our Core

Emma was born in the Bay Area of California, climbing trees and swimming in the ice cold Pacific Ocean. She graduated from UCSB with her degree in Environmental Studies and spent her time working with a variety of environmental organizations at the University such as the Zero Waste Committee and the Edible Campus Program. From expanding compost infrastructure on campus, to growing engagement in community gardens, she was committed to learning the art of locally grown food and teaching it to others. Following this commitment to localizing food systems, she worked with a non-profit hydroponic farm in a food desert in Santa Barbara and restarted their education program for the neighboring students to learn about alternative and regenerative agriculture practices.

Evan Laurent

(she/they)

Mad River Taste Place

Spring Brook Farm

My name is Evan Laurent! I am a born and raised Vermont currently working as a cheesemonger and buyer at 5th Quarter Butcher and Provisions (FKA Mad River Taste Place) in Waitsfield, VT. I feel very fortunate to have grown up with access to amazing cheeses and love to share them with others. I adore all things cheese from building boards to educating customers on different styles, and am very excited to add cheesemaking and affinage to my repertoire at Springbrook this summer! I have done a bit of everything from vegetable farming to working as a prep chef in Colorado which has sparked my interest in sustainably made foods, especially cheese! When I am not doing “cheesy” things, you can find me swimming in the Mad River, skiing, cooking, or reading.

Fafa Van Ha

(she/her)

Yale Sustainable Food Program

Urban Growers Collective

Fafa Van Ha's interests lie in ecological approaches to food sovereignty and justice, which she hopes to explore through her apprenticeship at Urban Growers Collective this summer. Born and raised in Chicago, she moved to New Haven for college and graduated with a B.S. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and a certificate in Energy Studies in 2022. After graduating, Fafa served as a fellow at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Center for One Health Research working with communitymembers, public health researchers, and practicing veterinarians, where she was exposed to the relations between Food Security and Food Sovereignty. She returned to New Haven for a two year fellowship in food & agriculture at the Yale Sustainable Food Program, where she managed educational programming and strategic communications on and off the Yale Farm. Following ASLF, Fafa will pursue a Master's in Environmental Management at Duke. Off the farm, you'll find her biking, playing mahjong, or trying a new recipe. She's excited to learn and understand food ways in her hometown.

Gabriella Hernandez

(she/her)

Freelance Culinary Professional

Stonewood Farm

I'm a Tampeña with nearly a decade of experience working in restaurants and hospitality, in all parts of the brigade–yes, my first job was washing dishes–and I've really felt at home in the kitchen for my entire life. In this apprenticeship, I look forward to gaining a grower's perspective which I will take with me as I work toward opening a cafe with respect to the seasonality of food and beverage. Engaging in sustainable practices regarding food, of course, but also labor is a priority for me as I forge a better work life balance for those in this industry. I have a degree in communication, media, and culture studies, am a member of Slow Food, and a volunteer for World Central Kitchen. Beyond food, I am passionate about disability equity and representing the Cuban diaspora. As a patron of the arts I have various creative pursuits such as writing and painting; and, in my free time, you can find me enjoying un cafecito with family and friends, reading a book with my cat, or experiencing cafe culture in my travels. Thank you to the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund and Stonewood Farm for this incredible opportunity that fuels my future in food.

Gia Williams

(she/her)

Whole Foods

Cato Corner Farm

Hi, my name is Haydee Torres, I am a pastry chef, event planner and entrepreneur. I love to travel, learn and have new experiences. I feel the more you learn the more you grow the wiser you become and the more you can teach. I am a big foodie and love to try all different types of cuisines, my goal is to travel around the world and explore all types of food, music and cultures. My dream is to one day open my own bakery and catering company. In my spare time I love spending time with my family, my friends and my dog Milo. I aspire to one day leave a lasting legacy, one defined not only by my accomplishments, but by the passion, integrity, and impact present in all that I do. I am super excited for this new opportunity to travel to Spain and help one of the largest goat farms in the country! I will be caring for thousands of goats and learn how to make cheese, how exciting! Thank you ASLF for making this possible!

Grace Wertanen

(she/her)

Bellflower Restaurant

Urban Growers Collective

Gia Williams is an artist, writer, and food worker based in New England. She is passionate about connecting people to the resources they need to thrive. And yes, cheese is a resource!

Haydee Torres

(she/her)

Legacy Apprentice - Queens County Farm Museum, 2023

Kpra SL Goat Dairy Spain

Hello! My name is Grace and I am so eager to continue my urban agriculture journey with the Urban Grower’s Collective in Chicago! I am from Saint Joseph, MI, a cozy town on Lake Michigan with plenty of farms, beaches, and forests. I graduated from the University of Michigan where I focused on art, social engagement, and sustainability. My passion for urban farming grew from meaningful experiences at urban farms in Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Ypsilanti. After leaving my small town, I fell in love with city living and plan to keep fighting for food access within them. When I’m not weeding till the cows come home, I like to cook, mend clothes, care for my snails, collect trinkets, play the piano, bass, and DJ.

Isabella Ingersoll

(she/her)

Colorado College

Love is Love Farm

Hello! My name is Isabella Ingersoll and I am from Berkeley, California. I recently graduated from Colorado College, where I majored in Environmental Studies while contributing to my school’s outdoor education program and sustainable food-based living community. This led me to engage with the multifaceted ways in which humans develop intentionality in their interactions with ecological systems, and I am thrilled to push my questions and observations further by learning directly about food systems. I have found joy and community come naturally when working with or playing on the land – thank you ASLF for this opportunity!

John Grund

(they/he)

Artist

Star Route Farm

John Grund is an artist, community organizer, and gardener based in Brooklyn, NY. His practice explores relationships between technology and nature, living on a planet in decay, finding meaning in the every day, and tensions between city and country. John enjoys sitting in the sun, drawing from nature, and working with his community. He loves the wind and other unseen forces of nature and is currently working on making ceramic instruments from wild clay.

Juliette Kang

(she/her)

Legacy Apprentice - Firefly Farms, 2023

Kpra SL Goat Dairy Spain

Hi! My name is Juliette, and I’m a first-year student at NYU studying Nutrition and Food Studies. I love baking, sharing meals, and biking around the city or the occasional trail. Ever since I worked as an apprentice cheesemaker at Firefly Farms, I’ve become interested in learning more about the relationship between food, animals, and the environment.

This will be my second apprenticeship with ASLF, and I can’t wait to immerse myself once again in the world of food and agriculture. Two years ago, I was at Firefly Farms, making cheese with goat’s milk. This summer, I’ll be at Kpra SL, learning how to milk goats! I look forward to working with the Murciano-Granadina goats and studying the art of milk farming.

Kat Filipkowski

(she/her)

DiBruno Brothers Italian Market

Uplands Cheese

Kat is a cheesemonger in the great city of Philadelphia. When not behind the counter, she enjoys making fresh pasta for her loved ones, trying new craft beers, and watching the Phillies. She frequently visits her parents (and dog, Stella) back in New Jersey, as well as her friends in Horror Book Club. She is so excited and honored to be an apprentice for Uplands Cheese!

Lola Guthrie

(she/her)

University of California Santa Cruz

Firefly Farms

My name is Lola, and I am from Northern California. I grew up homeschooling on a small farm where I first saw the deep power that comes with growing and making your own food. I also developed a love for the world around me and a hunger for the marrow of life, and these things have profoundly shaped by journey ever since. I am now an agroecology and literature student at UC Santa Cruz as well as a singer-songwriter. I believe that food and music are two of the most ancient and important vessels for community, and I want to dedicate my life to bringing people together to find resilience and joy with both of them. It is an honor to be an ASLF apprentice, and I hope that my experience at Firefly Farms will ripple far beyond me into the world and the hearts of others.

Maitri Niles

(she/her)

Brown University

Winona’s Hemp & Heritage Farm

I am a rising Junior at Brown University studying International and Public Affairs. I’m from New York City and have found power in being connected to the land and growing food sustainably and intentionally. I believe that regenerative agriculture is a climate solution and a tool for advancing food and economic sovereignty. I’m so excited to live, learn, and work at Winona’s Hemp and Heritage Farm this summer!

Martise Dubose

(she/her/they)

Truth Be Told Restaurant

Fisheye Farms

I've been a professional chef for 5 years now in the city of Chicago. A few years ago, I opened my own business titled, The Lovebug Dubose, where I prepare traditional Creole dishes I grew up eating. I've catered events, hosted private dinner parties, and curated various menus that include pescatarian/alkaline and vegan based options. Last fall I had the pleasure of interning with Urban Growers Collective in South Chicago. My first experience learning to farm tremendously deepened my connection to food. I want to incorporate a farm to table experience with my cooking to help educate others about food and nutrition. I want to give a special thank you ASLF for this opportunity to better our communities one meal at a time!

Matilda Sakamoto

(she/her)

Freelance Dancer, Choreographer & Teacher

Brooklyn Grange

Matilda Sakamoto, a Los Angeles native who has called New York home for the past twelve years, is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and performer whose versatile talents have graced prestigious productions like "Sleep No More," commercial campaigns for Apple, the play "The Michaels" at the Public Theatre and numerous music videos. A Juilliard-trained artist, Matilda has cultivated a deep reverence for nature throughout her life and has long yearned for a more profound connection to the natural world. She is thrilled to embrace this hands-on farming opportunity with the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund in partnership with Brooklyn Grange, a rare and valuable experience in her field. Matilda believes that nurturing a closer relationship with growing things will significantly enrich and deepen her artistic practice, and she eagerly anticipates how this immersive environmental engagement will transform both her creative work and broader life perspective.

Max Lazary

(he/him)

Legacy Apprentice - Jasper Hill Farm, 2024

Talbott & Arding

Max Lazary is a lifelong food enthusiast who has spent his years working for restaurants, wholesale distributors, and most recently, cheese shops in Philadelphia. Coming from a large Greek American and Italian American family, food has always been a focal point in his life. After spending August ‘24 as an apprentice at Jasper Hill Farm, Max is thrilled to one again work as an ASLF apprentice this summer behind a new cheese counter at Talbott & Arding.

Megan Wang

(she/her)

Librae Bakery

Gentle Time Farm

Megan Wang is a Brooklyn-based baker with both bread and pastry experience at bakeries including Radio, Librae and Saraghina; and, a traveling chef for Climate Farm School. Growing up in Beijing, her parents opened a farm-to-table restaurant aligned with the Slow Food Movement ethos in the foothills of the Great Wall - revitalizing an abandoned schoolyard - where she saw the educational opportunities it presented to discuss local sourcing, and was exposed to a hopeful future for food and the challenges of running a small sustainable business. In this next chapter of her career, she remains a student of regenerative agricultural practices and is eager to incorporate locally sourced and freshly milled grains from the East Coast with seasonal ingredients in her exploration of cross-cultural baking and community.

Mena Drakeley

(she/her)

Legacy Apprentice - Jasper Hill Farm, 2024

Lazy Lady Farm

I decided after the first term in my 4th year at Oregon State University, studying Food Science and Sustainable Technology, that I wanted to take a gap year to get more hands on experience in the field of cheese production. Simultaneously, ASLF was presenting their Legacy Apprenticeships for Alumni of the program. Everything seemingly fell into place, and I have been granted the opportunity to come back to Vermont to work for Lazy Lady Farm for the season.
My experiences thus far within my education, working in the Oregon state creamery, working in restaurants, and my previous internship with Jasper Hill has given me a multitude of passion for food production, especially seeing things from start to finish and having a hand in every part of the process. I'm excited to see how things differ, are the same, and the ways in which these learning opportunities within the farm can propel my learning and perspectives of what food production can be, especially at a much smaller scale. Food at this scale I feel becomes very intimate, and I'm thankful to be given the opportunity to experience such a process.

Nur Freese

(they/them)

Thoreau College

Winona’s Hemp & Heritage Farm

Hello! My name is Nur. I am currently a student at Thoreau College in rural southwestern Wisconsin. I have a deep passion for animal husbandry and holistic agriculture practices, specifically with tying in spirituality and ecology into land stewardship. In my free time, I love biking, backpacking, and reading.

Rachel Friedberg

(she/her)

New York University

Queens County Farm Museum

My name is Rachel Friedberg and I am a sophomore at New York University studying sustainable business. I grew up in Westchester NY and have loved gardening during my summers there. During this internship I am excited to expand this knowledge and learn more about regenerative soil practices, various crops, creating recipes, and pest management. I am excited to meet you all and hope to be a valuable addition to the team!

Randy Stevens

(he/him)

Bard College

Deep Rooted Organics

My name is Randy Stevens and I am a junior at Bard College studying Music and Environmental Studies. I play tenor saxophone in the Jazz department at Bard, and I also run a weekly show on WXBC, the Bard College radio station. Aside from music, my other passion is agriculture, which has been slowly developing over many years. As a kid, I went to a farm camp in the Poconos, and absolutely loved how I was able to develop meaningful relationships with other campers, counselors, as well as animals like Fawn the cow or Jackie the donkey. This experience completely changed my life, and I have been wanting to live on a farm ever since! When I heard of the ASLF program, I knew I had to apply because it allowed me to combine my two passions of music and farming through the storytelling project. I cannot wait to join the team at Deep Rooted Organic farm and share these passions with others.

Reema Kakaday

(she/her)

Product Innovation & Sustainability Consulting

SingleThread Farms

Reema is an urban gardener, home chef, and community-builder who champions food as a vehicle for societal transformation. With 7+ years in innovation strategy and human-centered design, she bridges people, planet, and profit to build a bold, abundant future. Her commitment to climate and food justice fuels her ongoing education, most recently earning a Permaculture Design Certificate from the Permaculture Institute of America & Ecoversity.

Rosie Houghton

(she/her)

Legacy Apprentice - Kinderhook Farm, 2024

Blackeyed Susan Sheep Dairy

Hi! My name is Rosie Houghton, and I am a double major in Psychology and Environmental Studies at Santa Clara University. I spent last summer working on Kinderhook Farm, which specializes in sustainable meat production. It was there that my view of agriculture, and more specifically the food production industry, completely shifted. This experience was one of the most transformative of my life, and I knew that I had to continue exploring my passion for sustainable food production. I am so grateful to be able to continue this journey with ASLF this summer with Blackeyed Susan Sheep Dairy.

Ruby Bleskacek

(she/they)

Plow Restaurant

Queens County Farm Museum

My name is Ruby Bleskacek, and I was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. I grew up always wanting to get my hands in the dirt— whether that meant playing in a park or enjoying a field trip to a local farm. Spending time at different farms and learning about the people, communities, and lands they inhabit helped foster my passion for the cultural aspects of growing and sharing food. In college, I studied environmental science and anthropology, focusing on indigenous agricultural practices in the American West. This helped me deepen my understanding of how the practice of farming can create something much more expansive than simple sustenance. I currently live and work in Brooklyn, New York, and spend my time cooking, teaching in the park, and trying to get better at identifying trees in the winter. I can’t wait to apprentice at Queens County Farm Museum and share my love for creating food, experiences, and community!

Ryan Stasolla

(he/him)

Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming

von Trapp Farmstead

Ryan Stasolla is a Hudson Valley based educator and retail specalist with an interest in the intersection of social entrepreneurship and regional food systems. his affinity for a healthier food system stems from his love of cooking and reverence for small farmers and artisan makers. This summer, he will be joining the von Trapp Farmestead and working to understand the beautiful complexities of farmstead cheese. Ryan is thrilled to see himself as part of this inspiring community of change makers.

Sal Ward

(she/they)

Warren Wilson College

Featherstone Garden

Hi, I am Sal Ward, I live in Asheville North Carolina and I am currently attending Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa North Carolina. I am an environmental studies major and I am also on the forestry crew at Warren Wilson. Through this crew I have had the unique opportunity to learn and grow and cultivate food in other ways and I am so grateful to ASLF to providing this apprenticeship opportunity.

Sara Hodaie

(she/they)

BioBAT Art Space

Harlem Grown

Sara is a Brooklyn-based artist and writer whose interdisciplinary practice engages with the ecologies of place and care. Since earning her master's degree in Environmental Humanities and Urban Ecology last year, she has been working at BioBAT Art Space and conducting fieldwork through a horticulture fellowship with NBK Parks. Sara's practice aims to cultivate kinships and knowledges with the ecologies that are often dismissed or trampled over amidst the haste of urban life. She is especially interested in the transformative potential of urban agriculture to reclaim our relationship with land, food, and community care in city centers. Sara is thrilled to deepen her understanding of this vital work at Harlem Grown through the ASLF apprenticeship.

Shaila Perry

(she/her)

NYC Asylum Application Help Center

Ohio City Farm

Hi! I'm Shaila Perry and I am so honored to be an ASLF apprentice this summer! I graduated college in 2023 from the dual degree program between Columbia University and Trinity College Dublin, where I studied Environmental History and European Studies. For the past few years I have been working in support of immigrant rights in a variety of roles including research, legal aid, and mutual aid. As such, I am so excited to explore my passion for sustainable agriculture at Ohio City Farm, an urban farm focused on empowering immigrant and refugee newcomers.

Talia Daneshrad

(she/her)

The Center for Nutritional Psychology

Featherstone Garden

I am a Master's student in Food Studies at NYU, passionate about the connection between food, wellness, and storytelling. My growing expertise lies in nutritional psychology which focuses on how food affects our mental health and our brain. I'm currently buidling a forward-facing brand on social media called @EatwithQuinn where I'm helping people feel better through food by eating easier. I have a background in marketing and entrepreneurship, and I'm excited to gain hands-on experience in food production and deepen my understanding of our food system from the ground up.

Viola Katona

(she/her)

University of California at Santa Barbara

Catskill Wagyu at Hilltop Farm

I am in my second year of school at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) where I study Physical Geography. My interest in agriculture began in the small Hungarian village where my mom grew up and where I spent two summers of my childhood. It was clear to me, even at a young age, that everyone shared a deep connection to the land, understanding not only how to use its resources but also how to care for it with respect and intention. I've gained many valuable experiences in the past few years that have given me a better understanding of food systems and strengthened my interest in agroecology. My time working at an on-campus dining hall opened my eyes to the horrible food waste and unsustainable practices in our food system. Too many people have become so removed from where their food comes from that they see it as easily disposable. I have also spent time volunteering on a local farm, where I have learned about organic farming, composting, and how to run a small farm operation. I now sell walnuts at local farmers markets, which has been a great way to interact with the community and has been so awesome to see how local, sustainable, and delicious food brings people together. I’m beyond excited to work with Catskill Wagyu at Hilltop Farm this summer and the opportunity to deepen my understanding of sustainable practices, local food systems, and the people and land that make it all possible.

Introducing the Class of 2025!