Growing season is fully upon us here at Green City Growers! And with each spring comes a number of new faces whose tireless efforts are the reason that we’ve been able to keep growing (in every sense of the word.) This time last year we had 12 full time employees — now we have 16! While a handful of our 2015 staff have moved on to new careers and opportunities across the world, we’re very excited to welcome seven new individuals to our team.
Kate is very excited to be joining the GCG team this year. As a North Shore native who spent many years traveling, she is happy to be back in Massachusetts. Through an interesting turn of events, Kate went from a career in electronics to a full-time farming position in the fields of Danvers and Salisbury, MA. While there, she learned the necessary skills to grow organic food for herself and others, as well as native flowers and medicinal plants. She is also an herbalist apprentice and is always trying to expand her knowledge of plant, tree, and fungi identification. Kate is looking forward to this year’s growing season and is excited to begin working with GCG and the greater Boston community to continue bringing food sustainability to the region. In her spare time you might find her at some community event around town or her favorite place: the ocean.
Claire joined the Green City Growers team in the spring of 2016, after having lived and worked on farms and gardens for most of her life, and heads up a number of our garden education programs for youth. She has been developing her skill in sustainable farming for the last eight years including completing a bachelors degree in Sustainable Agriculture, and working on a vegetable farm, landscaping, and at The Land Institute, an agricultural research facility in Kansas. Claire is committed to making farming more ecologically sustainable, bringing food production and people closer together, and teaching good farming practice and environmental stewardship. Outside of her time at GCG, Claire enjoys Tai Chi, learning, running around outside, and cooking.
Li joined GCG in the spring of 2016. They have a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and German from the University of Vermont. Li has spent time focusing on permaculture and sustainability initiatives in Vermont, Nicaragua, and Germany. They are happy to be closer to their hometown again and are excited to take part in the greening of Boston! When Li is not at GCG, you can find them drinking tea and bird watching, sometimes simultaneously.
Our operations department has always relied on seasonal labor, but with a higher demand this year for raised bed installations and other products, it was time to staff more fully. We’re excited to have Tim and Blake on board to lead the builds and installations teams, respectively.
Tim joined Green City Growers in 2015 as a seasonal crew member, but he’s excited to be on board full time as Builds Manager this season. Born in Boston and raised on the North Shore, Tim has deep roots to the city. Tim is a retired Army veteran, having served for thirteen years. He lives with his wife of twelve years, Melissa, and his son, Benjamin. Tim cares passionately about sustainability, self-sufficiency, and education, all of which he is proud to support through his work at Green City Growers.
Blake Candler graduated from Davidson College as a French major and Philosophy minor. He recently competed his Peace Corps service in Morocco where he received a grant which allowed him to start an Environment and Leadership Program. He has also volunteered as a Skilled Roofing Supervisor for Habitat for Humanity for several years. Blake loves free food, but is also occasionally known to purchase food.
Our office team keeps this crazy urban farming ship on course, and this year we’ve added to our ranks! With an increasing number of commercial clients, we needed to bring in extra help to make sure our farmers’ schedules are in line, installations are rolling out in a timely fashion, and someone’s always available to answer the phone. Say hello to Emma!
Emma attended Muhlenberg College where she obtained a degree in Business Management and Sustainability and developed a passion for corporate social responsibility and food policy. She spent some time working in management education, but left to pursue a career more closely relating to food and the environment. Before coming to GCG in 2016, she additionally worked in the rewarding world of food rescue and donation. If you can’t find her, Emma is most likely eating, reading, or playing with someone else’s puppy.
Want to join the Green City Growers team? We’re currently hiring for summer interns and on-call labor for our horticulture and operations teams!