Rock Bottom Ranch Farmer Panel
Get to Know Your Farmers!
We hope you will join us at our 2nd annual Farmer Panel at Rock Bottom Ranch Tuesday, September 14 at 6pm. This event showcases our local farmers and speaks to what it takes to be a local grower in the Roaring Fork Valley. Moderated by Alyssa Barsanti, ACES Farmer Training Facilitator.
This is a free community event; advanced registration is required.
Meet Our Farmers:
Mariah Foley, Agriculture Manager
Mariah is in her third growing season at Rock Bottom Ranch, and ninth year of measuring time in growing seasons. She is privileged every day to learn from a stellar team and a beautiful slice of land.
Jen Ghigiarelli, Livestock and Land Lead
Even in her third season at Rock Bottom Ranch, Jen continues to learn more about how to care for the land and animals every day. Beyond her love for multispecies intensive grazing systems, she’s especially found a passion for mentoring others in the field, and is proud of the Farmer Training Program launched in 2021.
Shannon Hourigan, Livestock and Land Apprentice
Shannon has only previously dipped her toes into farming, having studied environmental science and sustainable agriculture in school. WWOOFing and fostering a lifelong love for animals gave her some practical experience, but came to RBR for more. She has been smitten with both the ups and the downs of a first full season of farming at Rock Bottom.
Juliette Moffroid, Vegetable Lead
Drawn to farming as a way to steward a more intimate connection between the land and the community she works within, Juliette eagerly returned to her hometown to work with Rock Bottom Ranch for her sixth season of farming.
Ray Mooney, Livestock and Land Apprentice
While getting a degree in Geography, Ray became interested in how proper livestock management can restore and coexist within an ecosystem and support the nutrition of the community. Ray gained some farm experience while doing research in Australia and farming in Vermont, but was excited to come to Rock Bottom Ranch for the hands-on learning opportunities.
Hannah Pike, Vegetable Apprentice
Since her undergrad, Hannah has spent two harvests in winegrape production and a season farming larger scale vegetables. Hannah came to RBR excited for the opportunity to delve into low-till, high intensity vegetable production, and to immerse herself in an active food community.
Hollis Vanderlinden, Vegetable Apprentice
With a background in food sovereignty nonprofit work and a love of both vegetable and livestock farming, Hollis came to Rock Bottom Ranch to develop a solid foundation in small-scale, diverse agriculture that emphasizes being in a good relationship with land and community.
Moderator:
Alyssa Barsanti, ACES Farmer Training Facilitator & Owner of Marigold Livestock Company
With a love for food and being outside under the sun, Alyssa became increasingly interested in agriculture in her early 20s. She had a potbelly pig for a few years during her childhood, but it wasn’t until after college that she found herself on a farm. After one season of farming, she was hooked, though she wasn’t quite ready to admit a career in agriculture. Now, Alyssa’s passion for agriculture, from raising sheep, moving fence, growing vegetables, harvesting flowers, has far surpassed what she imagined as a 22-year-old. Caring for livestock, improving soil, providing nutritious food, and having a positive impact on the land drive Alyssa through the long days and sometimes tiring or difficult moments. Alyssa grew up in California, went to college in Boston, spent some time in northern Vermont, and has called the Roaring Fork Valley home since 2015. Prior to Marigold Livestock Co., Alyssa spent many years farming at ACES at Rock Bottom Ranch. Through her time there, she gained a strong passion for the land and dreamt up Marigold Livestock Co.