Lizzie Wilford graduated from Dickinson Faculty in 2016 with a Studio Arts diploma. As a pupil, she was excited concerning the Faculty Farm. She grew to become associates with a variety of pupil farmers and was a loyal supporter, attending each Pizza on the Plaza and different Farm-sponsored occasions on campus. Following commencement, Lizzie received the prospect to additional contain herself in farm happenings because the Schooling and Outreach Coordinator. She was wanting ahead to the steadiness between outside and indoor work that the place provided and located herself happiest when she was outdoors, serving to on the farm, getting her arms soiled, and enjoying with the animals.
She says her path since graduating Dickinson has been something however straight and slender. Following her EOC days, Lizzie joined fellow DCF alum Megan Moody within the Adirondack Mountains – at Craigardan, an artist residency program that additionally boasts a small farm on their property. Her work week was cut up between farm and property chores and private artwork tasks. As a former TA within the Dickinson clay studio, she was excited to get to work with ceramics once more. Throughout this time, Lizzie additionally began working for an additional native farm, working their farmer’s market as soon as per week. On the finish of her residency, Lizzie continued working full-time for the native farm, attending 5 markets per week and dealing with wholesale deliveries via October 2018. She was blissful to remain within the idyllic Adirondacks and received to deliver her golden retriever alongside for the journey.
Lizzie then transitioned into development with associates from Craigardan, and later into maple operations, working with a neighborhood farmer whom she related with via the farmer’s market circuit. As their supervisor, she oversaw the sugar bush made up of over 1,500 sugar maple timber. When there was a leak or hole within the tubing system (this might occur because of quite a few causes – one being a pesky fisher cat, which she recommends wanting up when you’ve by no means seen one earlier than), she was answerable for finding the issue space. Her golden retriever sidekick by no means did not assist her endeavors and cherished any alternative to come back play within the snow together with her. One other perk of this job was serving to out within the precise syrup-making!
Constructing at Craigardan |
Constructing at Craigardan |
She’s dove into flower farming and gave jobs as a barista and HVAC technician a shot. She’s even labored for herself as a private landscaper. Earlier than shifting again to Maryland the place she’s initially from, Lizzie returned to Craigardan as a particular tasks supervisor, serving to them with numerous constructing tasks on their newly acquired property.
In Maryland, Lizzie spent 10 months working at a local plant nursery and small farm earlier than getting employed as a Center College Artwork Instructor in a neighboring county. She’s very blissful on this present place and appears ahead to at some point pursuing a graduate diploma in Schooling. In her spare time, she enjoys driving her bike, being on the water, creating artwork, and enjoying together with her two cats, Pickle and Porkchop.
When requested to share her favorite Dickinson Faculty Farm reminiscence, she says, “Throughout senior week of my senior 12 months we had a live performance on the Faculty Farm and it was one among my favourite bands on the time (Parsonsfield). I used to be surrounded by my associates and classmates with good meals, good beer and good music and we have been sitting on the framing of the timber-framed barn. I used to be sitting with one among my classmates who had been a pupil farmer however was shifting away after commencement and he simply checked out me and stated, “you’re so very fortunate to be spending the following 12 months right here,” and man was he proper. I’ll perpetually be thankful for my time with the Faculty Farm and I at all times look ahead to returning and visiting.”
