Hi, I’m Adam Utley. Some of you know me as “the other Adam, Adam #2, or simply, a member of the Adams.” I’m looking forward to the start of my fourth season at Wayward Seed Farm. I’m originally from Warren County in southwest Ohio, and I studied religion at Miami University (Ohio). After three years of community-based organizing with Latino immigrants in South Minneapolis, and after two years of garden-based nutrition-education work with kids in Philadelphia, I learned that home is not too far from where I started. I now live with my wife and a cat in Plain City. We attend church at Summit on 16th United Methodist near OSU campus.
In my short time here, I’ve had the distinct opportunity of soil testing and tilling, farm planning, business planning, grant writing, record-keeping, maintaining organic certification, greenhouse repair and management, planting seedlings and seeds, killing weeds, operating trucks, trailers, tractors, designing equipment, facilitating community forums, procuring materials, marketing, harvesting, washing, packing, loading, delivering, sterilizing, fertilizing, and getting to know our members. Much of this I’ve gotten to do while having funny and stimulating conversations with smart people. I hope that many of you will consider our “Work Share” program in which members will pay for their share by working hard with us for five hours each week.
After a few years at Wayward, I don’t know of any better way to learn about growing organic vegetables than by doing so hands-on for profit. Trying to become a professional farm worker has also taught me about myself–my limits and lack thereof, desires, fears, and my own human nature. I’ve learned that beyond the ideals of environmental ecology and eating well, good farming requires the connoisseurship of flavors and a love for business. It is a craft that requires creativity, mental toughness, and the ability to improvise. It is a discipline that will take a lifetime or longer to master. On top of the knowledge base required to get started, farming depends upon the precisely calculated risk of entrepreneurs to finance land, equipment, and skilled labor in full consideration of the larger economic conditions at work. Despite the great tragedies and challenges we face in our country, my experiences at Wayward Seed Farm have now made me more proud than ever to be an “American” and to call myself an “Ohioan.” Learn more about the “Work Share” program by clicking here. I’ll see you on the farm.
Before I go, I’d like to invite you to join us for our first annual Wayward Seed Farm Family Potluck on Sunday, March 24th at 6pm at Wild Goose Creative! Whether you’re a current member or a CSA newcomer, we hope you’ll join us! This is a great opportunity to meet your fellow members, share a great meal and introduce the farm to your friends and family. That’s right–guests are encouraged!
