Meet Raleigh City Farm's New Farm Manager, Maria Williford
Farm Manager, Maria, with partner, Andrew, from A Place at the Table
What was your pathway into farming and landscape architecture?
After graduating from UNC-Charlotte with a degree in International Business, I wanted to explore resilience-based design and joined Architecture for Humanity as a volunteer out in the San Francisco Bay Area. While living there, I worked for Café Gratitude, a raw vegan restaurant, that practiced biodynamic farming. This sparked my interest in permaculture and the idea of beautiful, living food. I took my first permaculture course and traveled to Nicaragua to learn permaculture design and practice natural building. When I came back to the states, I worked in operational and consulting roles with small businesses and cooperatives for a few years and eventually co-founded my own landscape design/build company, Root Volume. I have always loved working with small businesses, co-ops, and being a part of the entrepreneurial community.
What advice would you have for someone interested in learning more about farming and urban agriculture?
The best way to learn is to get your hands in the soil. I took a permaculture course for my foundation, which was a great way to learn, but there are a multitude of other volunteer opportunities as well. Get a ton of volunteer hours if you have the privilege to put in the time or if not you can leverage your existing skill set to get into a paid position for a company whose values align with yours and will allow you to get some hands on experience.
Check out some of Maria’s book recommendations below:
The Sustainable Sites Handbook by Meg Calkins – I got this as a gift from a friend when I started my business in 2017 and found out later that she became the new Dean of the Landscape Dept at NC State a couple years ago.
The Barefoot Architect by Johan van Lengen – Another great resource book but specifically for green building with lots of great instructional photos.
With these two books plus the John Jeavons book series How to Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible… they really cover the range of ecological design for buildings, landscapes and food systems in a way people can understand and apply directly to their sites.
What excites you about working at Raleigh City Farm?
Raleigh City Farm is right in the mix of things in downtown Raleigh. The team is great and the mission of the farm is one that resonates with me: to grow the next generation of farmers and engage more members of our community – especially young people – in sustainable, regenerative agriculture in this urban environment.
What is your day to day like working on the farm?
I’ve been at the farm now for about 3 weeks and I’ve been spending time getting to know the farm and finding irrigation & harvesting processes that can be improved. I’ve been taking care of the plants, working with our partners to bring them harvested food, creating a crop plan, and next looking to build out a wash and pack station.
What kind of plants do you have growing right now?
Lettuce mix, kale, green onions, radishes, and arugula.
What is your favorite part about the job?
I love being out here almost every day, taking care of the plants and learning about all the systems and how to improve them and grow them sustainably.
What are you hoping to accomplish with the farm in the next several months?
Getting, new crops in the ground in March in preparation for the opening of our Farmstand on April 14th is very exciting! I’m also looking forward to spending more time in the field and working with our new team of interns. Our next big project is our Bearthday celebration on April 24th – an important fundraising event that marks our 10th anniversary. We’ll be offering farm tours and demonstrations, to-go food and beverage packages, free cupcakes and other surprises! There will be musicians and artists on-site, and visitors can also purchase produce. Of course, we’ll ensure that everyone feels safe with our COVID-19 protocols.
What are the most important things you would want to share with visitors about the farm?
Please leash your dogs (HAHA kidding…but seriously)
The one thing I’d want to share with the community is that we are here as a resource. We are always looking for ways to connect and support the community and welcome ideas from all.
What are your favorite spots in the Triangle area?
The Raleigh Times is one of the first places my brother took me in downtown Raleigh, James B Hunt Library at NC State – I love the robotic book organizer, Irregardless Café, and The Well Fed Community Garden has great food and a very cool farm-to-table business model. My cousins are two of the owners at Bua Thai Cuisine in Durham, and I spend a lot of time there as well!