Our Sarah

As we’ve seen in the news lately, one person can make a big difference. And we’ve certainly found this to be true here on the farm from year to year. This year, we feel very fortunate to have Sarah Noecker staying with us into the winter. Since she’s one of the major players on the farm, we thought you’d like to know her a little better.

Although Sarah grew up in the small town of Waukon, in the next county east of here, this is her first job on a farm. Although it would have been hard to describe her as an organic fanatic when she started here in May, she has become more excited about it as time goes on. “If this is what the future holds, I’d like to be a part of it.”

This summer, Sarah rapidly became our packing house coordinator. We don’t typically hire for specific jobs, but slide people into the places they seem to fit; Sarah’s eye for quality, her organizational capacity, and her ability to move with calm and determination through the week really allow her to shine in this position. Of course, since we’re a small farm, nobody gets to do just one job. This summer, Sarah was an important member of the harvest crew, and she now often leads harvest tasks when other work beckons to Chris or Kim.

Sarah was also a star member of the transplanting crew this summer, so much so that I was reluctant to transplant without her. She set a tone of quiet competence, determination, and cheerful attitude that made it difficult to complain about this often tedious, hot, and muddy task. And she was pretty darned fast, too.

As she has taken on more responsibility, Sarah’s can-do attitude has made a real difference on the farm. Enthusiastic about getting work done, Sarah tracks progress on the various jobs that need to be done, often thinking a week ahead about something like the supply of labels or clean onions. She holds our feet to the fire when it comes to making certain that time and resources are allocated to the things that need to be done, and takes the initiative to tackle jobs that otherwise might sit on the backburner. Just as importantly, she displays a real sensitivity to the context of our decision-making, and makes allowances for those times when Chris or Kim have to bring our larger-picture perspective into the planning.

Sarah occasionally disrupts the peace and quiet of the farm with a piercing shriek as she encounters the various jumpy or crawly things one finds on the farm. Toads and snakes get a reaction, but the loudest screams usually result from the discovery of a tomato horn worm, monstrous caterpillars that feed on the tomato plants in the greenhouses.

Asked if there was anything she would like to say to our readers, Sarah shared a short poem:

Though your tasks are many,
And your rewards are few,
Remember that the mighty oak,
Was once a nut like you.