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Aby Ollila and Mira Kilpatrick took over at Red Hill Farm in 2008. They have been friends since high school and combined have worked at seven different farms. With their backgrounds in the sciences and diverse work experiences, they are thrilled to be working together and apply what they’ve learned over the years to continue the success of Red Hill Farm.
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Abygail Ollila |
Aby owes her green thumb to years spent in the gardens of her grandmother and mother but her interest in farming developed at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, as an environmental science major. While her coursework piqued her interest in many environmental issues such as sustainable farming, it was a summer’s worth of labor at Brookfield Farm that demonstrated the benefits of a CSA model. After graduating from UMass, Aby took time off to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail and then started pursuing farming in the area. She started at a farm that catered to high-end restaurants in Philadelphia and New York. Then she later moved to a farm connected to an inn where she grew produce and helped establish a rotational grazing system for cows, sheep, chickens, and turkeys. After that, Aby worked in the fields and at the on-site market of an organic orchard. Most recently she spent two seasons as assistant manager of a 150-member CSA. She enjoys continuously learning about other farms and their systems. Since first visiting Red Hill Farm for a SAITA event a few years back, Aby has felt a connection to the farm and is delighted to now be managing the CSA. She owes the continued success of each season to many dedicated members and some great farm crews!
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Mira Kilpatrick |
Mira had her first farming experience while studying at Smith College in 2001. She and Aby worked at Brookfield Farm in western Massachusetts for a summer. That fall she spent a semester in Costa Rica studying resource management and sustainable development. Much of the field course touched on global/local food economies. She toured huge banana plantations and small organic family farms. Back at Smith, Mira’s studies focused on plant sciences, organic farming, and community food systems. She spent another summer at a community farm in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After graduation she moved back to the Philadelphia area and spent the next few years at a small intensive farm in Philadelphia, supplying a CSA, farmers’ markets, and some restaurants. She has now been at Red Hill for three seasons and feels that she and Aby learn more each year and continue to refine systems at the farm for better growing and better shares!
Mira's other interests used to be cooking, doing crafts such as quilting, and playing disc golf. But ever since her son, Declan, came along in November 2010, he's become her main passion. She can't wait for all the farm members to meet him and introduce him to growing.
Our Vision
- We strive to be good stewards of the land by utilizing sustainable farming practices.
- We believe healthy soils are integral to healthy food and healthy people.
- We use compost, cover crops, and rotations to build soil fertility.
- We grow without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides.
- We encourage an ecosystem of wildflowers, birds, and pollinators.
- We encourage a sense of place by reconnecting people with the land and with each other through community events on the farm.
