Reiden Gustafson
Reiden comes fr
om Portland, OR. She was born on the Oregon coast but also spent a portion of her life in northern Colorado. After several years of working in the staffing and recruiting world, Reiden decided to return to school to study agriculture. Her agricultural pursuit stemmed from an interest in fruit (grapes and wine making in particular), but eventually shifted to organic vegetable production. Reiden is now about to finish a bachelor’s degree in agriculture sciences through Oregon State University. Last year she also completed an organic farming certificate program with Clackamas Community College. Reiden’s dream is to eventually run a farming business of her own, although she is still undecided on where exactly this will lead her. In taking after her Laguna Pueblo roots, she especially loves to grow and eat hot peppers (the HOTTER the better), popcorn, and cilantro. Outside of work and school she can generally be found gardening, knitting, gluten-free baking, card making, and/or listening to podcasts.
Taylor Hodge
Meet Taylor Hodge. Taylor is 24 years old and from St. Louis, Missouri. She graduated from the University of Illinois in 2016 with a degree in Recreation, Sport, & Tourism Management. Taylor joined the military when she was 17 and spent over 6 years in the Illinois Air National Guard. During her last year with the Guard, she was deployed overseas to Qatar for 6 months. In the summer of 2017, Taylor moved to Moab, Utah and became a Crew Leader for the Utah Conservation Corp. With the UCC, she helped remove invasive plant species along both the Colorado and White Rivers. After transitioning to a vegan lifestyle a year ago, watching many documentaries, and researching online about the food industry, Taylor was interested in learning more about the organic growing, harvesting, selling, (and of course eating) process and wanted first hand experience in that process. That curiosity led her to Horton Road Organics. She has loved her experience here so far, and is eager for the season ahead to get her hands dirty and soak in as much experience and knowledge as she can.
Dere
k Hunter
Derek is very excited to be spending his first farming apprenticeship at Horton Road Organics. Growing up in the temperate climate of eastern Pennsylvania, he spent years getting to know the fertile Delaware Valley and the surrounding tall oak groves and old pines. For this reason he has always wanted to spend time in the Pacific Northwest and is beyond happy to have come to such a beautiful place with a vibrant community. His life passions for the outdoors and yoga practice began to commune and slowly express themselves as an interest in plant cultivation. Through gardening in Pennsylvania, he developed a love for the work and the simple, yet powerful implications of an involvement in the local organic movement. As this new passion grew, Derek sought to learn from those who have much to teach in the field – and discovered Horton Road! One of his other loves of life is music, and he is looking forward to boogying at some shows around Eugene this summer and getting to know members of the community. So stop by our stand at Saturday farmer’s market to say hello!
Laura Mistretta
This is Laura’s first time living and working on a farm and she’s so glad she’s at Horton Road. Laura grew up in New York City, studied environmental science and policy in college and has worked in environmental advocacy and social services since graduating in 2014. She decided to come to Horton Road because she was eager to have an active job, learn new and useful skills, and live a more communal and connected lifestyle. Laura was most recently living in Burlington, Vermont where she filled her free time by cooking, biking around town and playing ultimate Frisbee. She is excited to explore Oregon’s hiking trails and beautiful coast. So far Laura’s favorite job on the farm is spreading chicken manure because it involves the least bending over but she’s also fond of cutting salad greens and mixing potting soil. She is looking forward to learning more about the other crops Horton Road grows and experiencing the ebbs and flows of farm life. Laura loves to chat so if you stop by the farmer’s market please say hello!
Heather Weaver
Heather: (noun, verb) – To love horses, chocolate, wine, plants, friends and family. Often known to have long conversations with herself and to think out loud.