Hands of the Harvest {Week 19 CSA}

There have been tender, thoughtful, and tenacious hands bringing you the harvests each week, and it's about time you met who they belong to!

Our peak season crew changes each year, despite us wishing we could keep everyone here all year long. It works well, however, as we've shaped our work offering into an in-depth learning opportunity for aspiring farmers. There aren't many regenerative market farms in climates as unique as ours, so we've welcomed much interest in this chance to be incubated as a high desert farmer.

Your CSA, nor any of our nourishing harvests, would be possible without this tireless crew. They weathered more challenges this year than any team before them. They came out in smoke they'd rather have avoided, by choice, just to help the farm along. They endured a heatwave like we've never seen. And they bore the weight of an often truncated team because of the ongoing potential of covid exposure.

Give it up for your Prema Farmers!

CASSIDY CASE has been with us since she interned over the 2018 winter. She was still a student at Evergreen University in Washington, but native to Reno. When she graduated, we scooped her up as quickly as we could! Cass is our Farm Manager and she ensures operations are smooth and interns are well-directed.

Why You Farm: I've always loved environmentalism and farming is the perfect junction of environmental science and community.

Favorite Farm Task: Harvesting potatoes

Surprising Fact: I have a twin brother

Favorite Prema Veggie: Lately it's been the hakurei turnips. I enjoy them raw in all of my salads.

HAWA NAIMZADA joined us as an intern this year after farming in various locations for the past four years. Raised in Fairfield, CA, and now sharing her gifts with the high desert, Hawa brings a gentle determination and sweetness to our team.

Why You Farm: Because I love to grow food for the community and to continue learning more about small-scale farming.

Favorite Farm Task: Chasing the little farm fairies around!

Surprising Fact: I enjoy talking in funny and unusual voices and accents

Favorite Prema Veggie: Collard greens and ground cherries. I enjoy using collards as a "tortillas" for quesadillas!

KAYLA DE LANCEY joined our intern team after helping us with various aspects of our delivery operation and the farmers market. She has a passion for local food and brought a refreshing dose of eagerness, sincerity, and organizational skills to the farm.

Why You Farm: Because I want to get more local food into our community and I'd like to see improvements to our agricultural system in our local region and at large.

Favorite Farm Task: Packing CSA Boxes

Surprising Fact: I am naturally missing 9 bones that almost everyone else has

Favorite Prema Veggie: New potatoes. I've been enjoying them smashed and smothered in fresh pesto.

HALEY PAULSEN joined our intern team to further her dream of running a full-spectrum nursery. Raised in Sonoma County, she brought farm knowledge and a deep love of plants to our region, and has exciting plans to enrich it further.

Why You Farm: To learn how to sustain me and my family, and to understand how to give back to the land.

Favorite Farm Task: Harvesting tomatoes. Surprising Fact: I own over 30 houseplants.

Favorite Prema Veggie: Definitely spring mix in any type of salad.

GARRET MENGHINI joined our team with a diverse background and a fire for learning how to grow intensively in the high desert. As the founder of Down to Earth Composting, Garret is no stranger to the importance of soil health and he brings a sharp focus and sincere curiosity to our farm.

Why You Farm: Because being outside with my hands in the dirt is my favorite place to be.

Favorite Farm Task: Does lunch count?

Surprising Fact: I have an unusual taste for leftovers.

Favorite Prema Veggie: Carrots, fresh from the ground.

LINDSAY MCCANDLESS reached out to us this summer to volunteer on our farm and has been here weekly ever since. With a PhD and an undaunted joy, she's gifted our farm with her passion, morale, and unique insights.

Why You Farm: To regenerate the planet and learn how to grow food in diverse climates. Favorite Farm Task: Washing the greens.

Surprising Fact: I love foreign languages and am currently teaching myself Turkish.

Favorite Prema Veggie: Hakurei turnips! I enjoy them roasted or steamed, with olive oil and garlic.

ZACH CANNADY is co-founder and the heartbeat of our operations, fixer of all things broken, and vault of the immense farming knowledge acquired over the years. Zach's undaunted optimism and endless energy are the reason Prema Farm exists. He built our essential infrastructure nearly by himself in the winter of 2017, learned how to farm from the internet, and has been supplying us with a steady stream of salad greens (and beyond) ever since!

Why You Farm: Because it's the greatest offering I could give to our community and our society.

Favorite Farm Task: Seeding trays

Surprising Fact: I backpacked across the world in my twenties

Favorite Prema Veggie: Red cherry tomatoes

KASEY CRISPIN is co-founder and the digital maven on the farm. She runs all online operations, marketing, and customer relations. She balances her time on the computer with making all of the flower bouquets on the farm. She also started and runs the Riverside Farmers Market so we have a place to sell our harvests in the winter.

Why You Farm: Because food is the nexus of our own health and our journey back to balanced relations with nature.

Favorite Farm Task: Harvesting cosmo flowers (and watching the bees sleep in them!)

Surprising Fact: I trained to be a mechanic when I was 20.

Favorite Prema Veggie: I really love our curly kale and nearly always saute it with copious amounts of garlic, and finish with a touch of lemon.

FARM FAIRIES Anjali May and Rishi Lou are also an integral part of our team. They lead our quality control efforts and personally test everything that gets harvested (often before anyone else!). They specialize in ladybug relocation and the classic compost pile climb-jump-roll maneuver.

Thanks for getting to know Team Prema! We couldn't be out here doing what we love if it wasn't for your loyal support and encouragement!