We'll round out our apprenticeship profiles this week by introducing you to Brittany Gibbons. Brittany grew up in Woodleaf, NC, which is north of Charlotte and outside of Sailsbury. When Brittany was young, her family lived on 11 acres of land and her Dad always grew a garden. Brittany has never been adverse to hard work, and during the summers of her high school years she worked on a tomato farm, picking and packing fruit in the hot Piedmont sun. Brittany moved to Boone in 2012 and immediately resonated with the pace and attitude of the mountain community. Since coming to Boone, Brittany has taken up backyard gardening, and even spent one summer working on a landscaping crew. She has also logged her fair share of hours working in High Country kitchens, where she developed a love of preparing good food.
During the 2019 season, Brittany has filled the roll of the farm's pack shed point position. The pack shed is at the heart of the farm, as the place where produce gets cleaned and sorted. But it's also a gathering place as well as the interface between the farm and the community. With Brittany as the pack shed point, the space has never been so tidy and well kept. She keeps the walk-in cooler organized and facilitates the general flow of the pack shed. She's also the anchor on the CSA pack line and is person who puts the last few items in the shares every week. When she's not in the pack shed, one of Brittany's favorite chores on the farm is pruning and trellising tomatoes because she can really "get in the zone" and see both the immediate and long term results of her work. Brittany also has an affinity for the animals on the farm, especially a baby goat named Star. When Brittany is not slaying tomato suckers or scrubbing a wash tub, she might be found taking a run around the neighborhood, snuggling her cat, Valentino, or picking blackberries with her side kick, Bea.
Brittany is a hard worker with a "can-do" attitude and an easy smile. S he says that the farm has taught her about the cycles of life and death and the value of patience. Thanks for choosing ATG as a place to call home, Brittany. We have learned so much from you. We love you and trust you with our animals, vegetables and children and can't wait to see what life has in store for you!