Ben Nommay, our Farm Manager, has been with ATG for about five years now. To read the story of how he ended up here, you can read the crew profile written for him in 2020: https://www.atgfarm.com/blog/2020/9/2/apprentice-profile-ben-nommay
When talking to Ben about what he loves about agriculture, I found myself having a renewed sense of inspiration. He talked about how growing nutrient dense food connects us to our ancestors, especially within the world of Biodynamic Farming. This type of agriculture has given him the chance to be outside connecting, to the elementals and invisible forces that are present in different ecosystems. He spoke to how he has started picking up on these different energies that are present in a woodland environment versus an agricultural setting and how the elementals that are present on a farm really give of themselves so that humans can grow an abundance of food.
When reflecting on what has kept him here all this time, Ben talked about the close friendship he has built with Andy and Holly. He feels grateful to have been given the trust and space to explore all of his agriculture questions: “It’s not just do do do, its’ kind of a creative artistic flow of trying new ideas.” He was also searching for community when he left Indiana, hoping to find like minded folks to hangout with and eat food with and he has definitely found that here.
Ben never goes anywhere without his trusty stead ‘Hank’ following behind him. Being able to have his dog at work has also been a huge plus for him working on the farm. Outside of farming, Ben spends most of his free time preparing food in his kitchen. He has brought many a unique hot sauce to our farm potlucks, my favorite so far being a pear death spiral formula he created. He also spent many afternoons this season pressing apples to make juice, sauce, butter, cider, and apple molasses.
If he is not growing food, or prepping food, you can probably find him playing games like Catan with his friends, camping, or enjoying live music. Ben is not totally sure what he wants to do next, he feels called to slow down and maybe take a step back from the world of intensive farming and focus more on building a personal garden/homestead while he explores the other avenues of what makes his heart sing.
He wanted to leave his interview with an abundance of gratitude for Andy and Holly and all of the trust and mentorship that they have given him over the years. He applauds them for questioning the ways of the modern world and for always striving to find a better way whether it be in the world of health, farming, or community. ATG has truly been a blessing for Ben as he has navigated who he wants to be in the world and what he wants to do. Ben has certainly been a huge blessing for ATG as well, bringing his passion, love, hard work, and dedication. We are definitely going to miss him, but have trust that wherever he goes he will shine his heart with radiance!