AgSouth July 2016
From Ramsey Nix, Growing America
When Erin Cescutti (BSA – Horticulture, ’04) graduated from UGA, the term “urban farmer” still sounded like an oxymoron. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had only recently put into place its organic food regulations, and the local food movement was just catching on in the South.
A native of Rome, Georgia, Cescutti decided to major in horticulture after working for one summer at Barnsley Gardens in Adairsville, Georgia. “I consider myself really lucky to have been a part of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, more specifically the horticulture department, which had professors who are outstanding in their field. The partnerships they build with other organizations give students amazing opportunities,” Cescutti said.
Cescutti took advantage of one such opportunity, interning at Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park in Oyster Bay, New York, her first summer out of college.
Six years later, after working at Love is Love Farm in the Atlanta area, Cescutti leased land at the nearby Oakleaf Mennonite Farm and established her own farm business, Brightside Farm.
In the dappled sunlight of a 1-acre tract in east Atlanta, Cescutti was able to cultivate enough fruits and vegetables to supply 25 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members, a few local restaurants and the Grant Park Farmers Market.
While selling handfuls of fresh produce under her tent at the markets, Cescutti is sometimes asked, “Are you the farmer?” However, she’s never felt any less capable or respected than her male counterparts. “I know so many amazing female farmers who are so well respected that I often forget this is even an issue,” she said.
CAES now offers an emphasis in sustainable food production and a Certificate Program in Organic Agriculture. Cescutti sees this as a positive development and hopes future growers join the established community of urban farmers.
“My hope for the future of women in agriculture is that we continue to encourage each other and [show] younger generations of women that farming is a viable career option,” Cescutti said.
AgSouth Farm Credit has been helping young, beginning, and small farmers grow for a century. Call 844-AGSOUTH today to speak to a loan officer near you.
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