Second Year Apprentice Spotlight: Conor Leary

 

Conor serving as the Dungeon Master for his fellow Dungeons and Dragons enthusiasts over the summer.

Back and better than ever, Conor Leary will be rejoining The Dickinson College Farm as our second year apprentice for the 2018 growing season. Conor made his mark at the farm last season, demonstrating his prowess with livestock as a first year apprentice. However, it seems that helping out on veggie crew ever so often left its mark on this seasoned farmer and he will be returning to the farm crew on Team Veg!

 

Though he may be new to veggies, Conor is far from an amateur farmer. He graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies from Warren Wilson College where he worked on their organic operation. Following graduation, Conor moved to upstate New York to work at Essex Farm and contribute to its full-diet CSA. After returning home to Carlisle, Conor became aware of opportunities at our very own college farm. Having volunteered at the Dickinson Farm when he was still in high school, Conor was the perfect, seasoned fit for the farm’s first year apprenticeship program.

Despite only having been on the farm for six months, Conor fits into the day-to-day rhythm seamlessly. From the back vegetable fields, you can spot him moving the cows—his favorite chore—to the hilltop pasture—his favorite place on the farm. It gets a bit blustery up there and sometimes you can catch this farmer, notorious for his wobbly stride, blowing in the breeze.

However, even the most skilled hands can’t always get stubborn animals where they need to go. Conor’s favorite farm memory is of the hot summer day that one of the cows decided to go for a dip in the irrigation pond. Catch her on Team USA…Tokyo 2020.

When he is not hard at work, Conor likes to unwind with a riveting game of Dungeons and Dragons. Credited with bringing the fantasy game (think “Stranger Things”) to the farm this summer, Conor has come into his own as both a player and Dungeon Master and is always on the lookout for new D&D converts.

Interested in all aspects of food, Conor also loves to cook and his meatballs are nothing to shake a stick at! Perhaps this is how he will win the hearts of the new farm crew, one of the aspects of the upcoming season he is looking forward to. On the bright side, he will have plenty of time to perfect his recipe while we wait for the ground to thaw!

 

 

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