From Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms to Penny Rembe, Los Poblanos has a long history of women deeply engaged in all areas of the farm. Carrying on their strong tradition, women continue to play an integral part of the story of Los Poblanos, from the bakery to the finance office to the fields. We're pleased to introduce our female farmers and landscapers who contribute to agrarian culture at the farm, from the organic produce provided to Campo to the beautifully maintained gardens.
Pictured from left to right:
Lead produce farmer Judy Hartline has spent the past few years here working the soil, planning and planting the fields and harvesting our fresh organic vegetables and herbs. Working closely with our chefs, Judy supports the local food economy by making plans for our produce fields and taking into account what other local farmers are growing, so that small, local farms can contribute to the Los Poblanos culinary program.
Farmer Olivia Hanson is the caregiver to our alpacas, the peacocks we hatched from eggs and our young hens that will begin to lay eggs this summer. She is making plans for a pen and pasture that will be home to our future Churro lambs. Olivia has developed an efficient system of compost management that allows us to recycle waste, thereby increasing our production of quality compost and increasing the yields of the fields.
Lara Lovell is our resident beekeeper, with a decade of bee keeping under her hat, and blue-ribbon award-winning honey to show for it. She introduced a new method of beekeeping to the property, which we expect to be a more sustainable method. Lara and the farm team are working on many exciting developments regarding bees at Los Poblanos, keep an eye out for future announcements.
Pictured from left to right:
Distillation expert Jamie Lord takes botanical material from our fields and gardens through our alembic stills to create essential oils and hydrosols. From our signature lavender to various botanicals such as orange peels and juniper, Jamie creates the base for our lavender products, as well as ingredients used in the kitchen. She studies botanicals to discover new outlets for botanicals at the farm.
Landscaper Laura MacClay brings many years of gardening experience to the Los Poblanos grounds. She loves to be where the action is, and focuses on helping maintain event spaces. Laura is a fascinating reservoir of knowledge and is an astute observer of the world around her. Laura often notes details of plants, wildlife and the intersections of human/nature connections.
Maggie Quinn is a member of the landscape team, who's summer jobs in National Parks and trail maintenance made her aware of her love for the natural world. The pleasure she takes in curating space has led her to realize her place in the gardens here, and her attention to detail is a great asset as the older gardens are restored, and the newer gardens are growing.