Meet our New Education Coordinator - Marielle

Idyllic Maine has a special kind of draw for outsiders. I am not even from very far away, but I still idealize Maine. Rolling hills approaching mountains, friendly faces nearly everywhere (truly exceptional in New England), rocky coastline, and celebrated agricultural living.

A few months ago, I found myself in the Colorodo Rockies, surrounding by beautiful scenery, but longing that indescribable something that New England embodies. Like many other small town East-coasters, I grew up imagining what life was like out West. From what friends told me and the few short visits I made, the West was like the East, but on growth hormones. The states were giant, the mountains were huge, the desert was expansive. All I wanted was to live there and to experience life in those epic surroundings. I drove out to Colorado with the intention of staying, but after only two and half months working as a Wilderness Ranger in an awe-inspiring setting, I hopped back in the car to return to familiar territory. Key to my decision to make the long drive: I couldn’t get any fresh food in the mountains!

My interests are varied—health, agriculture, art, the outdoors—but Maine has a place for it all. I believe that in order to be healthy and happy, one has to start at the table, or rather, in the soil. I was drawn to Rippling Waters because of the farm’s mission: To increase food security through education, action, and service. Before going to Colorado, I spent time on farms in Massachusetts and central New York and grew to understand the importance of not only fresh local produce, but also the communal sharing of agricultural knowledge. Good farms bring people together and offer community. The mission of RWF is something that I want to uphold during my time as the farm’s education coordinator, and carry with me in whatever new community I find myself. Good food means good community and even though New England is rarely recognized for its hospitality, the special community that exists here is what keeps wanderers coming back.