Dave Hambleton - Farmer and Director

Sisters Hill Farm wouldn't be the special place it is today without Farmer Dave. He has, with the aid of many great apprentices and volunteers, created a beautiful farm that everyone can be proud to be a part of. David was hired in 1999 by the Sisters of Charity to develop a CSA from scratch; he brought an extensive ecological and educational background to Sisters Hill Farm. This includes a degree in environmental studies from Binghamton University as well as talents as a carpenter and cabinet maker. Dave loves developing scale appropriate tools and systems and mentoring the next generation of sustainable farmers!

​Ella is a New York City native who came to agriculture as she learned more about the industrial farming systems that provided most of the food around her. After majoring in Environmental Studies, Ella went on to teach elementary school science, and hopes to combine her loves of agriculture and education to address issues of social inequity. When she is not farming, Ella is often dreaming of goats or working on a crocheting project. After a year of apprenticing in the 2019 season Ella was happy to stay on as Assistant Manger for the 2020 season and on!

Sean is from Ledyard, CT. He has worked on two farms in Massachusetts growing veggies before joining us as an apprentice for 2022. He likes peanut butter, American History, and a good joke. 

 Caroline is enamored with vegetables of all kinds. She has been interested in food since she can remember and has recently begun to pursue a career in agriculture. She hopes to be a part of a global transition toward small scale local food being prioritized - our bodies, the land, and our communities depend on it. Caroline enjoys making a good meal to share, a hot cup of coffee in the morning, and traveling. 

 Jason is coming to Sisters Hill from the Adamah Jewish Farming Fellowship where he learned how much he valued farming that is connected to a community, is productive  and varied enough to feed many people, while regenerating the health of the land. Coming from a science teaching background in Boston, he is hoping in the future to combine his passions of farm and educational work. He is excited to be at Sisters Hill Farm learning more about how to run an efficient and successful CSA that gives community members lots of fresh seasonal vegetables!

Sister Mary Ann is a Sister of Charity of New York, and a former biology and environmental science teacher.  Her qualifications include a MS degree in Biology from Fordham University, and post-graduate study.  Inspired by the vision of Thomas Berry and the New Cosmology, she brings to the farm a strong belief in the interrelatedness of the earth community and the sacredness of the Universe.  As the former Farm Director, Sister Mary Ann has been instrumental in shaping the direction and purpose of the the farm.

Justin comes to Sisters Hill Farm from far off Colorado. He received his B.S. in geology from Colorado State University and decided to postpone working in favor of interning on an animal husbandry farm outside of Eugene, Oregon. There, he found a true love for sustainable agriculture. After trying jobs in other sectors, he ultimately found his way back to farming and has traveled across the country to be part of SHF’s 22nd season. When not working, Justin enjoys spending time in the kitchen cooking and heading out to the local trails on his mountain bike. He is enthusiastic to glean everything he can from working at SHF to build the confidence to start his own farming operation.

Victoria came to agriculture by way of disheartening university study of the peril of our environment and food system. Frustrated with the dim prospects of future food, Victoria went on to gain horticultural training with the goal of applying it to farming. Victoria believes local food for local people is the only way to heal the land and the bodies who rely on it, and can’t wait to start her own farm. Besides agriculture, Victoria also loves basset hounds, John Mayer & dancing. 

Cierra grew up in the south and has been interested in environmental protection from a young age. Through her undergraduate studies in Environmental Nutrition she learned about the harsh realities of food insecurity. She hopes to expand sustainable farming practices to improve the state of the biosphere while making fresh food more readily available. Cierra also enjoys making music, art, and eating all the dark chocolate.​​

​Isabel is thrilled to be back at Sisters Hill Farm for a second season! After a successful season growing her skills through growing vegetables, winter has been filled with lots of new opportunities helping Dave with the crop plan, seed order, website updates, and building projects. During the winter she also reveled in the quiet time, baking, ice skating, having coffee with friends near and far. She is excited for the awakening energy of a new season and the immense possibilities for further expanding her skills and knowledge. Isabel found farming while completing a degree in Neuroscience at Smith College. Although she loved the science, math, and systems thinking of her major she desired a career that would allow her more time outside, a way to make a positive impact on the human and natural communities around her, and an outlet to explore her love of great food. She interned on two farms during college and after college worked full time at an organic, diversified farm and part time at a micro-dairy in Central Vermont. Through those experiences she gained a broad set of skills in agriculture. She came to Sisters Hill Farm to learn about systems and efficient vegetable production, hoping to meld her love of efficient processes with her love of natural farming systems. She looks forward to another season of learning, teaching, and growing with the Sisters Hill Farm community!

Sarah graduated from George Washington University in 2017 with a B.S. in Economics and minors in Sustainability and Statistics. She has a background in agriculture and food systems working as a Research Fellow at the GW Food Institute. Sarah worked alongside D.C.’s food policy experts, helped organize two national conferences on urban agriculture and local food metrics, wrote a thesis on Automatic Milking Systems, and performed data analysis for the National Young Farmers Coalition in a recent report, “Building a Future with Farmers.” After graduating Sarah moved to Worcester, NY to work on her friend’s family farm raising cows, sheep, chickens, and donkeys and to intern at Solstice Hill Farm, an organic veggie farm in Seward, NY. After spending her winter home in Cary, NC, Sarah is back in NY to pursue her dream of being a farmer and champion of the local, organic food movement that empowers small and beginning farmers and increases food security in rural America.​

Andrew is beginning his first season of farming following 27 months working in the public health sector of the Peace Corps in western Uganda, and six much more carefree months lounging about in his parents’ basement. While working in Uganda, he saw firsthand the importance and pervasiveness of food security issues. After dabbling in tropical gardening and help his neighbors manage their own small plots of land, Andrew resolved to give farming a serious try upon returning to New York. And here he is. Andrew graduated form Canisius College in Buffalo in 2015 with a B.S. in biology, where he got his first taste of the fascinating field of botany. He grew up in the Albany/Schenectady area, just 90 minutes away from Sisters Hill Farm.

After an exciting season of learning and growing at Sisters Hill, Dev is excited to be back again this year! Having spent the winter working on crop planning, grafting tomatoes, and baking bread, Dev is eager to get back outside! Dev first fell in love with farming while WWOOFing in the Adirondack Mountains. After a summer spent singing, sweating, and eating too many strawberries in the fields, she went back to finish her degree at Binghamton University in Environmental Studies. Upon graduating she returned to the Adirondacks to further pursue her love of farming as the Harvest Manager at Juniper Hill Farm. With plans to establish her own organic vegetable farm, she hopes to spend this season building on her past experiences by learning to grow tasty vegetables, nurture healthy soils, manage a thriving business, and cook up new recipes to share with others! 

Sam first discovered farming at Juniper Hill Farm in Wadhams, NY and fell in love with the fulfillment of seeing the literal fruits of labor. At the end of the season, he decided to make it his life’s goal to own and operate his own organic farm. To avoid winter in the Adirondacks, he travelled south to work on Walker Farms in Sylvania, GA for three months. In his second season at Juniper Hill, Sam worked as a Field Manager and started to pursue other education in sustainable agriculture to bolster his experiences in the field. Last year, he worked at Riverbank Farm in Roxbury, CT where he was able to diversify his farming experience by spending a season on a smaller, family-oriented farm similar to one he dreams of starting in the future. Sam  is very excited to join the Sisters Hill team this year. Under Dave’s tutelage, he will see the challenges and blessings of operating a successful CSA farm and get one step closer to having the experience and knowledge required to start his own.

Growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey, Breezy had never really considered farming as a life path. It was only after traveling across the world and back that she finally found her place in her home soil. After graduating with a degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, she spent a year in Bangladesh with an International Non-Governmental Organization, working with a project that provides alternative employment for women. Upon returning to the States, she felt a strong desire to spend her days outside, sink her hands in the dirt, fill her lungs with fresh air and her belly with fresh food. She WWOOFed on several farms, and eventually landed on a biodynamic farm in the Hudson Valley. What began with a simple desire to spend time in nature soon developed into one of the most exciting journeys of her life. Breezy is particularly interested in food justice, and how small farms can provide unique spaces for connecting with this incredible earth, fostering community, encouraging creativity, and promoting peace and justice. She is very happy to be joining the Sisters Hill Farm crew this season!