By Brian Randall
As a young man, I participated in many team sports; hockey, soccer, baseball, and basketball, to name a few. These were great experiences that built in me the concept of a team: a group of people working toward a shared vision. Whether this is simply to score a point during a game or to win a championship, if the team worked together the impossible became possible. This quickly became my favorite kind of environment, and I loved the feeling of mutual support, respect and dedication that went into the endeavor.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee in 2009, I decided to chase my dream of becoming a United States Marine. My family has a long history of military service, and I felt this was just part of becoming an adult. In my twelve-year career in the Marine Corps I had the privilege of working within some elite teams and learned the qualities of an effective leader. I really began to appreciate the different ways people approach leadership, and the advantage of approaching a challenge from a different angle.
I look at farming as a team activity. Working toward a shared vision as a group is one of the things I enjoyed most about my time in the Marine Corps, and I am happy I can directly apply that at Gwenyn Hill. I am constantly blown away at what we can achieve as a team.
I have always enjoyed a good challenge. This is how I grew up, constantly looking for the next best way to do something and to learn new things. I have learned that that there is always a reward for stretching yourself by accepting challenges. This is what drew me to agriculture, and particularly to organic production. The challenge of working with natural systems to produce healthy food is monumental, and reliably providing for your community is a worthy pursuit in my book.
I began at Gwenyn Hill Farm as an Organic Vegetable Farm Manager apprentice in 2022. This was a great experience that elevated my passion for organic farming, and the vision of my future in organic farming really took roots (pun intended). During this time Gwenyn Hill became an integral part of my life and I knew I wanted to continue working with our amazing team after graduating from the apprenticeship program in 2023.
Watching the farm grow and evolve has been very rewarding over the last few years, and as I step into my new role as General Manager I am excited to help our team succeed well into the future. I am also very happy to have my family so close, as we move into the farmhouse next to the Williams Barn. Gwenyn Hill has become a big part of their lives over the last few years as well, and I cant think of a better place to raise healthy, happy children.
Linda Halley, our amazing outgoing General Manager, built a truly remarkable team. As she steps away from Gwenyn Hill after an exceptional eight years, her contribution will live into the future. Working together as a team, we will continue to strive not only to become a staple for healthy, delicious local food, but also for research and education. I whole-heartedly believe that the Gwenyn Hill team can achieve these things and so much more, and I am happy to do my part.
Brian Randall joined the Gwenyn Hill Farm team in 2022 as an Organic Vegetable Farm Manager Apprentice. After graduating in 2023, he took a new a position working with both the farm’s Land and Livestock and Produce teams. He became the farm’s General Manager in July 2024.