Benée Hershon became interested in the environment while taking an environmental science course in her senior year at Gann Academy in Waltham, Massachusetts.

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“The course had a powerful unit on climate change, which catalyzed my interest,” she recalls. “When I began college, I had no intention of pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies until a friend suggested I take the major’s introductory course.”

“It was an incredible overview of environmental challenges, including weekly tree walks where we learned how to identify trees on campus. After taking that course, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the conservation field.”

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Neither of Benée’s parents farmed or came from a farming background, so it came as quite a surprise to everyone in her family when she became interested in agriculture.

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“I started farming as a way to volunteer my time in the community and was soon committed to producing local food and creating healthy soils while also building community. I began as a volunteer farmer for my campus rooftop farm during my sophomore year of college. I learned farming by volunteering my time at farms in the greater Boston area.”

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“Following graduation, I planned, farmed and established the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts’ Community Farm in Hadley, Massachusetts. Now called Cultivating Community, it’s a three-acre, no-till educational farm. For the 2023 season, I worked at farms up and down the East Coast as a WWOOFer (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). I finished the season as a farmworker at a small vegetable farm just outside Albany, New York.”

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From her work at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Benee became passionate about farming but was curious to explore a career in agriculture as a service provider. Her work at the Food Bank was through the TerraCorps program (an AmeriCorps program), and just as she finished her service year, a position at the Cheshire County Conservation District (CCCD) became available. She began working with CCCD as an Outreach Coordinator in 2021.

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“I currently work as the Community Engagement Director of the CCCD,” Benée explains. “I also offer social media and digital communications consulting services for farms, food, and environmental organizations. Building healthy soil, providing nutritious food to the community, and creating resilient farm businesses is very important to me.”

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“Although my farming is limited to a volunteer capacity these days, I love being a part of the farming community. There’s something very powerful in having your hands in the soil, and working to feed your local community, while also creating resilient local economies by supporting local farmers/farm businesses.”

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“My favorite farming activity is harvesting. My favorite farm memory was while working on an organic vegetable farm in South Carolina. It was the day before the market and we had what seemed like endless rows of spinach to harvest, but we got caught in a downpour. There was an amazing crew at that farm, and we spent the afternoon laughing and harvesting until our boots basically filled with water.”

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Benée is as passionate about organics and the environment as she is about farming. She sees organic farming as a huge investment in our communities and our planet’s future.

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“Prioritizing soil health and decreasing pesticide and fertilizer use are important for the health of our planet,” she asserts. “With extreme weather events becoming exceedingly common, many farmers are using brilliant and innovative practices in the face of these events. They’re learning how to best adapt their farms to climate change by building diverse and resilient farms. I see a lot of innovation and experimentation in the future for small organic farms.”

 

“The greatest challenge small farmers face is creating viable and sustainable farm businesses within our current economic reality. They have so many responsibilities -- from feeding local communities, to learning best practices to running a farm business. Environmental change is daunting, but there are programs and resources available to help them reach their environmental goals while also reaching their business goals.”

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Benée believes NOFA-NH can help small farmers from an educational standpoint.

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“From CRAFT events and conferences to the community/network of the organization, there is an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience to learn from. NOFA-NH really benefits us all by advocating for legislation that builds a strong farm future in the Granite State.”

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“People may be surprised to learn that I love stand up comedy and comedy in general! When I’m not cracking jokes with vegetables in the field, I love going to comedy shows.”

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Benée was recently elected to NOFA-NH’s Board of Directors.

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“I feel honored to have the opportunity to work with so many farmers and supporters of local food. Supporting local farmers and farm viability is a passion of mine, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to be a part of NOFA-NH.”