Ashley Brister and Aaron de Long, field managers of Rushton Farm, plant the first seeds of the season, onions, in the basement of the Trust office.
Max de Long, Director of Four-legged Pest Control.

Fred de Long has been involved in farming for more than 15 years, most recently at Pete's Produce in Westown. He joined the Trust as the Director of Community Farm Program in January. Fred has written and been an invited speaker on numerous agricultural topics including sustainability, marketing, CSA's, nutrition and marketing.  He has a deep understanding of sustainable farming practices, a desire to educate and engage the community in the program, and a passion for the natural world.  Farming runs deep in Fred’s family, with two brothers actively farming at organic CSA’s.  All questions about the farm should be directed to Fred at cfd@wctrust.org.

Aaron de Long joined us in February as the field manager at Rushton Farm, handling day to day operations including planting, cultivating and harvesting all of the vegetables for the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.  Aaron has a rich background in organic farming and environmental biology and most recently was a production manager and instructor at the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at the University of California, Santa Cruz.  Aaron spent his summers during high school working on small farms throughout Chester County.  With a degree in natural resources from the University of Michigan, Aaron is an avid outdoorsmen and has hiked the Appalachian and International Appalachian Trail continuously, from Georgia to Quebec.

Ashley Brister joins the Community Farm Program staff as assistant field manager at Rushton Farm, where she will be busy with all aspects of vegetable production.   Ashley has deep experience in community and organic farming, having recently served as an apprentice at the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at the University of California, Santa Cruz.  In addition to her experience in Santa Cruz, Ashley has worked in many areas of community farming on a number of Massachusetts farms, including greenhouse management, field and livestock management, educational outreach, and renewable energy usage.  Ashley is a graduate of the College of Wooster, and worked as an Outward Bound leadership, sailing and backpacking instructor for three summers.

Core Advisory Group

Amy Broaddus
Barb Blynn
Betsy Block
Alice Hausmann
Lyn Hitschler
Bill Howard
Jim Hutchin
Jason Ingle
Mark Ledger
Jennifer Moller
Doug Newbold
Deacon Shorr
Ellen Simmons
Jodi Spragins
Elizabeth Stokes
Peter Strawbridge
Sandra Thompson
Bonnie Van Alen
Penny Watkins
Sean Weinberg