Type of opportunity:

Sale (Owner Financed), Lease (5+ Years), Lease with Option to Buy, Business Partnership, Employment, Employment with Transfer.

Current farming practices:

Biodynamic, Conventional, Certified organic, Transitioning to organic, Ecological production but not certified, None, the property is not being farmed. More info: I currently manage over 160 acres of certified organic field production and over 73,500 sq ft of certified organic greenhouse space for Gaia Herbs. In the past I have managed over large commercial nursery operations, demonstration production gardens, and mid sized farms.

Previous farming experience:

Volunteer, Employee, Manager

Number of years experience:

10

Other qualifications:

Farm business training, Academic degree in agriculture or related field.

Personal experience and production goals summary:

Thomas Snidow Leonard

2201 S. Live Oak Pkwy., Wilmington, NC 28403

[email protected]               +1-910-547-5554

SUMMARY PROFILE

Ten years of experience planning and establishing 27 various garden and farm sites.

EDUCATION

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute & George Mason University, VA                                     06/2012

            MCCS 0507 SO2- Adaptive Management for Conservation Success- Post-graduate Certificate

Bachelor of Arts, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL                                                                     2008-2012

            Major Sustainable Studies, Minor Sociology

From the Ground Up Workshop, Growing Power, Milwaukee, WI                                                      04/2011

            Aquaculture, Mushroom Cultivation, Greenhouse Production

 

EXPERIENCE

Farm Operations Manager, Gaia Herbs Inc, Brevard, NC                                                      01/2019-present

• Manage 160 acres of certified organic medicinal herb production and processing
• Direct operations of 73,500 sq ft of greenhouse production

Farm Operations Manager, Greenbrier Farms, Chesapeake, VA                                      05/2018-11/2018

• Planed and directed farm operations on a 330 acre with a team of 10 H2A workers and 14 domestic employees
• Managed 7.6 acres of greenhouse nursery floor, 12 acres of fruit/vegetable production
• Researched and wrote protocols for pot-in-pot, container yard, ball & burlap, and annual production
• Reduced environmental impact through Integrated Pest Management, reducing plastic needs, conserving irrigation
• Established partnerships with research universities, private manufactures, local schools, and nonprofit organizations

Greenhouse/Garden Manager, Thrive Upstate, Greenville, SC                                             02/2017-05/2018

• Direct nonprofit programs in greenhouses, gardens, commercial kitchen, farms, and farmers markets
• Increased employment/vocational training program for adults with disabilities 400%.
• Supervised 2800 volunteer hours in 2017 (460% increase from 2016)
• Increase Farm Production 260% in first 10 months
• Wrote and administered $232,000 annual expense budget
• Initiated intra-institution Farm to Fork Program

Executive Director, Modern Harvest Farms, Woodruff, SC                                                            03/2015-05/2018

• Manage 60+ acre farm
• Coordinate volunteer program
• Oversee hydroponic, row crop, organic produce, and urban agriculture production

Accounts Coordinator, CMS Bon Holdings LLC, Wilmington, NC                                           10/2013-04/2017

• Independently reorganized accounting system
• Manage accounts including invoicing, reconciliation, recordkeeping, and bookkeeping
• Developed Human Resource system for managing employment documents for expanding staff
• Served as a Biostatistician for Biostudy Solutions/Team Member for Bon’s Eye Marketing

Garden Manager, Bon Appétit Management Comp, St. Petersburg, FL                                           05/2011-04/2012

• Designed agricultural plan for college cafeteria as supplemented resource using sustainable principles
• Oversaw workers, plantings, maintenance, production, and harvest of food
• Hired, trained, and coordinated student workers

AWARDS

Presidential Scholarship- Eckerd College                                                                                                              2008-2012

Eagle Scout                                                                                                                                                            10/2007

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Agricultural Consultant, Sustaining Way, Greenville, SC                                                                  05/2015-present

-Provided recommendations and seed sourcing for urban permaculture design project

-Directed 90 corporate volunteers during Hands on Greenville event

-Assisted leading Carolina High School students during educational hands on work days

Consultant, WILgrow, Wilmington, NC                                                                                                          07/2014-01/2018

-Collaborated in the establishment of three gardens

-Created marketing materials including website, emails, and social media

-Authored proposals for urban farming programs

-Coordinated volunteers

Mentor, Edible Peace Patch Project, St. Petersburg, FL                                                                                        2009-2011

-Mentored students and taught classes of elementary aged students

-Published article on the front page of The Triton newspaper

-Created content and posted on the organization’s blog

Coordinator, EC Garden, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL                                                                  2009-2012

            -Founding Member- wrote proposal that created Eckerd College’s Campus Garden

            -Coordinated large groups of volunteers on a regular basis (175 members, >%11 undergrad population)

            -Prepared and presented budget allocation request (expanded budget from $200 to $2,700+)

            -Conducted vegetative surveys and compiled multiple maps of plant communities and distribution

SKILLS AND CERTIFICATIONS

-ServSafe Certified                                                                                                                                          02/2017

-Addressing Soil Deficiencies: Soil Testing, Cover Crops and Fertilizer Applications, Laurens, SC                     13/09/2017

-Speak conversational Spanish

ADDITIONAL COURSES

-NCAT-ATTRA- Managing Risks on Urban Farms

-Center for Environmental Farming Systems, NC State University Extension                                                               01/17/2016

            Enhancing Farm Profitability

-On-Farm Food Safety, Postharvest Handling, and Wholesale Marketing, Clemson University, SC                       3/11/2016

-Developing Apprenticeship & Farm Incubators, Low country Local First, Charleston, SC              

Resume:

20190713 Farm Resume.docx