If Morgen's last name rings a bell, it's for good reason. Up until September 2010, his main claim to GFJ fame was being the older, wiser brother to Good Food Jobs co-founder Dorothy Neagle. Since then, he's catapulted to food fame in his own right, as Farm Manager at Flying Pigs Farm in Shushan, NY. Whether you watch him herding pigs upstate, or catch him at the Greenmarkets in NYC, you'll notice that he's amassed incredible expertise in 18 months, thanks in part to his experience growing up on a small farm in Kentucky. A landscape architect by trade, he switched paths from office to outdoor work when recession layoffs hit hard. We hate to say we're happy for that misfortune, but we can't complain to have someone as capable as Morgen 'on our team'.
When did you know that you wanted to work in food?
I knew I wanted to farm sometime last Winter. We had three major snowfalls, covering the fences, allowing the pigs freedom to roam if we didn't get down and shovel snow off of hundreds of feet of fences. Edgar Espinosa, Jay Plotkin and I worked harder than any of us had, as far as I could garner from obscenity laden conversations with snow shovels, ever before. But, I had no problem dragging myself out of bed, again and again, to dig out my car, skid over to work, and get on with one of the more odious tasks in my work year. When I worked in an office, I was prone to take a day off if the garage door was iced shut. Obviously, I had found my calling, and it isn't about to let loose it's choke hold.
How did you get your current good food job?
I got my current job thanks to Good Food Jobs. Mike and Jen, the owners of Flying Pigs Farm, were looking for a farm manager. Dorothy and Taylor had recently attended Farm Camp and had stayed in touch. The job was posted to their website and my sister encouraged me to apply. I sent my application in mid-March of 2010. At the end of July, Mike responded for the first time, asking if I was still interested in farming. We met at the Union Square Farmers' Market a few weeks later and I started work that September.
Yes. I had a lot of rough days at first, as my office body and (reformed!) smokers lungs learned the pace of walking, running and just never really standing still, between coming on the farm, and leaving. I will admit that I have walked away from some things in my life, notably a couple of factory jobs (I don't care how badly I need the money, I will NOT be trapped in a few acres of concrete and aluminum siding!) My frustration was always short-lived, and by the time I made it home and wolfed down food, I was more than ready for another day on the farm.
What can you identify as the greatest opportunities in food right now?
From my perspective, it's the opportunity for my generation to step into management, or ownership, positions on farms that are in danger of, or have already, succumbed to the industrialization of agriculture. There are so many great non-profits helping us preserve existing farms, and revitalize them by bringing in new, young blood that wants to work the land. A stable may turn into an organic vegetable garden, or a dairy farm may be reborn as the best source of rare-breed pork in the United States, but as long as the land is still being used to produce food, we are staying true to what was, and what obviously needs to be. The Agricultural Stewardship Association and American Farmland Trust are two of my personal favorites.