Jonathan Graziano

I currently work as the assistant manager of Harvest Tide Organics, a 40 acre organic vegetable farm providing about 900 CSA shares to folks from Portland to the farm's location in Bowdoinham, Maine. I'm happy to say this is my 10th year farming, although I haven't always farmed, and I've bounced around New England a bit on my way to Maine. During college one of my first and favorite jobs was on a small urban organic vegetable farm in New Britain Connecticut.

After graduating from Central Connecticut State University and then getting my Masters at Uconn, I spent several years in in the state as a special education teacher in Willimantic and Manchester, CT. I enjoyed helping challenging student groups with math and science and was able to build in gardening and cooking into some programming. Then there came a day when I needed a change and an old friend needed help on a farm they were managing in Massachusetts. So, I spent 5 years building up the infrastructure and business of what grew into a highly productive year-round 2 acre organic vegetable farm called Holly Hill Farm in Cohasset, MA.

Then there came a day when I needed a change and Harvest Tide Organics needed help building up and managing their growing CSA farm. Over the past 3 years they've helped me develop a greater understanding of how to manage larger fields and larger crews of people, and let me build them more greenhouses and incorporate many of my no-till small scale methods in some of their growing spaces.

I have been so lucky to have worked with so many wonderful people in so many beautiful spaces and been given so many opportunities to gain important experiences and skills. I feel confident that it is the right time to put everything I've learned to the test and to start a farm of my own. With land prices and scarcity what it is, I have grown doubtful that this dream will ever materialize.

If there is still anyone out there who wants to give someone like me a chance to turn their land into food, I will do my absolute best to make it happen, and enjoy every minute of it. Please feel free to reach out through email or call if you have a portion of your land you'd consider selling or leasing. I have been saving and planning for a long time now and would love to talk to you about what future farming together we could make possible. GrazianoJon@gmail.com 207-671-6767

In regards to business planning, I would be able to draw from my 3 years of experience managing a 2 acre vegetable farm including its budgeting/sales goals/and daily operations as well as my 2 years assisting another 40 acre farm with its business planning and daily operations. I have 40,000 in personal savings ready to devote to starting a small farming business as well as preapproval for a mortgage of 340,000 or less, and some additional financial support from family if needed. Much of my previous success has come largely in part to focusing on high quality greens and being able to construct and maintain highly productive four season high tunnels. That being said, considering that I am open to relocating throughout southern and midcoast Maine, my planning would be subject to evaluating sales opportunities specific to the communities I would find myself living in and near.