Luke Joanis, assistant farm manager
Luke Joanis has worked at Cedar Circle Farm since 2003. As the assistant farm manager, he has been integral to our overall growth. During his first year there were 24 CSA shares; today we provide a weekly basket to 180 members.
In the colder months of the year, Luke begins planning next season and has established sets of seed charts, as well as a long-term system of crop rotation to increase organization and management.
Luke’s carpentry skills can be seen everywhere at the farm: he has built three hoop-houses and restored seven others, including converting our largest tomato greenhouse’s heating system to vegetable oil. He designed and constructed our processing area in which vegetables are washed after harvest and established relationships with local restaurants and chefs.
Luke has revised hiring practices and has produced, year after year, a crew of interested, hard-working people. On a day-to-day level, he is responsible for organization and record keeping, as well as managing staff and working out in the fields.
It is this field work that Luke finds most fulfilling, the way in which it varies from week to week and between seasons but remains refreshing and personal. He loves to cultivate on any of the farm’s tractors, an efficient task that leaves the fields clean and weed-free.
While he is responsible for the management of all crops, he is most interested in the production of tomatoes, a complicated plant that requires skill and patience but yields beautiful, lucrative fruit. Ironically, tomatoes are his least favorite vegetable to eat. He prefers broccoli, cabbage, carrots, onions, and potatoes.
In the coming years, Luke hopes to expand Cedar Circle Farm’s land use, as well as increasing community involvement and interest.