Hello! I’m Molly. My middle name is Oliver.
I am Brooklyn-based farmer and floral designer. A handful of life experiences led me to the sustainable farming and food justice movement. Some of these: majoring in post-colonial lit, a year abroad in South America, a love of working hard outdoors. In 2005 I became an AmericorpsVISTA volunteer through Just Food and began working full time to help create equitable access to farm-fresh produce (urban or rural-grown) and growing spaces throughout the city. After three years of life-changing community organizing work, I moved to California to follow my dream of becoming a farmer: to hone my farming skills on larger organic farms like Live Earth Farm; to get a better understanding of what it takes to produce a lot of food in an ecological and earth-friendly way; to learn how to drive a tractor. I also earned a Certificate in Ecological Horticulture from the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems – an amazing program I was very fortunate to attend, where I gained incredible mentors and made life-long friends.
Since my return home in 2010, I was fortunate to find work and volunteer with several of NYC’s oldest greening and food justice organizations — including GreenThumb, Green Guerillas, Earth Matter and Just Food. I heart all of these organizations big time.
In early 2011 I joined the growing urban farming collective BK Farmyards, founded by the incredible Stacey Murphy. I now co-manage the 1 acre Youth Farm at the High School for Public Service in Crown Heights, along with the lovely Bee Ayer and Liz Dowd, where I help train new adult farmers and oversee our specialty cut flower production.
You may also find me teaching workshops around the city on topics ranging from Soil Science to Food Preservation, as a Just Food trainer and Farm School NYC teacher. Using popular education methodology, I aim to facilitate engaging, horizontal, hands-on learning experiences for youth and adults.
Love Love your website..I just recommended you to a friend who has a son who might get married in NYC…won’t be for awhile but your name is in there….