Agraria_Journal_WINTER_2022

KELLY HAGER When Kelly joined Agraria in June as a full-time VISTA in support of Agraria’s farm operations, she was already on familiar ground. She was a member of the AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) team who worked with Agraria staff in Spring 2021 on various land- based projects around the farm. “I instantly fell in love with the work being done at Agraria,” she said of that experience. Kelly is familiar not only with Agraria but also with volunteering. She worked during and after high school with her local church on Habitat for Humanity projects around her hometown of Vienna, Virginia. She joined NCCC right out of high school for a 10-month stint that took her and her team around the Midwest. In addition to their work at Agraria, they constructed trails for a land trust in Wisconsin, put the finishing touches on Habitat houses in Waterloo, Iowa, and improved infrastructure at an animal rehabilitation center in Michigan. After finishing her NCCC term in November of 2021, Kelly took classes at the local community college in Virginia. But when she learned about the VISTA opening, “I missed Yellow Springs and Agraria so much I decided to apply,” she said. Kelly is a skilled photographer and also enjoys puzzling. She recently completed two 2,000-piece puzzles in six days. You’ll find her most days on Agraria at the George Washington Carver Farm watering, weeding, and helping anywhere she can. “I like working with my hands and helping others,” she said. “And I like seeing the results of my work.” DONNA PITSTICK HALLER Donna is passionate about working with youth and being outdoors and is thrilled to work at Agraria where she can blend the two. Donna was raised on a farm three miles from Agraria with her parents and six siblings. She loved any time she could work outside (after cleaning the house and cooking). Her favorite part of the farm was lambing season, and she got up early to follow her dad out to the barn to check on the babies whenever she could. Once spring and summer hit, you could find her in the pasture with the sheep or playing down in the swamp with her siblings and the Fulton boys. Donna is a mother of four, grandmother of three, yoga teacher, gardener, hiker, and avid reader. She recently retired from her career as an intervention specialist at Yellow Springs High School so she could spend more time with her family and other passions. One of those passions is helping young people find a love of learning and being outdoors. As School Partnership Coordinator at Agraria, she has the chance to do that every week. She connects with schools in the Little Miami bioregion to see how Agraria can partner with them through projects such as The Big Map Out! — a program developed in partnership with Mills Lawn Elementary School in Yellow Springs — eco plots, composting, field trips, and more. “I feel so lucky to work here at Agraria where everyone shares my love of the outdoors, regenerative farming, and education,” Donna said. “I’ve already learned so much since I started in June 2022, and I can’t wait to share this wonderful place with youth from all over the Miami Valley.” 42 AGRARIA JOURNAL 2022