Meet the Red's Crew!
Dave Henderson
Dave grew up in Durham, North Carolina, where early on he became involved in the DIY community through his parents' work in remodeling homes. His involvement in this community paired with his strong interest in environmental sustainability led Dave to began working at Four Leaf Farm in Rougemont under close family friends Tim and Helga. Working for Four Leaf Farm showed Dave not only the value of farming for himself, but also the positive effects it can have on the surrounding community.
After a few seasons of growing at Four Leaf Farm, Dave followed his passion and a fellow red-headed lady to Chicago in hopes of furthering his knowledge of farming. In Chicago, Dave strengthened his farming skills while studying urban agriculture at Chicago Botanic Gardens, through which he got an internship at City Farm. There Dave learned the importance of production and of meeting the quality and quantity demands of high-end Chicago restaurants. After his internship, Dave became a full-time employee at City Farm. During his time there he worked in roles including production manager and farm crew coordinator; he focused on all areas of farming from production planning, to overseeing volunteers, and working closely with the sales manager to fill wholesale distribution orders. After four seasons at the farm Dave began exploring the idea of starting his own project to build from the ground up. The location became a no brainer for both Dave and Caitlin: North Carolina.
Caitlin Law
Caitlin has worked in a variety of jobs providing services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities for the past 10 years. She began her professional career as a Special Educator in Chicago Public Schools and then as an Arts Coordinator and finally Studio Manager at The Arts of Life, a collective art studio providing high-quality programming and alternative employment for adult artists with development and intellectual disabilities. During her many years in the field, she observed an alarming lack of access to quality and fresh food for the individuals she worked with, as well as an overall need for educational opportunities promoting healthy living and eating skills.
It is Caitlin’s goal to adapt the farm and its practices in ways that create opportunities for individuals with a variety of abilities to actively participate in a supportive community while developing a healthy lifestyle and exploring farm production skills.
Norm Budnitz
Norm moved to Durham from Massachusetts in 1968, to attend Duke University as a graduate student. After completing his research on lemurs in Madagascar, he spent more than two decades teaching biology, math, and many other subjects at Carolina Friends School. He then spent a decade founding and helping to run the Center for Inquiry-Based Learning (CIBL), teaching elementary and middle school teachers how to teach science. It was through CIBL that he met Tim and Helga of Four Leaf Farm and became interested in and learned about growing produce for market.
Norm’s passion for growing quality produce means that he is dedicated to nurturing healthy soil through sustainable use of natural soil amendments and pest control techniques. Healthy soil makes for healthy crops. Healthy crops make for healthy—and happy—consumers. As a teacher, Norm nurtured minds; now as a farmer, he gets to nurture bodies as well.