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Farm
Staff |
 Spence
Dickinson
Founder, staff & student mentor
Spence, as he is known, is a familiar sight in
the garden or barn 365 days a year. Spence was
born on a farm and has worked with animals his
whole life. He began horseback riding by age 10.
He has trained, ridden and raised many different
breeds of horses, and is expert in numerous
riding styles.
Spence has been working
with and teaching children for over 45 years.
Spence also teaches woodworking, gardening,
drumming, photography, riding, forestry and farm
management. Spence has also been a business
entrepreneur, real estate developer, personal
development coach, community activist, and an
early proponent of the agricultural
sustainability movement in NC. Spence
served on the board of the Carolina Farm
Stewardship Association (CFSA) for six years. Spence is
married and has two grown children. |
 Ila
Berkley
Director
Ila is a woman of many
talents and credentials, none more impressive
than her joie de vivre and natural gift with
children of all ages. However, she also has over
20 years of diverse professional work experience
and numerous advanced degrees to bring to bear
on her work at the Farm, as well. She is a
certified K-12 teacher, a B.S.Ed. from
Wellesley, and an M.Ed. in special education
from Northeastern University. She is a licensed
nurse practitioner, and certified as an EMT and
an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter and
instructor. Prior to joining Spence’s Farm, she
worked for the Hospice of Wake County,
specializing in pain management and end of life
care for babies and their families. Miss Ila
relishes the chance to hang out, get her hands
dirty, keep the kids hands clean, and experience
the joy of being with our Farm KIDS every day,
including her own, Jonah, aged six.
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 Alani
Messa
Office Manager
Alani is one of the most recent additions to the
staff at Spence's Farm, and also a new resident
of North Carolina, having just moved here in
2011. Before joining us, she spent over a
year volunteering with the AmeriCorps VISTA
program to fight against poverty in the state of
West Virginia. Prior to that, she spent
nine years in Georgia, working with a variety of
small businesses and non-profit organizations
dedicated to preserving cultural heritage,
architecture, and the arts. Alani
graduated from the Savannah College of Art and
Design in 2005 with a BFA in Historic
Preservation and Architectural History. In her
spare time she enjoys travelling, going to see
live music, camping, baking, and planning her
next adventure. |
John Sax
Woodworking
Instructor & Maintenance Specialist |
 Lisa Rampden
Garden Manager
Lisa Rampden has
been an avid environmentalist for as long as she
can remember. She is not really "from" anywhere,
having lived in Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee and a
variety of other states - but she feels like she
can finally call North Carolina home. Lisa
went to UNC Wilmington and graduated with
degrees in Environmental Studies and Spanish.
After graduating Lisa moved to Washington, DC to
work with environmental non-profits. Once she
got tired of working in office buildings, she
decided to move back to North Carolina and learn
how to farm. She interned at Beausol
Gardens in Pittsboro and learned a great deal
about small scale agriculture. Lisa is
very excited to share her knowledge of plants,
soil, weeds, bugs, and seeds with the kids at
Spence's Farm. She spends her time away
from the farm with friends, practicing and
teaching yoga, cooking and biking around
Carrboro.
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