Meet The Farmers
Bumbleroot Owners
Melissa Law
Melissa (she/her) runs the flower program at Bumbleroot, managing everything from flower crop planning, production & harvest to marketing ad human resources. She helped to found the Maine Flower Collective and currently serves as the Agriculture Representative to the Maine Climate Council, working to understand how agriculture impacts climate change and vice versa. She’s a dahlia lover and a romantasy addict, and she and Ben are parents to two very curious daughters - Max and Lulu.
Ben Whalen
Ben (he/him) grew up in Massachusetts and his passion for growing food came to life while working on farms in Colorado and Vermont. At Bumbleroot, Ben runs the vegetable wholesale enterprise and takes the lead on business planning & bookkeeping. You can find him cultivating with a collinear hoe or delivering produce to our partners in the Portland area. He is passionate about building sustainability for the land, community and our small business alike.
Abby Fisher
Abby (she/her) grew up on Long Island, NY, and moved to Colorado after attending Hamilton College in Central NY. She met her husband Jeff and the other Bumblerooters through Boulder-based Meadowlark Farm Dinners. Abby works full-time in Human Resources for Allagash Brewing Company. When she's not working, you can likely find Abby crafting something in the kitchen, cross-country skiing around the farm, or puzzling with her daughters Josie & Ruby.
Jeff Fisher
Jeff (he/him) was born and raised in Iowa and completed his master’s in Environmental Studies at The Evergreen State College. Jeff is passionate about the benefits farms provide to their local communities and is exploring perennials, mushrooms and fruit trees as new enterprises for Bumbleroot. He manages Bumbleroot’s veggie crop planning, irrigation, fertility and field production. When he isn't working he is probably chasing the kiddos around the farm.
Our Team
Blair Andrews
Blair (she/her) grew up in southern Ohio with a big family and a bigger appetite. Her college and post-graduate experience in nutrition, agriculture, and education led Blair to crave work in all things food. At Bumbleroot since 2019, Blair’s one of our amazing farm managers - she helps onboard and train staff, coordinate daily harvests, and keep the ship tidy. Outside of work, Blair loves trying new recipes, hiking new trails, and being a new mom.
Dan Mickey
Dan (he/him) hails from North Carolina where he studied agriculture at Appalachian State University. Entering his 6th season at Bumbleroot, he manages field prep and tractor work and leads crews in transplanting and weeding jobs. On a busy day at the farm you'll find him splashing around in the wash station. Off the farm, Dan loves spending time with his family at the park and teaching his 2 year old the art of shooting hoops.
Tali Gasko
Tali (she/her) caught the farming bug working at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC, back in 2018. After a few years in the solar industry, she moved to Maine to farm and has been at Bumbleroot since 2022. She’s a powerhouse on veggie team, our CSA Manager and coordinates all of our Saturday markets and events. She enjoys exploring Maine with her dog, hosting shabbat dinners and trying new hobbies!
Suzanna Sylvain
Suzanna (they/them) grew up in Maine and have worked at Bumbleroot in various forms since 2021. They oversee our microgreen enterprise from seed to sprout, and plants that are like finding little treasures (cherry tomatoes, peas, green beans, peppers) are their favorite to harvest! When they're not farming, they love rock climbing, cooking up a storm, or going for a walk with their cat, Zucchini.
Elsa Alexandrin
Elsa (she/her) grew up in Maine and gained an interest in local food and farming while at College in Baltimore, and an AmeriCorps program in Tennessee. Elsa is on the veggie team and assists with greenhouse-related tasks like watering and seeding the veggie crops. She loves days in the summer when the cucumbers are delicious and the weather is perfect for an end-of-the-day swim.
Lily Weafer
Lily (she/her) was born and raised in Maine and has found a home as Crew Lead on the flower team at Bumbleroot. She stumbled upon farm work as a way to get outdoors during the pandemic and now loves making bouquets and dreaming up color schemes in the field. She lives for gossip over coffee with friends and finding little trinkets and ill-fitting clothes at thrift stores around the state.
Farm Family
Josie Fisher
Josie is the original #bumblebaby and she specializes in snowman building, seedling watering and swingset playing.
Mackenzie Whalen
Max loves princesses, tractors, her best friend Josie and going to school. You can usually find her in a party dress!
Lulu Whalen
Lulu shares a birthday with Farmer Jeff! She’s a Taurus if ever there was one and loves singing, dancing, and snacking.
Ruby Fisher
Ruby is the fourth #bumblebaby! The Fishers welcomed her in October 2022 and she’s a super cute merch model.
Bowie
Bowie joined the farm back in 2015 and has officially filled the role of Bumbleroot safety officer since. He always knows where everyone is and keeps our crew in line (especially his pal Sal). He specializes in potato-digging, fox chasing, and keeping all the birds out of our fields.
Sally
Sally "Mustang" Fisher is Bowie's bigger half. She gives him kisses all day long and reminds him to eat his breakfast when he forgets. She loves romping around, smiling, and welcoming newcomers to the farm. Sally reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously.