by Colin W.

Legacy Farms Apprentice

Even though I and almost all the apprentices at Legacy Farms are new to working on a farm, we’ve poured our blood, sweat, and tears into maintaining the garden since summer arrived. For many of us, this is our first paid job, and we need all the guidance, knowledge, and aid we can get. Fortunately, Legacy Farms finds the right mentors for the job. I’d like to use this week’s article to highlight one member of our staff in particular who has helped me and the other apprentices on the farm. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you: Ian Shanholtz!

I first met Ian during an orientation for Legacy Farms, where I and other soon-to-be apprentices learned about the values and importance of farming. On top of having a beard that eclipsed the lower half of his face, he was kind to me and the other new apprentices. And he also seemed to be fond of dry wit. 

One way Ian stands out from the rest of the mentors is that he, like many of the apprentices, is neurodiverse. In his case, he has a learning disability. What I find interesting about that is that Ian wears his neurodiversity like a badge of honor because he believes it has made him a stronger person. He doesn’t try to hide this side of himself, and he lets it shine through. This confidence in himself despite his disability is encouraging to me and the apprentices. And, Ian also said he likes my writing, so he gets bonus points for that.

Where Ian truly shines is in the garden during his weekly lesson. Ian is a treasure trove of knowledge when it comes to gardening, and he keeps his lessons interesting throughout. (You can see him doing some hands-on instruction with one of our apprentices in the video at the end of this essay.) Just a couple weeks ago, I wrote an article on fertilizer and how Legacy Farms uses it. The idea for that article came to me when Ian gave a lesson on the fertilizer he uses, and ended up making some for us. 

Another lesson I enjoyed was when he discovered a hornworm in the garden, and told us about the harm hornworms can dish out. Hornworms are notorious for devouring tomatoes like they’re at an all-you-can-eat salad buffet. Ian told us that one of the best ways to counter hornworms is by allowing parasitic wasps. What the parasitic wasps will do is find a hornworm, paralyze it, and then lay its eggs in the worm. Eventually, the eggs will hatch and the larvae will consume the hornworm. Ian mentioned that if he happens to find a parasitic wasp lying around, he’ll scoop it up and save it for pests like hornworms.

Last tuesday, Ian brought in some homemade hot sauce for me and the other apprentices to try. I got my grubby little farm mitts on two of his three hot sauces; Hoppin-Arrow Habanero and Cali-Love. Cali-Love is a more traditional hot sauce, reminiscent of sauces like Texas Pete and Frank’s Red Hot, but fresher since it was just made from Legacy Farms peppers. Hoppin-Arrow Habanero tastes kinda like Tabasco and buffalo sauce.

If you’d like to try Ian’s hot sauce for yourself, come pick some up at one of the farmers markets that he and Legacy Farms attend together. He’s at Bear Chase Brewing Company on Saturdays and the upcoming Loudoun Country Market at Fabbioli Cellars on Thursdays. Check out his Facebook page for specific dates and times: facebook.com/shanholtzva

I think what makes Ian a great member of Legacy Farms is that despite his learning disability he does his best, and because of his experience of being neurodiverse, he has become a super mentor. He’s married, he’s become a master gardener, he produces his own food, and he’s helping out a younger generation of neurodiverse individuals. I’m glad that he’s working with me and the other apprentices to make Legacy Farms the best farm it can be.