Meet Your Farmers
Madeline
Madeline has pretty much always known she’s wanted to be a farmer. She received her undergraduate degree in sustainable agriculture from UC Berkeley in 2018 and has worked in the ag nonprofit sphere since then (with a brief detour to WWOOF during COVID and a year working for plant nurseries!)
In 2023 Madeline started Sampaguita Farms, named after the national flower of the Philippines that her Lolo and Lola always had growing in their garden. The farm was actually a network of urban market gardens, and when it was time to scale up, she teamed up with Aaron to start Walking Whale and find a “proper” farm site.
On the farm, Madeline is in charge of crop planning, greenhouse care, harvest and postharvest care, drying flowers, and marketing. She’s the one you’ll find behind our booth every Saturday at the PSU farmers market, and if you ever DM us on Instagram, she’s the one with whom you’re chatting!
Aaron
Bramble
Bramble is forbidden from the farm for health and safety reasons, but his chaotic and colorful spirit is imbued into every bouquet we make.
Aaron started his farming career in 2020. He became a Rogue Farm Corps apprentice in 2022 and spent two seasons farming at Our Table Cooperative, a low-till mixed vegetable farm in Sherwood. In 2024 he joined Madeline to start Walking Whale Flower Farm, where he helps implement the no-till strategies he learned at our flower farm.
On the farm, Aaron is in charge of field work including bed prep, weed management, cover cropping, BCS work, and irrigation. He’s a master bouquet maker and is behind over half of the designs you find at our market stand!
