Tristand Tucker, organic garden manager at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.

Combine experience in growing fruits and vegetables on his family farm in Clay County with agriculture degrees from Purdue University and you have part of the recipe for White Violet Center for Eco-Justice’s new part-time garden manager.

Tristand Tucker joined the staff in early February 2009. He communicates regularly with the Sisters of Providence director of food services about their needs, orders organic seeds, prunes fruit trees in the orchard, and works in the garden. White Violet Center built a hoop house in 2009 that will allow the season to last longer. Tristand and volunteers have been harvesting lettuce and spinach this winter.

Tristand has started seeds in the greenhouse to transplant in March. His goal is still to make the garden more profitable.

The main focus has been providing staples to the food service that serves the Sisters of Providence at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Tristand will also plan to have enough produce to sell at the Saturday Downtown Terre Haute Farmers' Market beginning in June 2010.

Much of Tristand's experience comes from Tucker Farms in Clay City where he grew up growing fruits and vegetables for a u-pick strawberry operation, selling vegetables wholesale and at a roadside stand at the farm.

Tristand graduated from Purdue University with a master’s degree in organic production in May 2009. His undergraduate degree is in horticulture production and marketing with a minor in farm management also from Purdue. He and his wife, Mallory, live in Crawfordsville.

Tristand can be reached at ttucker@spsmw.org or 812-535-2933. For more information about the farmers' market contact Candace Minster at cminster@spsmw.org or 812-535-2935.