McDowell Farm School
- 205-387-1806, ext. 106
- farmschooldirector@campmcdowell.org
Farm Staff
Scotty Feltman, Director
Scotty grew up in the small town of Berry, AL where he roamed the woods and creeks surrounding his house and fell in love with being outside. After high school, he attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham and graduated with a degree in early childhood and elementary education. For the next seven years, he taught fifth grade in Birmingham where he first began using farming as an educational tool. He then transitioned to a high school teaching position within the system where he taught environmental science as well as developed and oversaw the programming and growing of a two acre sustainable urban farm behind the high school for four years through a local non-profit. As part of this program, he ran an internship with high school juniors and seniors growing and selling produce to the surrounding community while cultivating curiosity, hard work, and self sufficiency. Scotty was drawn to camp by the overall beauty and peacefulness of the land as well as the opportunity to live and work amongst a community of environmental educators. As farm school director, Scotty gets to continue to share his passion for teaching and sharing his excitement for the natural world and farming with the thousands of individuals that attend McDowell’s programs. Scotty and his wife Julie live at camp with their three children, Samuel, Betsy and Susanna. He’s really really psyched about learning, climbing, exploring with his family, and getting his hands dirty in southern soil.
Kelly Baker, Program Coordinator
Kelly Baker grew up in Mobile, AL and it took her a while to develop a love for farming. While attending Auburn University for a degree in Human Development and Family Studies, Kelly was introduced to the world of farming and plants. She received a minor in Hunger studies and began to understand and appreciate the connection between the earth and humans. This connection solidified during her study abroad trip to Fiji where she worked on a Permaculture farm.
After graduating she began teaching and farming at Jones Valley Teaching Farm in downtown Birmingham. This is where she gained valuable experience in both teaching and farming. Her favorite part of the job was coordinating the High School apprenticeship program, where she got to work alongside a small group of high school students in the farm every day.
In July, Kelly led high-school students on a field trip to Camp McDowell Farm School and fell in love with the program! Only a few months later she became the McDowell Farm School Program Coordinator.
She is loving living at Camp McDowell and feels like a real camp person after adopting her new puppy Peanut who was found in the parking lot of a Jasper thrift store.
Tristan Hendrix, Farm Manager
Tristan is an Alabama native, born and raised in Hoover, AL. Upon graduating from Mississippi State with a degree in agribusiness he knew he wanted to have a positive impact in the world. Particularly the health of the land and the health of those around him. This journey began at Camp McDowell in the Spring of 2020. Upon learning the skills of food production, animal handling and land stewardship at McDowell Farm School Tristan knew he had found his vocation. Teaching about the plants and animals that provide us sustenance has been an incredible way to lay the groundwork for future generations to change our food systems and our world. He has continued his work in organic agriculture at Serenbe Farms where he has served in various roles over time including education programs coordinator, assistant farm manager, and farm manager.
Debra Feltman, MFS Nurse and Greta, Dog
Debra grew up in Hueytown, Al where she met, fell in love, and married her amazing husband of 47 years, Dennis. They have spent the last 40 years in the small town of Berry, Alabama, where they raised 2 great kids, quite a few horses and some dogs. (also a garden every year). After Debra's youngest child went off to college, she went to college to become an RN. Debra worked in several different nursing areas, then found her love for the operating room. When Debra retired from her job at Birmingham Surgery Center in Homewood, she was approached about the need for a farm nurse at Camp McDowell. As the farm nurse at Camp McDowell, Debra gets to take care of the amazing children that come to camp. She also enjoys getting to work with the awesome farm school staff and exploring the camp with her little dog Greta.
SEASONAL STAFF
Anna B
Anna is originally from central New York, but spent the past few years living around the southwest. They have worked among community garden spaces, production farms and climate campaigning work. They have also worked as the garden teacher at a public elementary school in San Francisco, and most recently as a traveling storyteller for children in their ancestral homeland of Italy. They enjoy drawing, biking, cooking & sharing meals with people. She is really excited and curious to learn this season.
ANNA R
Anna grew up on a horse farm outside of Jasper, Alabama. There she and her family bred and raised American Morgan horses for competition. Anna had an extensive career showing horses where she was awarded several national titles as well as one world championship. For the last 15 years she has been working in the field of equine assisted learning and therapies as an adaptive riding instructor and equine specialist in mental health and learning. Teaching and learning through farm experiences is something she is passionate about. Anna is thrilled to be part of the McDowell farm school this season. She can’t wait to meet all of her students and coworkers, especially the ones with four legs!
Graham
Hey Y'all, I'm Graham, Jasper High School graduate, 5 time Environmental instructor at McDowell, and spent this last summer in LA Honda California working for a YMCA summer camp. I'm very excited to grow with everyone here at McDowell getting to know the food and plant systems that bring nourishment to our mind and body's. This season will be filled with new growth, change, and fall fun. You can find me wearing one of my many McDowell t-shits and or with my very special Bob Ross name tag.
KATIE
Katie grew up on a small farm nestled in the magnificent, rolling hills and hollows of Virginia's Appalachian mountains. During her childhood, she got to experience the many wonders of rural farm life from helping baby ducklings hatch to participating in the family garden as soon as she could walk. Having had the privilege to grow up this way created in her a deep sense of connection and reverence for the land, as well as a feeling of responsibility to be an advocate and steward of it.She attended James Madison University where she majored in Psychology, with a focus in Ecopsychology. The summer before her senior year she interned at an equine-assisted therapy farm. In this position, she got to combine her passion for animals with her interests in alternative therapy and working with kids in a uniquely challenging, rewarding modality. She has also enjoyed the many years she has spent providing hands-on, outdoors-based childcare to local families. After graduating from JMU, Katie was fortunate to get the opportunity to spend a few months in Bolivia, South America, where she gained a lot of insight and appreciation for other ways of being in this world, and existing more simply and harmoniously with the land. Following her time across the equator, she arrived home to Virginia where she felt called back to her roots (literally!) She began working at a local farm where she got to dive hands-first into the world of regenerative agriculture.
Prior to arriving at Camp McDowell, Katie spent time as a forest technician. She enjoyed collaborating with fellow tree huggers and going on wild expeditions in the woods, gathering data on these vital members of our ecosystem.
She is passionate about fostering a spark of curiosity in our natural world and food systems in people who may not have grown up with a relationship to the land. She believes the youngest generation plays a critical role in a societal shift back to interconnectedness with the Earth and is SO excited to join McDowell Farm School. She is ready to take on this new challenge and looks forward to having a lot of fun and laughter doing so!
NEVA
Neva grew up in rural Missouri and has since lived in Honolulu, HI; St. Louis, MO; Denver, CO; Chicago, IL; Philadelphia, PA; Livonia, MI; and Monhegan, ME. They are now looking forward to experiencing the next few months in Alabama with McDowell Farm School. Neva studied Creative Writing and Theatre at Truman State University and received an MFA in Cinema Directing from Columbia College Chicago, during which she shot her thesis film on a farm in rural Indiana with four child actors and one dog. They are always looking for creative inspiration in unique environments, especially in nature.
RANI
Rani is originally from Maryland but has spent the last 5 years in Seattle, Washington. She was first introduced to farming in highschool where she completed an internship on a local goat farm. Rani fell in love with farm life: working outside, cultivating land, and being a part of a farm community. Rani built upon this passion in college at the University of Washington where she studied Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health with a minor in Environmental Science and Resource Management. In college, Rani continued to work on local farms and also for a non profit connecting surplus and unmarketable produce to food banks nationwide. Through this role she learned more about the benefits and shortcomings of the charitable food systems and industrial agriculture. Since graduating college Rani has taken a break from farming to work as an EMT in Seattle, but is so excited to be back on a farm this Fall at Camp Mcdowell! When not at work you can find Rani trail running, knitting, and riding bikes.
TOHMI
Tohmi Barrett (she/her). Hi everyone! I grew up in the foothills of Colorado, exploring the giant wild playground of the Mountain West. I have studied and identified spider species at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, worked in educational farms and food access nonprofits, participated in plant collection and community engagement for the Denver Botanic Gardens, led students through the redwood forest as a Naturalist in Santa Cruz, California, and studied urban ecology in New York City with the New York Botanical Gardens. I am an environmental optimist, and I strongly believe that if we deepen our connection to the Earth, we will be able to build a beautiful and sustainable future. In my free time, I love to explore new places, write poetry, climb rocks, camp, and make dinner with my friends!