Fellowship Means Farming Dreams Come True for High School Senior

When senior, Emma HallBilsback learned that she was one of the 2012 Vineyard Visions Fellowship awardees, she called her mother and burst into tears of joy.

For HallBilsback, winning the award was more than just being chosen from a group of very deserving applicants, it was the only way for her to fulfill a dream she’d been planning since she was in the second grade.

“Without the fellowship I wouldn’t be able to go to Hampshire College,” HallBilsback said. “People kept telling me that I could still go to other schools, but there’s no other college like Hampshire, not for what I want to do.”

What HallBilsback wants, what lead her to being nominated and eventually to receiving one of the Island's most comprehensive scholarship awards, is to be a farmer.

HallBilsback became involved with the when she was in grade school and moved up from being a camper to giving farm tours. Now, she’s there every day, working under the direction of Education Director Sidney Morris on her senior high school project. HallBilsback is learning everything about the business of running a farm and assiting with the development of education and tourist programs. The Farm Institute is the nominating/sponsoring organization for HallBilsback and Morris will serve as her Vision Fellowship mentor.

“I want everyone to be buying local produce, to be able financially to buy local produce. There are a lot of people here that do, but it’s not everyone and because of that, local produce is more accessible in some towns than it is in others. I’d love to see everyone, all over the Island going to farmers markets for their vegetables.”

The Kohlberg family’s Philip Evans Scholarship Foundation established the Vineyard Visions fellowship in 2006. The mission states that, “The Martha’s Vineyard Vision Fellowship seeks to encourage a healthy and vibrant Vineyard future by investing in promising individuals who demonstrate a commitment to the Island and to the ideals of sustainability.”

The areas of focus for 2012 included individuals working:

• to pursue environmentally sustainable methods for dealing with water and waste

• to encourage the development and adaptation of renewable energy technologies and energy efficient systems

• to encourage and support Aging in Place for elderly Island residents who wish to remain in their homes and active in their communities

• to encourage and increase the use and safety of alternative modes of transportation, such as bicycles and public transportation

• to protect open space, biodiversity, and a culture of stewardship

• to increase the availability of affordable housing that is both ecologically and socially responsible

As one can imagine, the application for a fellowship is no small task. “I pretty much had to tell them what my plans were for the next ten years,” said HallBilsback.

However HallBilsback is no stranger to making long-range plans. As a founding member and team leader of the (MVYLI), HallBilsback has been working on her dream for a long time.

“The whole MVYLI curriculum is based on your dream for your Island and your world. It really helped me put a timeline on what I need to get done, to pinpoint exactly what is important and what needs to happen next.”

HallBilsback credits , and the opportunities she had because of her involvement with MVYLI, as being “what helped to set me apart from a lot of applicants.”

MVYLI and HallsBilsback played pivitol roles in bringing Brad Mitchell, top lobbyist and Director of Government Relations for the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) to the Island for MVYLI's job shadow day and a . Mitchell met with Island farmers to present an overview of MFBF and the work that it does on behalf of farmers in the state.

The fellowship covers need based tuition for all four years of college and living expenses; a one-time Computer Grant of up to $1,500; and access to Opportunity Grants to pursue internships or volunteer experiences.

HallBilsback is off to Hampshire College to study sustainable agriculture management and political science, but not before spending what she called “an immersion year” in New Zealand.

“I didn’t want to call it a gap year because adults look at you like you’re a slacker, which is the exact opposite of what I am.”

Hallbilsback will hardly be slacking in New Zealand. Instead she will be participating in Communicating for Agriculture Education Program (CAEP) where she’ll be working on a farm during the calving and lambing season, learning about herd management and the business of farming.

“I chose New Zealand because it is one of the largest agricultural exporters in the world and there are no agricultural subsidies in New Zealand. That is something that I would like to see here in the US.”

In order to win a Vineyard Visions Fellowship, HallBilsback’s plan had to include returning to the Island after the fellowship ends. HallsBilsback hopes to learn as much as she can about sustainable farming practices at both Hampshire and in New Zealand and bring that back to the Farm Institute and other farms on the Island.

“I’ve already had one of the farmers ask me to find out how New Zealand farmers keep hay out of sheep’s wool.”

The Vineyard Visions Fellowship will also cover HallBilsback’s travel and expenses to New Zealand.

For HallBilsback, winning the award does not just mean she can go to the college of her dreams. It means she can start a life as a farmer; one she knows is often filled with financial hardship, without a long line of college loans to repay.

“I’m so thankful that they saw potential in me, that they saw that I could make a difference on the Island. They got my dream.”

Other recipients of the 2012 Vineyard Visions fellowships are: Camron Adibi, Kristen Fauteux, Philippe Jordi, Jessie Kanozak, Antone Lima, and Zoe Turcotte.