“I never imagined I’d be able to tie agriculture and social work together,” says Erica Leubner ‘94. For Erica, her reality has come to exceed her imagination as she has reaped the benefits of her farming background and sociology education to live out her passions. Erica and her husband Tim devote themselves to the operation of their family-owned pumpkin patch farm in Marietta, NY. While her commitment to the families that visit Tim’s Pumpkin Patch already keeps her bustling, Erica still strives to do more. Through her position as a Family Farm Consultant for NY FarmNet, she incorporates her background in social work with her desire to help other farm families. From advising ways to improve production efficiency to developing stress management techniques, Erica continues to cultivate a healthy and happy atmosphere in business and in life.
Erica’s professional and personal life both sprouted during her time at the Heights. She pursued a degree in sociology to explore her natural fascination with people. “The one thing I can honestly say about all my professors is that they were invested in me and my education,” she says. Her professors, like Dr. Chin, encouraged her to earn a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Syracuse University. Meanwhile, she began her family after marrying her husband, Tim, in her senior year. She worked at Cayuga Home for Children for a year before growing her family even more. When she decided to stay home with her newborn daughter, she took the opportunity to help grow a then humble farm stand into the thriving business it is today.
Tim’s Pumpkin Patch is a popular attraction for Central New Yorkers. Offering a wide range of seasonal festivities including corn mazes, fresh pastries, and pumpkin picking, Erica and her family have a lot on their plates. Regardless, Erica feels there is nothing more satisfying than working alongside her family. Watching her daughters blossom into hardworking contributors to the family business is one of the daily joys of her work.
Erica does more than just work with her own family. She gets to live her dream of combining her passions for agriculture and social work by working with and for other farm families. As a Family Farm Consultant for NY FarmNet, she aids in the professional and personal well-being of families like hers. The unique pressures farmers face can present challenges for consultants, but her shared background allows her to engage with her clients authentically.
Whether watching visitors enjoy her family’s business or helping other families grow their own, Erica hasn’t lost her initial curiosity for understanding people and her desire to cultivate a healthy, happy environment.
Article by Emma Discenza '20. Emma is interning with the Office of Communications this semester.
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