Ryan Watson is an organic farmer from Los Angeles with over a decade of experience working in regenerative agriculture, greenspace management and garden education at all age levels. While raised in an urban environment, growing plants was always a deep passion.
His career in agriculture began as an urban farmer in Brooklyn, NY, in 2012 where he worked as an education apprentice at the Battery Urban Farm. The following season, in response to a request for proposals for a community project, Ryan along with Henry Sweets, founded and managed North Brooklyn Farms, the public farm and green space at the historic Domino Sugar Factory. The lush urban oasis, set amidst skyline views of Manhattan, the Williamsburg Bridge and the iconic Domino Factory, became a beloved fixture in the community, running as a public green space with public programming and special events for seven seasons.
Ryan is also a graduate of The Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Brooklyn Urban Gardener (BUG) Program. During his tenure in New York City, he led garden education classes for hundreds of students at all ages, trained teachers for the Slow Food NYC Urban Harvest Program, constructed over a dozen school gardens and founded the 61 Franklin Street Garden with a group of neighbors, which is still in operation today. He has been teaching garden education in a
After years of farming in the city, he moved to the Catskills to start his own operation, wild russet farm, a 20-acre organic vegetable farm & fruit orchard with his wife Ashlí. His agricultural skillset includes vegetable & poultry production, orchard management, greenhouse & apiary management and regenerative shepherding.
Ryan now divides his time between his farm in the Catskill Mountains, New York City and Los Angeles, spreading plants and his passion for garden knowledge from coast-to-coast. He is currently focused on creating a new urban farming project in Los Angeles and restoring biological diversity throughout urban environments.