Greyrock Farm Meet the Farmers

Matt Volz

In 2016Short bio: Born in Washington, D.C. Moved to Cazenovia shortly afterwards. In 1993, moved with my family to Philadelphia. Attended Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT, studied philosophy and began working on farms. In junior year of college, connected with crazy couple from across Lake Champlain in Essex, NY. Worked with Mark and Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm during last two years of college and another two years after graduating. In 2009, moved back to VT and worked on a few farms there before beginning search for own farm. In the Spring of 2010, was introduced to Kaye Osborne and a few months later moved back to Caz to start the Greyrock Farm CSA. In 2016 met Lela Niemetz, love of his life. Together they purchased their own farm in 2020 and moved to Cold Brook, NY.

Currently listening to: Black Dahlia Murder - Ritual, Metallica - Master of Puppets,  This American Life podcast
Reading: HP Lovecraft, Frank Herbert's Dune series
Has a crush on: my wife, Lela "Big Time" Niemetz
Favorite farm place: our guest bedroom
Favorite farm animal: Uno, daughter of Tiddlywinks, granddaughter of Bubbles.
Quote for the present: We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to
                                      arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. -T.S. Eliot
When I’m not farming, I am: playing guitar, practicing my Spanish, cooking, hiking with Lela.
5 things I must do before I die:

Write and record an album
Convince my mom and dad to move close to the farm.
Travel cross country on freight trains
Write and illustrate a comic book
???

What I most want to see happen at Black Horse Farm: I want to wake up early one morning, just as the sun is coming up, and walk out into a field of wheat with my friends and family, all of us with scythes in hand, and spend the morning scything.
If I could have one person join the farm crew, it would be: Jeff Carroll

Lela Niemetz

Short bio: Grew up in the big city of Cleveland, NY. Studied and lived in Buffalo for 7 years. Played basketball for Daemen College, while gaining a B.S. in Science. Continued on to D’Youville College for my M.S. in nutrition and dietetics. Worked on my first farm in Little Valley, NY. One of my favorite college experiences. Thank you Native Offerings! Moved home in 2012. Practiced as a conventional, registered dietitian for 3 years. Decided it wasn’t for me. Started my own business: FoodFeasible LLC. This was going to be focused on individual nutrition counseling, but then I was introduced to the Essex, NY world and everything changed. FoodFeasible is focused on farming, local whole foods, culinary education, and I am determined to make these things niche-less. I want to always be part of the solution. FoodFeasible endeavors led me to Greyrock Farm on a blustery April day. Unbeknownst to me, I would meet Matt Volz, my fiancé over a conversation on scrapple. I spend as much time as I can at Black Horse, while growing FoodFeasible. Our animals are sacred to me. Matt and I will spend most of our Summer in the vegetable fields.

Currently listening to: Josh Garrels album- Home, Moby-Andrew Weatherhall Remix -Another Perfect Life, and always new music.
Reading: Just picked up All the Pretty Horses again. Usually something nutrition or recipe related. Anything Lowell, my brother, recommends.
Has a crush on: oh man. MATT VOLZ- no question.
Favorite farm place: The cabin, the farm store, the barns, the fields, the woods, the hill.
Favorite farm animal: Nancy makes my heart smile. Dillon because even though Matt says he is easily distracted, I have a feeling he “gets it”. I love the way Bubbles leads. Dutch is majestic. The pigs are special.
Quote for the present: “It all begins and ends in your mind. What you give power to has power over you.” -Leon BrownWhen I’m not farming, I am: FOODFEASIBLE

5 things I must do before I die:

Live in the woods, off the woods.
Convince Matt that it is a GREAT idea to manage the vegetables with a mini donkey team pulling a vegetable cart.
Make eating whole, ethically, sustainably, and locally unbound and available to everyone.
Listen to cows with bell collars grazing.
Find time to learn how to play the Viola, take boxing lessons, and learn how to rock climb.

What I most want to see happen at Black Horse Farm & with FoodFeasible: I want the crossover and connection between Matt and my world to develop naturally. I want Matt and I to always make each other this happy, no matter the direction Black Horse and FoodFeasible take.
If I could have one person join the farm crew, it would be: My brother Lowell and his son Caleb.