With Butler: Lorig Hawkins
About Lorig
Lorig Hawkins believes vegetables can unite us. As a farmer and owner of Middle Ground Farms and a teacher of regenerative agriculture at Austin Community College, they have always sought to grow more than just produce. They see a farm as a way to grow community and respect too. Whether inviting newbies out to the farm to help harvest or telling customers how their bok-choy was made, Lorig uses their food to build understanding and help people make connections.
We worked with Lorig to create the identity and core messaging for Middle Ground Farm, helping them communicate their unique perspective on farming.
As part of our With Butler series, Lorig shares why they try to “walk, not run” through life and the value of finding collaborators who are captivated by the same things you are.
In a word or two, how would you describe working with Butler?
Invigorating.
What’s the one thing you love most about your job?
My job encompasses many things that I love to do; challenging tasks, working outside, tending to things and working on projects. But I love being in nature and being amongst all its critters from the mushrooms and fungi below to the small and large above.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice someone has given you?
I have always struggled with being patient. I get so excited that I tend to get ahead of myself and so the most valuable piece of advice someone has given me was to walk, not run through life. As I approach my forties, that phrase has been really helpful.
What quality do you value most in a collaborator?
The ability to do the things you say you are going to do and the trust that we can talk through almost anything.
Who’s the one person you work best with and why?
I have always worked really well with my good friend, Evan. He and I naively and with youthful energy, worked to start a local farm social group. Our communication styles clicked and we were both in a place in our lives where we were captivated by farming and needed someplace to put our energy and meet others who felt the same.
About With Butler
We get to work with some truly amazing people. With Butler is an ongoing series where we highlight the many remarkable clients, partners and leaders we’ve been able to collaborate with over the years. In the series, we ask them to share lessons they’ve learned and how they like to collaborate by answering five thought-provoking questions.