DANSVILLE, Mich. – Shara Trierweiler has worked as a trader, investment banker, private wealth manager and regional bank manager before deciding that farming was the right occupational fit for her.

Today, Trierweiler owns and operates Agape Organic Farms in Dansville, Mich. The farm specializes in the production of purebred Berkshire pigs and more than 28 varieties of gourmet mushrooms sold direct to consumer, retail and small-scale wholesale avenues. 

“I think being a farmer is the best job I’ve ever had,” said Trierweiler. “I think farming is just kind of in my blood. It’s kind of a part of who I am and I feel like I’ve just found who I am in farming. The organic movement kind of pushed me as a farmer. It taught me what I needed to know to be a farmer and helped me fall in love with farming.

Agape Organic Farms is participating in this year’s Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series. The OEFFA Tour makes a stop at Trierweiler’s farm on Monday, Oct. 14.

 “There are more than 4,000 species of mushrooms in Michigan and there’s thousands more out there in the world,” says Trierweiler, a licensed mushroom expert. “We grow 28 varieties of mushrooms.”

 The farm produces food for Michigan restaurants, markets and food lovers.

 “Some of the more specialty mushrooms do well up here in Michigan as they like that 65-degree weather that we have a lot of up here. Michigan is ideal for growing mushrooms.”

Her saprotrophic mushrooms (wood-decaying) are grown in a greenhouse system for optimum Vitamin-D absorption. They are grown on organic substrates including organic soybean hulls, organic oat bran and hardwood sawdust. Trierweiler adds that they rotate mushroom varieties depending on the time of year and inventory. She also sells foraged mushrooms and forest products when available.

 Her Berkshire pigs are raised outdoors in large paddocks, from farrow to finish, in a sustainable rotating grazing system. Their diets include organic apple cider vinegar, and lots of fruits and vegetables.

“My organic systems plan for my pigs is 19 pages long, and for mushrooms it’s another 20,” she says.

Those plans include inputs, practices and environmental stewardship, as well as being organically certified by the USDA.

“We have a high level of accountability and a lot of record-keeping and data tracking to do to be considered organic,” she said.

Trierweiler enjoys the science of it all as it allows her to reflect on time spent with her uncle who was an environmentalist.

Trierweiler grew up in St. Lucia. Her grand uncle was an environmentalist. He is currently the Tropical Forestry Ambassador for St. Lucia. Her grandfather died when his mom was young and her dad died when she was just 6 years old.

 “My grand uncle stepped into the ‘father figure’ role and found I was highly interested in the environment and animals,” she said. “He took me along many of his treks. I spent a lot of my childhood checking rain forests with environmentalists and ecologists from around the world.”

Both her children are involved in the farm. Her daughter, Philomena, currently attends University of Michigan but still helps in the summer. Dominic assists with many chores and helping at the farmers market.

“Even though Dominic is nonverbal, he knows and understands the routines of farm work,” she said. “He can do many chores with me and independently. He loves counting money and giving change at the farmers market, so many customers come with cash specifically for him.”

Trierweiler purchased Agape Farms in July of 2020. As one of only two certified organic Black-owned farms in Michigan, and the only Black-owned livestock farm, Agape is dedicated to empowering and supporting Black-owned and organic farms.

“What I’d like to try to do is change that dynamic,” she said. “I plan to bring in kids in from the inner city so that they can see someone who looks like them in a rural setting being successful. So then it can increase their visualization and their perception that they, too, can do that.”

Go to agapeorganicfarms.com for more information.