Wyoming Department of Education ctEzine by WDEComms

ctEzine

Fall 2021

a publication of the Career & Technical Eduction team at the Wyoming Department of Education

CTE

Wyoming Department of Education 122 W. 25th St., Ste. E200 | Cheyenne, WY 82002 P: 307-777-7675 | F: 307-777-6234 | edu.wyoming.gov

Dr. Michelle Aldrich – Career and Technical Education Director | 307-777-3655 Ilaine Brown – Education Consultant, Career and Technical Education | 307-777-3549 Mary Billiter – Perkins Manager, Career and Technical Education | 307-777-5329 The Wyoming Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in admission or access to, or treatment of employment in its programs or activities. Inquiries concerning Title VI, Title IX, Section 504, and ADA may be referred to Wyoming Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights Coordinator, 122 W. 25th St. Suite E200, Cheyenne, WY, 82002-2060 or 307-777-7675, or the Office of Civil Rights, Region VIII, U.S. Department of Education, Federal Building, Suite 310, 1244 Speer Boulevard, Denver, CO 80204-3582, or 303-844-5695 or TDD 303-844-3417. This information will be provided in an alternative format upon request.

Table of Contents Without passion, there can be no perfection

 Oscar Otega, national and international pastry, chocolate and gelato chef..................................2

Stop us if you’ve heard this one ...  Vertical Harvest hydroponic farm.........................................................................................................................8 “Find out what you want your day-to-day to look like, then go do that.”  Reiman Corporation career pathways towards construction...........................................................16

The Spirit of the West is alive and well in The Cowboy State. From the Tetons to the High Plain prairies, Wyoming is unparalleled in beauty, history, and outdoor adventures. Wyoming’s workforce is as diverse as its recreational offerings. The Equality State has something for everyone. Served by seven community colleges and our state University, students of all ages can discover their new path in Wyoming. The Career and Technical Education (CTE) team at the Wyoming Department of Education strives to provide quality CTE experiences that are equitable while growing a competitive workforce. Whether it’s skilled trades, applied sciences, or a post-secondary degree, certificate or credential, we’re here to help you discover what Wyoming has to offer you in your educational and career journey. Information about each college and university is provided on the final page of each featured story. Find more information at Wyoming’s Post Secondary Education Opportunities on the cover – A pair of Vertical Harvest teammates pick tomatoes that will be sold to restaurants, grocery stores and the general public. The hydroponic greenhouse in Jackson produces 100,00 pounds of produce a year.

ctEzine is released four times a year by the Career and Technical Education team at the Wyoming Dpartment of Education. Publisher: Dr. Michelle Aldrich Editor: Linda Finnerty Contributing Writer: Thom Gabrukiewicz Graphic Design: Ed McCollum

   The way

Oscar Otega  sees things, without passion,  there can be no perfection.

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And a body that is not in transition to something or somewhere else cannot be a success.  These are bold statements.  But in Ortega’s case, he can back them up by where he’s been – and where he’s going.  “I’m a very intense dude, as I am sure you can tell,” he said while sharing an early morning chat and Cappuccino after after completing a 21-hour workday the previous day. “You have to have passion, in life and in what you do. There is no luck without work. If someone wants to do something in life, they have to work for it, they have to fight for it, they have to have a passion for it.”  The 47-year-old is one of the finest pastry chefs in the world; a master chocolatier (in 2016 his pralines were named best in the world); and a master gelaterie - a person who can create the exquisite, creamy Italian frozen confection that’s 3.25% butterfat whole milk and sugar – and generally is much more dense and flavorful than a typical ice cream.  “I’ve been very lucky,” Ortega said. “But I also have been very driven. You have to be driven in this world, you know? Always when I finish a confection, I ask, ’How can I do it better? What could I have done differently to make it perfect?’ This has always been my philosophy in life.

by Thom Gabrukiewicz, Wyoming Department of Education

(Editor’s Note: This is Chef Oscar Ortega’s professional curriculum vitae from his official website, Atelier Ortega, and used with his permission.)

Chef Oscar Ortega was born in Mexico City where his culinary inspiration began. After realizing his passion and skill for culinary creations, he decided to begin his studies in pastry arts at Cast Alimenti, Italy. Ortega furthered his education by attending various courses in pastry, chocolate and sugar work. His abilities and passion for pastries grew, expanding and working years throughout the United Kingdom, Italy, France and the U.S. In 2004 Ortega opened his first pastry shop, Cioccolato in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This is where he created his first exclusive line of Artisan Chocolates and Fine Confections. Shortly thereafter, he took the opportunity and formed the first Mexican Pasty Team to compete in International pastry competitions. In 2009 Cioccolato expanded and was renamed Atelier Ortega (AO). Today AO is a thriving business that produces an extensive variety of Artisan Chocolates, Desserts, Entremets, Gelato, Confections, Artisan Bread and Viennoiserie serving its global customer base. In pursuit of culinary perfection in 2009 Chef Ortega became the first Mexican Chocolate Master, and represented his country in the World Chocolate Masters Finals. He also competed at the World Pastry Team Championship 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012. Le Mondial des Arts du Sucre, Paris in 2008, 2012. 2014 and 2018. He also competed at the very prestigious Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie in 2007. Gelato World Cup 2012, 2014, 2016 in Rimini, Italy, in 2016. Also in 2016, he competed at the world pastry championships in Milan, Italy and won the award for Best Pralines in the World, one of the most important and prestigious pastry and chocolate awards. He has participated and been awarded in many other national and international pastry, chocolate and gelato competitions. Ortega’s work has been featured in television specials (PBS, TLC, Discovery Channel, Food Network, Travel Channel) as well as being featured in pastry and food national and international magazines. In 2011, Chef Ortega was named one of the Top 10 pastry chefs in America, and became the head pastry coach for the USA pastry team club that competes in Le Mondial des Arts du Sucre in Paris. In 2012 Chef Ortega opened his second shop in Jackson Hole, WY CocoLove. This is his retail boutique that carries his exclusive lines of Artisan Chocolates, Gelato, Desserts, Confections & a variety of Artisan breads. Additionally, Chef Ortega works as a pastry consultant and as a corporate pastry chef for a gourmet products distribution company where he helps his clients to achieve culinary success.

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 “You always have to pursue the best in yourself.” And to do that, he said, you also have to lead. Ortega continues to mentor a new generation of pastry chefs, who not only work as apprentices in his shop under his intense tutelage, but also those young people who are inspired to follow in his culinary footsteps just by tasting one of his creations.  “You have to give back,” he said. “When you give back, you can move forward yourself.”  In 2004, Ortega - who was born in Mexico City to his Italian mother and Mexican father – opened his first pastry shop, Cioccolato, in Jackson. Today, he owns two shops in Jackson, Atelier Ortega, his “chocolate artist studio” and CocoLove, his dessert boutique storefront. An entrepreneur, he also is a pastry consultant to restaurants across the globe, owns a business that supplies high-end bakeries with hard-to-find ingredients and is co-owner of a business that sells bakery and restaurant equipment.  “People always ask, ‘What are you, an entrepreneur, an artist, a chef?’ You have to do it all if you want to do it right,” he said. “You have to take chances. And there’s always a chance in this world that you will achieve your dreams, trust me, I am living it.  “And it’s not about pursuing the money - it’s all about pursuing your dreams.”

The Making of a Chef

Growing up in Mexico City, cooking was not Ortega’s first passion (although his mother, a homemaker, taught him how to scratch-cook all the traditional savory dishes of Italy). Growing up, Ortega wanted to be a journalist.  “My mom, she cooked all the time at home and my dad, he was a businessman in Mexico, he was involved in broadcasting and radio stations,” he said. “My mom cooked, and I loved it, but I grew up in radio stations and I got to a point in my life where that’s what I wanted to do.” Chef Oscar Ortega is passionate about chocolate - and produces some of the finest in the world in his shop, Atelier Ortega, in Jackson.

 Oscar has been the most frantic, humbling, exciting and enriching experience… a never ending one, and I say it in the best way. Having the opportunity to work with the elite pastry league Chef Ortega was like jumping in a rollercoaster with no intention of returning. It meant following along with his all over the place personality, but somehow very structured and open vision. He is a bit of this mythological creature, a full hands-on kind of boss, what you actually always expect but never find. He has input in every corner of the kitchen, every process, every petit gateau, bonbon, latte, croissant, orders, customers, and the list keeps going on. At the Atelier, it’s a hectic and joyful living environment, because it is a reflection of him. He has this kind of character whether you love him or hate him. He is a walking contrast, there are no grays, no in between, no midtones, and that translates to everything he does. Bold marrying delicately subtle flavors, smooth finding the crunch, the bitter meeting the perfect level of sweetness. He is a magician, a crazy lab guy, an unstoppable brilliant mind and mostly the nicest guy to work for and to work with. He never takes his staff for granted, he thrives, we all thrive and we are fortunate to do it with a strong feeling of intention, cooperation, compassion and of course some healthy sense of humor. What you see of Chef Ortega is literally what you get. His uplifted ego, his confidence and his salesman smirk come from truly knowing the how to’s of each little seemingly insignificant or showy significant thing. It comes from knowing how it is to start from the bottom, to make things happen out of nothing, to face the most unthinkable situations, customers, buyers, to be a leader, a mentor, a businessman, a cook, a teammate, a visionary, a dreamer. There’s no possible way to separate the professional from the personal, at least not in the atelier, or in any successful kitchen. We share a passion, a motive, something to live for in some cases…Our inviting, and pretty elaborate excuse are the pastries, the gelatos and every handmade confection made from scratch, but the reality is about serving and making people happy, which is at the end what the Chef sees and saw in every one of us and that keeps bringing us together. Emilia Ruiz Rojas – Pastry Assistant, Atelier Ortega Working for Chef

 Ortega loves Jazz music. Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Charlie Parker – “I even like smooth Jazz, you know, yes I love it too...” – and at 16, he was consumed by it.  “So I started a radio program,” he said. “And it got so big that it kind of got out of my hands. The corporation took it over - and I was very upset. I was very angry and so I stopped.” At the same time, Ortega said he got into playing video games.  “My mom, she said to me, ‘I’m not going to have you sitting around the house all afternoon playing games, you’re going to work, or you need to study something else,’” he said. “So she suggested I go

to culinary school and finish that up, then start my studies in international journalism.  “She says to me, ‘You love to cook, and you cook better than me,’” he added. “I like to create, I like to transform. And so I finished culinary school and at 19 or 20, I left Mexico City for good and ended up in London, since I always loved that place, so cosmopolitan, with so many people from around the world living there.  “But my dream was always to work for the BBC, and since you can’t just knock on the door and they’ll give you a job, I started in a fish and chips place, because that’s what you have to do to survive.”  It was a roommate who asked Ortega to share

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his knowledge of Mexican food and cooking for a festival that changed Ortega’s culinary trajectory.  “I went to talk to a chef in a hotel restaurant, I started to cook on the line, you know, hot foods,” he said. “That’s really when I started my culinary career.”  From there, Ortega was accepted into CAST Alimenti, the Italian School for all Culinary Arts in Milan in 1997. It’s the place to learn Italian cuisine. An excerpt from the CAST Alimenti website: “Centro Arte, Scienza e Tecnologia degli Alimenti” (Food, Art, Science and Technology Centre), is one of the best Italian training and specialization schools and was founded in Brescia in 1997. It is the only centre in Italy providing specific courses in all “mestieri del gusto” (culinary arts) from specially equipped classrooms and laboratories. CAST Alimenti encompasses young students and established professionals alike, providing both educators and equipment to integrate knowledge and know-how. Great attention is given to “Made in Italy” products, which are favoured during all didactic programs and practical lessons. CAST Alimenti is also the School of World Champions: a training center for individual professionals and teams attending national and international competitions in all Culinary Arts (cuisine, pastry, gelato and bakery). The school has 19 world titles won by teams and individual professionals.  “I always wanted to become a master in whatever I was doing – the title sounds good,” he said. “And so I started to get interested in international culinary competitions. And the last practice for the pastry team from Italy, from CAST Alimenti, before they were to go compete in the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie (the competition happens every two years in Lyon, France). I got to watch. And when I got to see the perfection in confections, parts of the chocolate pieces that make up a display, the perfection in everything that they were doing, the way they worked, the way they carried themselves ... I was, this is what I want to do.  “As soon as they were finished, I went out to the administrative offices and said, ‘I want to become a

Oscar Ortaga and his USA Pastry Team celebrate a thirdplace finish at the LeMundial des Art Sucre - one of the most important pastry competitions in the world - in París in 2014. Ortega has been the USA Pastry Team coach since 2012.

pastry chef – and I will become one of the best in the world.’”  It was another 11 months of training at CAST Alimenti, but Ortega became that master pastry chef – with all the accolades – and fame – that followed.  “For me, it has never been about the money, but how many lives that I have touched,” he said. “It’s about the people who have come to train under me, who have now gone on and made something of themselves.”  Those who work for Ortega say they are the lucky ones.  “All I can say is that Chef Ortega has been a huge part of my life, both career wise but also just life in general,” said intern Alex Tzompa. “Chef Ortega was my first inspiration to become a pastry chef. What I believe makes me stand out from other employees at Atelier is that I started off working as front of the house as a barista - but

watching the products come out interested me and inspired me to follow that same path. So now that I’m experiencing the back of the house work for me it has been great to work in both aspects of the kitchen industry.  “Outside of the kitchen he has taught me and given me several suggestions for life. Starting by always telling me that life will throw you down, but that doesn’t mean you don’t get back up. Oftentimes I discuss life with Chef Ortega and he talks to me about his life failures. And he tells me what I should do now to better my life in the future. He’s always telling me how I will stand out in a crowd, and what I can do to achieve that.”

Advice for Prospective Culinary Students

There has to be passion in what you pursue. That sounds simple, but for Ortega, that’s the best advice he has for students who are thinking about a career in the culinary arts.  “I have a new intern, and I told him, ‘Alex, the important thing is not that you write down the recipes - I can give you all the recipes.’ A master has no secrets. If a master has secrets, then you stop developing. So I told him, ‘Whatever you need to learn is in the process – when you look at me, look at my hands, look at how I put my tools out, look at how I approach the table in the kitchen. In that way, you will become the best for you.’  “Simply, you have to pursue the best in you.”

Casper College –

Your Life, Your College, Your Future, Starts at Casper College. Since 1945, Casper College has provided access to higher education resources that strengthen, support, and enrich the community. As the world’s economy changes, Casper College is training individuals to meet the demand for new skills and new ways of thinking. Casper’s Technical Education provides several paths to follow. There are more than 140 options to set your career in motion. Take a look to see what programs are offered that may fit your interests.

Northern Wyoming Community College –

Your future begins now at NWCC. Welcoming all learners, NWCC empowers student success through a focus on career goals and educational programming. By broadening your career options and discovering occupations that match your personal preferences and attributes, NWCC supports their students’ personal needs and goal.

Northwest College – Your future, our focus – discover Northwest College.

Northwest College is a two-year residential college located in Powell, which is a close drive to Yellowstone National Park. With a strong focus on technical studies that builds a foundation for information systems, NWC students learn innovative practices for today’s workforce. NWC takes career advising to the next level.

   Stop us if you’ve            8

heard this one ...

an architect and a consultant working on a foodwaste study – who was also pursuing a commercial composting start-up – meet up at a party; the two bring on a behavioral health specialist and case manager to create a hydroponic farm inside a three-story greenhouse on a 4,500-square-foot downtown lot next to a parking garage that churns out 100,000 pounds of produce a year – and employes 42 people.  There is no punchline – this is Vertical Harvest Farms, a startup that went live in 2016 and grows food for local restaurants, schools, hospitals, grocery stores and direct-to-the-public sales with a mission to bring meaningful employment to underserved populations and educate communities on how good jobs help differently-abled individuals thrive.  The product line includes nutrient-dense microgreens like pea shoots, micro broccoli, micro kale and daikon radish; lettuces, such as butterhead, frisee and red and green oakleaf; and petite greens like arugula, Chinese cabbage, beet greens, sorrel, mizuna, and tatsoi. To round everything out, Vertical Harvest growns five different varieties of cherry tomatoes and edible flowers (like nasturtium) specifically for its upscale restaurant clients.  “Vertical farming is the fastest growing industry in the agriculture world and the landscapes of how we grow and where we grow food are changing,” said Caroline Croft Estay, a co-founder who also is a behavioral health case manager. “We all share the commonality of food and living better lives when fueled by healthy, real food grown locally.

by Thom Gabrukiewicz, Wyoming Department of Education

A sampling of the produce that Vertical Harvest grows at its downtown Jackson greenhouse.

   “Everyone at Vertical Harvest did not set out to

farm, it just happened – and now we are leaders in the industry. When you align your passion with a meaningful purpose, you create a ripple effect of impact that goes beyond you.”  Nona Yehia is the architect – and Vertical Harvest’s CEO. Penny McBride, who is no longer with Vertical Harvest, was the sustainability consultant who became the farm’s first chief operating officer.  This public-private enterprise – think of it as a for-profit business with a social conscience – is growing as fast as the seven days it takes to produce its microgreens from seed to harvest. The company is well on its way to finishing its fourstory, 70,000 square-foot farm in Portland, Maine by 2022. It’s a farm that will be capable of providing 1 million pounds of produce a year to schools, hospitals, restaurants, markets and direct consumers and will employ some 50 people.  Vertical Harvest also has plans to build its vertical hydroponic farms in Chicago and Philadelphia – and beyond.  “I have always believed that architecture can be a powerful means for social change,” Yehia said in a media release announcing the Philadelphia project. “At Vertical Harvest, we have reimagined the farm itself – creating a vertical, glass greenhouse structure that becomes a beautiful and meaningful part of the community. We are a company full of ‘unexpected farmers’ who are motivated and driven by how much impact we can make in a community.”

The Rise of Vertical Farming

Vertical farming isn’t exactly a new idea. According to research, the famed hanging gardens of Babylon might have been the first. But Indigenous peoples have used vertically layered growing techniques for centuries, like the rice terraces of East Asia.

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 The term ‘vertical farming’ originated with

American geologist Gilbert Ellis Bailey in 1915.  In the early 1930s, William Frederick Gerick pioneered hydroponics – a way to skip the soil, create a different material to support the plant roots, and grow crops directly in nutrient-rich water – at the University of California at Berkeley.  In the 1980s, Åke Olsson, a Swedish ecological farmer, invented a spiral-shaped rail system for growing plants and suggested vertical farming as a means for producing vegetables in cities.

 The modern concept of vertical farming was

proposed in 1999 by Dickson Despommier, a professor at New York’s Columbia University, who finally popularized the idea of growing crops in vertical racks.  “We have a mission to build smarter, greener and more equitable urban farms that strengthen our local food systems and the jobs they create to make them more nourishing, resilient, sustainable, and profitable,” Yehia said. “We are paving the way to tell the story of why vertical farming is important to us all.”  The idea is fairly simple. The produce is secured into vertical stacks that ride on a conveyor belt through either the natural light of the glass structure, or under artificial grow lights.  “Actually, the cannabis industry has helped us immensely,” Croft Estay said. “Really. Their innovations in growing lights are now our innovations in growing our lettuce and microgreens.”  The farm can grow food 365 days a year, and the produce can go from tray to fork in less than 24 hours, which maintains it at its peak nutritional value.  And that is exactly what the world needs right now, Croft Estay said.  The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that by 2050, human population will increase by 3 billion people that will demand a 70% increase in agricultural production, according to Vertical Harvest literature. Globally, more than 80% of arable land is already in use. At the same time, food deserts, where affordable and

healthy food is difficult to obtain, are becoming more common in urban neighborhoods.  Hydroponic agriculture uses 90 percent less land, 90 percent less water and 95 percent less fuel than traditional agriculture.  “We actually recycle 95 percent of our water here,” said Lyndsay Rowan, a Jackson artist – and the fateful party that brought Vertical Harvest’s co-founders together was held at her downtown gallery in 2009 – who for the past two years has served as Vertical Harvest’s Grow Well outreach coordinator. “We can go into any urban environment and recreate this same model, which means we can grow fresh foods in faster times, with less cost. We’re helping to feed people who might not otherwise have access to fresh greens by growing them right in their neighborhood.”

Lettuce that was sprouted from seed just days earlier finish on giant conveyor belts under grow lights.

The Grow Well Model

And as much as Vertical Harvest wants to feed a hungry world, they also want to grow a whole person – its employees.  Since 1999, Croft Estay has worked as an independent contractor and as a case manager and independent provider for the DD Medicaid

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Around Vertical Harvest Farms HQ, Michele Dennis is known as “The Lettuce Queen.”

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And for good reason, too. The 58-year-old – and one of the most senior members of the Vertical Harvest team in Jackson – starts every single lettuce plant the hydroponic garden produces – which works out to some 100,000 pounds a year. One tiny seed at a time. “That’s what I do on Tuesdays,” she said. And she watches the lettuce every step of the way – from transplanting the plants to the rotating garden racks and right up to harvest and shipping. “I transplant my babies on Friday,” she said. “And then I harvest, and wow, those days, my arms get tired.” Vertical Harvest is an impact-driven business, said co-founder and director of diversity and inclusion Caroline Croft Estay. The goal, she said, is to provide inclusive employment to underserved populations – those people who struggle to find meaningful work that has room to grow. Dennis is developmentally disabled, but that hasn’t stopped her from becoming an absolute success at Vertical Farms. Even after an incident this past winter, where she took a tumble on the ice, broke her hip and was laid up for a few months. “Oh, we really missed her energy and her work ethic,” Croft Estay said. “Literally, Michelle runs the show here. She’s kind of our behind-the-scenes person. She also manages people. And she’s learning our Artemis computer system, which is our project planning and management software. “Regardless of your neuro-diversity or your level of cognitive ability, everyone here works together – we were able to find everyone’s strengths – and everyone learns here.” There’s really never a dull moment at Vertical Harvest, Dennis said. Especially when it comes to her prized lettuce plants. “Hey, I can’t retire, I’m not at the age yet,” Dennis said. “I’ve got a lot of friends here. And I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got lettuce to take care of.”

 Vertical Harvest does offer tours of its greenhouse operations in Jackson to the general public, but COVID-19 has paused tours for the time being.

waiver. In 2008, she said she was running into roadblocks to secure meaningful employment for her ‘neuro-diverrsity’ clients who were aging out of the school system. She was introduced to Yahai – whose older brother is developmentally disabled – and McBride.  “In 2016, I created and designed the Grow Well model, which is our inclusive employment model that each team member has access to,” Croft Estay said. “This model focuses on the growth and development of professional and personal skills resulting in a more empowered employee that contributes effectively to their community.”  “We’re out there showing the world that hey, we’re in this together, we like to hang out – we do like each other,” Croft Estay said. “And in the world of disabilities, this has been a population that has been given to, they have been on the receiving end, and now that gets flipped – I’m a part of the community, I’m paying my taxes, I have secured housing, I’m making a livable wage – it’s really all about human potential.”  On a tour of Vertical Harvest’s Jackson HQ – a rarity now in the time of COVID-19 – workers stop to say hello. They explain what they do, how they do it - and each and every one of them praises the company for its commitment to them, and the community as a whole.

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Crocker Stickney is now a doer - and something of a social butterfly, whose wings have expanded greatly in the year-and-a-half he’s been at Vertical Harvest Farms.

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It’s a huge leap for the 32-year-old, who previously worked as a back- of-the-house dishwasher. Stickney, who packages the greens for consumers the first part of the week, then on Fridays hands out packages to the farm’s direct-toconsumer clients, has schizophrenia. But that is not a setback, he said - it has been an opportunity to grow, both personally and professionally. “First of all, I’ve been able to hold a job through COVID, which is phenomenal, really happy about that,” he said. “As far as personally, I’ve been able to go out and attend social events that people have posted here. “And professionally, I feel I’ve been able to do more and progress.” Stickney came to Vertical Harvest Farms by happenstance - his sister got married and moved back to Jackson a few years back. She had the opportunity to tour the farm, and then filled him in about the operation - and the Grow Well model. That model, said Caroline Croft Estay, a co-founder in the operation who also is a behavioral health case manager, ensures that Vertical Harvest grows great crops, and well-rounded people. The Grow Well model fosters professional development, personal discovery and community impact through an inclusive approach to each and every teammate. “We believe in the whole person,” said Lyndsay Rowan, who for the past two years has served as Vertical Harvest’s Grow Well outreach coordinator. “Because when you’re a whole, healthy person, you’re a better worker, a better co-worker.” Stickney certainly thinks so. “I thought it would be a cool place to check out,” he said. “And it is. I’m really happy to be a part of this. I’m really happy to keep growing and keep moving forward.”

 “I thought it would be a cool place to check out,” said 32-year-old Crocker Stickney, a farm associate who has worked at Vertical Harvest for a year-and-a-half – he packages the greens for consumers the first part of the week, then on Fridays hands out packages to the farm’s directto-consumer clients. Stickney has schizophrenia. “Patience, understanding, empathy, all of those are critical aspects of the way the company operates, the way they treat its employees – I’m just really happy to be a part of that.”  Croft Estay said she’s proud of Vertical Harvest’s success – and proud to be based in Wyoming. Vertical Harvest will continue to grow, she said, because they’ve found a way to connect with the community, they’ve found a workforce that has traditionally been overlooked – and they’ve nurtured every teammate to find the best in themselves.  “We’re on the cutting edge of one of the fastest growing industries out there – and we are making it happen,” she said. “This greenhouse is truly

By the numbers, the 42 employees at Vertical Harvest Farms HQ: • Twenty-five employees are people with disabilities and have a customized employment plan to strengthen skills and abilities. • Sixteen employees have received between $1-$4 an hour raise, which is reflective of the professional and personal skills gained. • Eighty-six percent of employees participate in the Culture Committee program, which focuses on advocacy, outreach, wellness, and community integration. • Ninty-six percent of employees participate in the Jackson Rec Center Kickball League.

(Editor’s note: This background is from Vertical Harvest Farm’s website, and used with permission.) WHAT THEY DO: With the help of investors, developers, and local municipalities, Vertical Harvest design, build, and run cost-effective and profitable hydroponic farms. Located in urban areas, these multi-story greenhouses produce incredibly fresh local food 365 days a year, and provide meaningful employment to underserved populations. VERTICAL HARVEST HISTORY: Born from the creative minds of a group of women in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Vertical Harvest: •B ecame the first vertical greenhouse in the Northern Hemisphere in 2016. • I n 2020, a documentary film (Hearts of Glass) about our struggles and successes premiered on PBS stations nationwide. •A lso in 2020, CNN named Vertical Harvest as a Champion for Change. The award profiles 10 innovators leading the charge to a better world with new ideas and groundbreaking solutions. • I n 2021, we will break ground on our second location in Westbrook, Maine. THE NATIONAL PROBLEM: • The average urban area in the US grows less than 2% of the food it consumes. • Centralized food production = lower quality and price volatility. • 95% of urban leafy greens come from California and Arizona. • 70% of locally purchased food is produce. • The result:  Economic and food insecurity and inequality in urban communities.  Negative health outcomes. THE VERTICAL HARVEST SOLUTION: • Vertical Harvest has reimagined food systems and the jobs they create to make them more nourishing, resilient, and sustainable. • Vertical Harvest can replicate what they’ve learned anywhere in the world. THE VERTICAL HARVEST MODEL: • Connect urban consumers with farms that support local economies. • Grow the equivalent of 40 acres on 1/4 acre. • Use 90% less land, 90% less water and 95% less fuel than traditional agriculture. • Utilize minimal resources to grow a consistent, commercial scale source of produce at the height of nutritional and taste value. • Deliver product from farm to fork in 24 hours — 365 days a year. • Hire members of an underserved workforce (the developmentally disabled), at a competitive wage, which builds meaningful careers and virtually eliminates turnover. • Advance conscious capitalism to develop a scalable, replicable, for-profit community impact model. • Avoid the homogeneity and lack of empathy of big agribusiness. VERTICAL HARVEST PRODUCTS: • Mighty microgreens that pack flavor and a nutritional punch. • Fresh and fast-growing lettuces and greens. • Tasty cherry tomatoes (in some locations). COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: • Most competitors build large, low-margin, mass-market farms outside of cities. • Vertical Harvest is building hyper-local, high-margin farms on less land in urban centers. • Proven Experience: four years operating the FIRST vertical greenhouse in the U.S. • Utilize best in industry technology. • Diversified crop portfolio: fluid to local market needs and demands. • Multi Channel: direct to consumer, wholesale, corporate food service, and restaurants. • Social Impact: “Grow Well” employment model to address career development. THE BOTTOM LINE: Cities grow less than 2% of the food their residents consume. More than half of the developmentally disabled are unemployed in most urban areas. By growing 40 acres worth of produce in a quarter-acre vertical greenhouse and hiring this forgotten workforce to cultivate it, Vertical Harvest can help cities tackle both food and job insecurity.

              14

A year ago, Destiny Kennington would be hard-pressed to say a few words to, well, anyone. To even look you in the eye. Deeply shy, her teammates at Vertical Harvest Farms said her time at the farm has made her blossom - just like the produce she prepares and packs for restaurants, grocery stores and direct-to-the-public sales. “This all-team model works, it’s inclusive,” said Caroline Croft Estay, Vertical Harvent’s cofounder and director of diversity and inclusion. “You hear it with Destiny. She’s talking now, and she’s a leader. Her growth has been amazing.” The 25-year-old single mother of three drives 69 miles from her home in Afton to Vertical Harvest Farms HQ daily, but she said it’s a small concern. She found Vertical Farms through a placement program for single mothers, and hasn’t looked back since. “I just love working here, it’s a lot of fun,” she said. “Nobody’s angry, there’s nobody cranky, or off in a corner fighting. It’s just calmer, happier. Everybody’s happy, and that makes me happy.”

bigger than who we really are. It has the potential to change the world.”

The Last Word

Agriculture is one of the key industry pillars in Wyoming – it’s represented on the state seal, which includes livestock, grains, oil and mines – and one where students can have a chance to stay at home, or travel the world in pursuit of their passions.  And that future is bright. Biochemists, biophysicists, veterinarians and environmental engineers in agricultural applications will be agriculture’s most in-demand jobs in the future,

Her growth, Croft Estay said, has been nothing short of amazing. “First of all, she’s very dedicated,” she said. “And, she’s been employee of the month twice - thats twice since she’s been here, and that’s in just over a year. She’s very dedicated - and she now knows how to delegate, and how to manage - and she’s been able to jump on the computer and learn QuickBooks and some other programs.” “At Vertical Harvest, we tend to offer a little more than just basic HR,” Croft Esty said. “We tend to go the extra mile. With Destiny, we helped her with her financial knowledge and some health care instruction, so she doesn’t have to navigate life alone.” Yet Kennington’s biggest growth area just might be her personality. That look-you-in-the eye-andtell-you-a-story kind of way. “Well, I’m trying to be a little more open; I know I’m a lot less quiet,” she said. “Like before, I’d be so nervous to do this, to talk to someone that I didn’t know. “I would say I have a lot more confidence now.”

Eastern Wyoming College – A Great Decision for Your Future!

Vertical Harvest teammates sort, wash and package various lettuces and microgreens for restaurants, grocery stores and the general public.

according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And more and more, agricultural careers will happen off the farm – in fact, according to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, some 1 million people are employed in the agriculture industry – and 49% of them work off a traditional farm setting.  Croft Estay had some final thoughts for those students who want to pursue a career in agriculture:  “You know, you don’t have to go to college to be a farmer,” she said. “Finding a career path in agriculture is an essential part of our community and country’s sustainability, in working in this field you are part of a solution. Not only is this field vast with new ways to grow and gain more impact, it is necessary for our human survival.  “Dream big and then bigger, follow your passion and find the support and resources to assist you on your path.”

An innovative learning environment, Eastern Wyoming College provides academic excellence and community enrichment that champion’s student success. At EWC, you can start on the path toward your goals. Their variety of programs are aimed at helping you learn a new career or transfer to a four-year college or university. With affordable tuition rates and an easy transition from high school to college, EWC’s student experience is designed to foster personal growth with many outreach sites in the Community Service Area.

Western Wyoming Community College – Western is where passion meets purpose.

Find your passion at WWCC through an array of technical courses. Their two-year program provides a firm foundation to solve real-world problems. WWCC has a broad discipline of courses that prepare students for rewarding careers in almost any industry. Western is an award-wining college in both their on-campus and distance learning programs.

Laramie County Community College –

LCCC lives through the power of inspired learning.

You can find your path at LCCC through the various program of studies based on your interest and goals. You can complete an associate’s degree, certificate or credit diploma, as well as prepare to transfer to a University. The Career Coach tool provides you with an opportunity to take a career assessment and browse careers and pathways that will lead you to that career.

Mark Twain was famous for saying, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” But Lauren Reiman-Benford and Cailey Reiman-Garrett have a slightly different riff on it:

“ Find out what you want your day-to-day to look like, then go do that.” The sisters work for the family business, Reiman Corp., a general contracting firm – which is licensed in Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska – that focuses on civil, highway, and commercial construction. Reiman-Benford, 38, is the company’s controller; Reiman-Garrett, 36, is one of four project managers.  “We come from a construction household and we figured construction was something that we’d ultimately end up doing,” Reiman-Benford said. “Our dad (Wally Reiman, the company’s executive vice president) said, ‘If this is where you want to go, you have to go to college,’ so I got my degree in construction management and came back here as an estimator. We’ve been around it our whole lives, and pretty much loved construction from the first time I came in here doing internships during high school.”  Reiman-Garrett’s path to join the family business was similar.  “One day I told (my dad), ‘I don’t know if construction is right for me. I think I want to go into architecture or engineering,’” she said. “He asked me, ‘What do you want to do? Describe

by Thom Gabrukiewicz, Wyoming Department of Education

Lauren Reiman-Benford

Cailey Reiman-Garrett

what you want your day-to-day life to be like.’ I said, ‘I want to be involved in projects from start to finish. I want to build those relationships with people and have the pride of knowing I built that and seeing the final product.’  “As I talked to him, he said, ‘By all means, if you feel like you need to go into a different facet of the

industry, please do. But what you’re describing sounds a lot like construction management.’”

A Family Business

Reiman Corp. is a prototypical family construction business. During World War II, W.R. (Bob) Reiman - a U.S. Navy SeaBee stationed in the Philippines - met Bill Lowe, a serviceman from Billings. Mont. After the war, Reimann (who is the sisters’ grandfather) and Lowe joined Billings builder Russ Riedesel in the spring of 1948 to create RiedeselLowe Co. in Cody. Two years later, the company moved to Cheyenne to build the Barrett Building – the current home of the Wyoming State Museum and state archives.  Since then, the company name has evolved from Riedesel-Lowe Co. to Riedesel-Reiman Co.; Reiman-Wuerth Co.; Reiman Construction Co.; Engineered Structures of Wyoming, Inc.; and, finally, to the current Reiman Corp., which is operated by CEO Tom Reiman, President Rich Bolkovatz, and Wally Reiman.  As well as an up-and-coming third-generation – Reiman-Benford and Reiman-Garrett.

Career Pathways Toward Construction

Admittedly, the sisters said, construction can be a boom-or-bust enterprise. Reiman currently employs some 170 people, but that number can drop to 100 over the winter, when construction is a bit bleak in Wyoming, Nebraska and Colorado.  However, construction is a high-growth industry, with a lot of good jobs available that pays competitive wages. Future professionals should consider careers in construction because it’s rewarding, highly in demand, exciting, varied and diverse – and it’s a way toward owning your own business, the sisters said.  “The trades, specifically in construction, offer you the skills and knowledge that are transferable or are applicable in your life no matter what,”

The public can see Reiman Corp. projects across Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska, including civil projects, commercial buildings and heavy highway work.

(Editor’s note: This article was published on the Reiman Corp. website in 2017 and used with permission.)

A NEW GENERATION OF REIMAN CORP. What does it look like to spend almost 70 years “bridging the Rockies and building Wyoming?” It looks like connecting communities, through projects like the Casper West Belt Loop and Torrington Streets, and making our roads safer through projects like Pinedale Trappers Point and the Vandehei Roundabout. It looks like creating places for our community to gather, like Cheyenne’s Depot Plaza, the Community House in Lions Park, and Cheyenne’s first universally accessible playground in Cahill Park. Though Reiman Corp. initially began as a commercial building contractor, we’ve since grown and evolved to match and meet the region’s needs—and now, we’re growing and evolving again. Meet the new generation of Reiman Corp.: Updated to reflect who we are as a company and the core values by which we operate. “As we move into the third generation of Reiman Corp., it has been important for all of us to remember where we came from and what we stand for,” reflects Lauren Reiman, Reiman Corp. Controller and part of the new generation rising to the challenge of leading our firm. “Rebranding was just one step to help us re-establish our purpose and values, and to put our name back into the communities where we work.” We’re excited for the opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with the communities we’ve known for years, as well as offer a handshake of introduction to those we’re meeting for the first time. “Many transitions are occurring as we move into our 70th year of doing business,” adds Cailey Reiman-Garrett, Reiman Corp. Project Manager. “We are taking on new leadership through President Rich Bolkovatz, seeing young leaders emerge into management positions, and reestablishing our core purpose and values.” Whether you’re already familiar with Team Reiman, or we’re just meeting for the first time, we invite you to come on in and take a look around. Visit our Projects page to see what we’ve been working on; learn more about our Core Values and how our team strives to apply them every single day; and feel free to get in touch… we’d love to hear from you. We’re the new generation of Reiman Corp., and we’re excited for the opportunity to continue to work hard for you.

Reiman-Benford said. “For me, whenever I talk to a high school kid who doesn’t know what they want to do, I tell them to learn to weld, or to learn carpentry skills – or just to learn the basics of tools, of heavy equipment, whatever – even if construction ends up not being a life-long passion, those skills are applicable for the rest of your life.”  “I’ll go back and ask students what they want their day-to-day life to look like,” Reiman-Garrett said. “Depending on what this high school kid wants in their life construction is – first of all, it’s always changing – there’s always room to move up, if you’re willing to work hard and learn new skills.  “Construction, the trades, I just find it so rewarding, because I get to do something different most every day.”  How rewarding? Here’s some numbers: –O verall construction in the U.S. was valued at $1.36 trillion in 2020. – I t’s estimated that construction companies will need to hire 430,000 more workers than they employed in 2020.

Reiman Corp. is proud of the role they’ve played in “bridging the Rockies” for nearly 70 years now.

–T he average salary for a construction worker is $29.09 an hour – or $60,500 a year. –S ome 80% of all construction firms reported having trouble hiring skilled workers. –W omen make around 10.3% of the overall US construction workforce, but are paid 94% as much as men (for the same job, as compared to 81 percent in other industries). –W omen own some 13% of all construction businesses in the U.S. –S ome 52% of construction workers were born between 1960 –1979; in other words, more than half of the workforce in the construction industry is aged 40 or over. It’s a dangerously aging sector, which means a unique opportunity for high school and college graduates to enter the field.  “You know, every day there’s something new to do, something new to learn,” Reiman-Garrett said.  The sisters said there are multiple ways into the industry – whether that’s applying for an internship in high school, going to college for a degree, or just picking it up after graduation. Because of their parents, the sisters chose the college-career path.  Reiman-Benford received her bachelor’s in construction management from Northern Arizona University and went to work at Reiman Corp. as a project manager. To see what else was out there, Reiman-Benford worked for the Wyoming School Facilities Department as its design and construction administrator. She then went back to school, and received her master’s of business administration from Chadron State College before returning to Reiman Corp. as its controller.  “The team atmosphere in construction is something I missed when I left, because we are collaborating all the time – and you very rarely work solo,” she said. “Even your competitors are your friends, and sometimes your partners – and I think that’s a total Wyoming thing.”  For Reiman-Benford, her journey to becoming a project manager started at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in construction

TBC Mfg. Inc. relocated its tool and die manufacturing company from Colorado to Cheyenne in 2002, and Reiman Corp. built the company’s new corporate headquarters.

management, with a minor in Integrated Project Delivery (which is essentially design-build and anything other than the standard design-bid-build project delivery methods).  “You know, some of my college classmates, they were in the degree that they were in and their parents told them, ‘You will be a doctor, or you will be a lawyer or an engineer - you will have one of those designations behind your name, or I’m not paying for your college.’ And I remember my roommate being miserable, flipping through page after page of calculations since she was majoring as a structural engineer - and she almost jumped ship and came to construction management about halfway through college and her dad wouldn’t let her unless she paid for her education.  “But it was her day-to-day - she saw that we were learning how to manage people, learning how to manage the business - we just had so much happening in our education, and what was about to happen in our career, that she just got drawn into construction. Regardless of the titles, or what someone else wants you to be, it still comes back to what you want your day-to-day to look like.”

Advice for a Younger Generation

The sisters said one of the most rewarding aspects of their jobs in construction is fostering a younger generation of construction workers. That includes being involved in the Wyoming Young Contractors Association, the Wyoming Workforce Development Council’s Next Gen Sector Partnership - and most importantly, reaching out to students individually to talk about the construction trades, and why it is such a viable option for students who want to learn a skill, get paid a quality wage, and stay in the state.  “I talk to a lot of kids about pathways,” ReimanGarrett said. “This industry is all about skills. You never stop learning - you’re learning something new every single day and challenging yourself every single day - to say that construction is a non-skilled career is completely false.”  And the future is what you make of it, the sisters said.  “We also talk to high school kids about owning their own businesses,” Reiman-Benford said. “You might start at a small place, or even a big place and you look around and see that - well, especially in Cheyenne - we don’t have enough plumbers, we don’t have a lot of electricians, so there are a lot of people starting their own businesses and a super-successful at it. Your knowledge in the

trades is something that is transferable and in as many ways as you want it to be.  “You can be a kid who starts in a warehouse and just learn the right skills and have the right drive and you can make something pretty impressive.”  The sisters also said that as an industry, construction historically hasn’t done enough to attract the next generation of skilled workers – especially Wyoming’s young people – because, as an industry, there’s no defined, black-and-white path.  “We saw it, because we had parents who said, ’This is a viable industry for you - go do this,’” Reiman-Garrett said. “In certain homes, it’s seen as a path of last resort, it’s not seen as something that a parent is going to push their kids’ toward. And as an industry, we’re not doing a good enough job in reaching out.”  But, the sisters said, the message is getting better.  “We’ve done a much better job at outreach to the high schools and the junior highs,” ReimanBenford said. “We are working on being a more consistent part of the education community, not just when construction is booming, but always.”  The most important outreach, they said, is finding a mentor – and then go back time and time again to get help, information, and inspiration.  “I still reach out to people from college, because I think our industry is changing and Wyoming is changing a little bit slower than other states, but it’s always nice to have that person to reach out to,” Reiman-Benford said. “We’ve had a lot of kids from the high schools kind of attach themselves to us, and that’s important to us because you really need mentors in this industry.”  “When you go into the workplace, some companies have it set up where you do have a mentor,” Reiman-Garrett said. “But in construction, you don’t – it’s pretty much sink or swim around here. But, if you’re serious about sticking with it, there are those around here who are available. We’re available.  “Your skills, your talents, will take you where you want to go. You just have to go out there and start learning – and start to think about what you want you day-to-day to look like. Just go with it.”

Central Wyoming College – Real People. Real Experience. Real Value.

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