taylor e. hartson (they/them)
(you might also know them as tig!)
is a sociology phd candidate, a goat-wrangling farmer, and a fiber and fermentation geek
whose learning, teaching, and making happens primarily on the traditional homelands of the haudenosauneega, miami, peoria, and the pokagon potawatomi (what is now known as south bend, indiana).
as a goatherd and grazier, taylor works alongside their hooved companions to restore soil health, steward ecosystems, and build resilient land and animals in a changing climate. they aim to make cheese in time with the seasons, crafting curds that let the flavors of a thriving pasture take the lead.
their dissertation work explores the ways that queer identity and queer orientations to the world help farmers, growers, agriculturalists, and land stewards rethink their relationships with more-than-human entities.
a voracious learner, taylor’s experience is wide-ranging: they have almost a decade of experience conducting collaborative and independent academic research, four years of experience managing an arts and writing journal, several seasons of experience growing vegetables and raising livestock, and a few years of experience organizing in community with the hoosier young farmers coalition and the queer farmer network.