Catching-Up: Emanuele Protano

Our former student is back, now as our Farmers Market Manager

Life definitely takes us on unexpected journeys. Our former intern, Emanuele Protano, left the farm to try his hand in the corporate business world and found he missed agrarian life. We are glad to have welcomed him back, this time as an employee.

Emanuele first joined the farm during the first half of 2022 after discovering our education program through the ATTRA NCAT listings. Originally from Southern California, but also raised in southern Italy, he was drawn to Deck because of its commitment to small-scale dairying and making pastured raw milk products accessible to the community.

Like many students, Emanuele arrived expecting to learn practical farming skills. What surprised him most was how much the experience shaped him on a personal level.

"More than anything, I learned patience, compassion, and acceptance," he says.

Living and working alongside fellow interns in a close-knit community challenged him to better understand both himself and others. The daily rhythm of farm life taught him that every task takes time, every animal has individual needs, and careful observation is one of a farmer's greatest tools.

"Animals have a subtle way of communicating with us, and we must attune ourselves to understand how best to serve them," he said.

Beyond learning animal care, Emanuele discovered something even more valuable: a clearer sense of who he wanted to become. The challenges of sharing both successes and setbacks with the farm community encouraged him to become more patient, introspective, and compassionate.

The experience also deepened his appreciation for farming and the natural world.

"Finding a newborn calf in the field, witnessing animals growing, and sometimes saying goodbye to them reminds you how connected we are to nature. Farming demands responsibility, attention, and collaboration. It's hard work—but it rewards hard too."

There a few lessons from Deck Family Farm which continue to guide him every day: Slow down. Pay attention. You don't always know what someone else is going through, so give people grace.

Emanuele's Deck Family Farm story also includes something he never expected to find— his wife, Analisa. The two met while working together in the creamery during his internship, making the farm the beginning of not only a career journey but a lifelong partnership.

After leaving the farm, Emanuele spent several years working in corporate shipping logistics and operations. During that time, he developed business skills, strengthened his financial foundation, and prepared for one of his long-term dreams: building his own family farm.

Emanuele has returned to Deck Family Farm, where he now serves as the Farmers Market Sales Manager, helping bring our products to families in Portland, Eugene and Springfield. The farmers markets are an important part of how we reach families looking for wholesome, locally produced food. He's no longer working with the animals but this job allows him to continue to live the values that first inspired him as an intern.

"Working again for Deck Family Farm feels aligned with my purpose of creating access to whole, real foods for all who seek it."

As he looks toward the future, Emanuele hopes to one day grow his own family farm while continuing to inspire others through regenerative agriculture and community-based food systems.

We are grateful that Emanuele's journey has brought him - and his wife, Analisa - back to Deck Family Farm. His story is a wonderful reminder that an internship can become much more than a learning experience—it can shape a career, build lifelong friendships, create a family, and ultimately lead you back to the place that first felt like home.

Editorial Note: This is part of a series of profiles of former Deck interns and students. We are looking forward to hearing how their year on the farm affected them and what they are doing with their lives now.