Becoming a farmer was not Julie Rubaud’s original plan. It was only a week before she was about to begin her doctoral studies in the sociology of philosophy at the University of Quebec that she decided to put her academic career on pause and take some time to travel. Inspired by the gardens and farms she visited, she opted to ditch the classroom in order to work the soil. 

At first, Julie worked part-time at Diggers’ Mirth, a vegetable farm in the Intervale. Looking for an early-season farming option, she began growing herbs and selling them at the Burlington Farmers Market. Soon, retail establishments were buying her herbs, and in 2005 she founded Red Wagon Plants in Hinesburg.