Ryan Thompson
Ryan relocated to the Molalla area about three years ago to pursue his dream of farming, after growing up in and around Salem and spending time in the Rogue Valley and Southeast Portland. He brings a deep curiosity about the world and a strong commitment to community, education, and youth development.
Ryan was drawn to AntFarm because it aligns closely with his passions for positive youth development, community building, and socio-ecological systems. He finds meaning in creating opportunities that help young people grow skills, confidence, and purpose while strengthening the communities they live in. For Ryan, AntFarm is a place where that kind of impact is both possible and practical.
Ryan oversees AntFarm’s Workforce Development and Outdoor programs, projects, and staff at the Molalla location. The youth programs he supports include service-learning, experiential education, and employment opportunities, and he also contributes to operations, maintenance, and leadership for AntFarm Molalla. He joined AntFarm in September 2024 and brings over fifteen years of experience in youth-focused environmental, agriculture, and workforce education. His background includes program design and leadership across a wide range of topics, including organic agriculture, mycology, outdoor safety, natural resource careers, food systems, leadership development, nutrition, and outdoor education. He also has experience in personnel management, curriculum development, community and government relations, and nonprofit board leadership.
Ryan is especially proud of helping strengthen AntFarm’s capacity and reputation for providing high-quality workforce development opportunities while giving back to community members and stewarding land. He is humbled to work alongside young people as they build the perspectives and habits that will help them navigate life with confidence, compassion, and resilience.
Outside of work, Ryan has a wide range of interests, including gardening and farming, philosophy, systems change, biking, camping, cooking, reading (especially sci-fi and fantasy), pottery, textile arts, music, and DIY projects that occasionally get a little too ambitious.
“The assumption that what currently exists must necessarily exist is the acid that corrodes all visionary thinking.” – Murray Bookchin
