Rowan Valle

"The eyes are useless when the mind is blind..."

I relish, above all things, finding a corner not often visited and watching a sunrise or sunset. The golden hour strikes at the heartstrings in a way that reverberates directly into your soul. It highlights the beauty of nature and the blessing of our bearing witness to her flourishing and wilting away in a seemingly eternal cycle. I am amazed by the charm and simplicity with which nature executes the most complex tasks, and even the most minor and most mundane parts of nature leave me agasp. Therefore, I have dedicated my life thus far to studying nature intensely and seeking ways to convey this knowledge sincerely and understandably to everyone.
After serving in the United States Army for six years as an infantryman, [having served 15 months in Iraq during the surge from 2007-08], I studied philosophy in conjunction with the final days of my time in the army. However, I focused on cannabis horticulture for several years after that, traveling seasonally throughout most of the continental United States, driving cross country 6 times.
In 2019, I decided to purchase some property in the deserts of the Great Basin, in north-central Nevada, and there began the dream that became Azura.
In 2022, after completing a successful studio apprenticeship at The Steelyard in Providence, Rhode Island, I was soon accepted into URI as a Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems major. In 2023, I became an Agriculture and Food Systems Fellow for 2024 through Cooperative Extension, the premier national agriculture research and education institution in the nation, where I participated in research on immigrant communities and communities of color with John R. Taylor, PhD. That summer, I applied and was accepted into the Master's in Environmental Science and Management program at URI. Currently, I am working on completing the remainder of my bachelor's degree and then pursuing my Master's degree to manage my own land at Azura and my family's various properties in Puerto Rico. In these two contrasting environments, I aim to establish research stations that will enable me to observe and understand the dynamics of multiple ecosystems, the knowledge of which I seek to apply in advancing agriculture and ecology as disciplines that will not only benefit humanity but also the wider natural world.
I would like to build ecosystems from the ground up, potentially aiding in the eventual expansion of humanity into the stars. In the meantime, I aim to apply my knowledge to transforming previously marginal and inhospitable areas into viable, vibrant habitats that benefit both humanity and all biota.

Check out this profile that URI did on me!

Check out my little pamphlet on agroforestry!