Ivonne Vazquez (she/her/ella) is passionate about native plants, herbs, pollinators, DIY, sustainability, the environment, the outdoors and sharing gardening knowledge. She is most often found outdoors using her skills as a former Master Gardener Volunteer, current Licensed Registered Maine Guide/Recreation, Basic Gardening Instructor at Bangor (Maine) Adult Community Education, small acreage diversified farmer.
Ivonne and her husband, Glenn Roberts, own Bas Rouge Farm & Forge in Orono, Maine where there are several enterprises including a native plant nursery, wholesale culinary mushrooms, permaculture design consulting and blacksmith forge. The farm was the recipient of the 2022 North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) Farmer-Rancher Award USA (pollinator.org) for their work in pollinator conservation.
Over the course of a lifetime, Ivonne has worked in a variety of settings including community banking, in non-profit as a grant writer, product development, owner of a transportation and a virtual assistant small business, event coordinator and in community television. Volunteer work has also been important throughout her life, sitting on several Boards including libraries and outdoor education organizations.
In addition to growing native plants, she is a freelance writer of gardening DIY articles for the Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners magazine, published by MOFGA; and an avid photographer whose main subjects are native plants, flowers, and pollinators. She travels throughout Maine presenting workshops on gardening topics to a variety of audiences. Ivonne is Spanish/English bi-lingual, of Puerto Rican descent. Classes and presentations are tailored to Spanish and English-speaking audiences.
Ivonne recently earned a certificate in Sustainable Landscaping & Garden Management and in Permaculture Design.
