The Production Farm Team Spotlight: Get to Know Erik Foat, Facilities Director

When you start treating people as individuals, it enriches everything.

A couple of years ago, during the height of the pandemic, The Production Farm’s President, CEO & amp; Founder Wyatt Kuether reached out to Erik Foat about assisting with needed facility updates and repairs at the Farm’s Whitelaw campus. That interaction marked the beginning of Foat’s path to becoming Facilities Director for TPF, which now includes a new facility in Sheboygan Falls (see article above) as well as the Farm in Manitowoc County.

To say Erik grew up in a big family is an understatement. Born in Appleton and raised in Neenah, he counts himself one of 22 children. His mom and stepdad generously served as foster parents to dozens and dozens of children, 16 of whom they adopted into their family. Growing up in this environment led Erik to pursue a teaching degree from UW-Oshkosh, and he taught in an elementary school for several years. But, he says, “The current model of schooling constrains both the teacher and students. I left because I disagreed with the philosophy of teaching every child in the exact same way, especially seeing kids struggling within the confines of that model.”

---

Read More