Meet The Team
Jack McWilliams
Director, Farm Operations
Growing up on a cattle farm in rural Pennsylvania gave Jack an appreciation for the growing process and the importance of fully understanding where our food comes from. Selling vegetables by the roadside was what he did as a kid to earn money.
Jack has a degree in Electronic Engineering and spent 12 years in the nuclear industry. While his career took him all over the United States, he has always been passionate about farming, sustainability and how they are connected. At Basket Case Farms, he has found a way to marry his passions and his background for the benefit of others. As Director of Farm Operations, Jack oversees the entire farm operations, ensuring the overall strategy and goals of the farm are adhered to and met.
“I see the potential that the farm has as well as its current impact on the community. I’m so proud to be a part of it. Farming is always a work in progress. It becomes a part of you. I always told my Dad I didn’t want to be a farmer when I grew up, so I guess he gets the last laugh.”
Outside of the farm, Jack can be found doing anything outdoors. He’s an avid fly fisherman, Pittsburgh Steelers fan, and enjoys spending time relaxing and traveling with his wife and daughter.
Carter Bolln
Director of Education & Community Outreach
As a former middle school science teacher, Carter sees the farm as a place full of learning potential.
“The controlled growing settings, while using three different methods to produce, are perfect environments to experience science content in real life. It’s great to speak with and hear people’s thoughts on the farm.”
While helping manage the growth operation on-site, Carter also enjoys interacting with the different groups. Basket Case Farms donates greens and vegetables to many local non-profits.
“Completing the full grow cycle and then getting the food to people that can’t access it, but still want it, is very rewarding. We take great pleasure throughout the whole process.”
When he’s not at the farm, Carter enjoys spending time in the kitchen cooking up the thing he craved that day, while listening to lots of music with a side of aquaponics videos. He enjoys sharing that food with Amanda, his partner of 12 years, and also with his nephews, brother, and sister-in-law who live close by. If it’s football season, Carter will watch and chat about the game for hours. (Go Patriots!)
John Licare
Operations Manager
Born and raised in Charlotte, John brings valuable experience in landscape architecture, plant design, and gardening. The decision to be part of a project that focuses on bettering his community was an easy one.
John enjoys the routine and rhythm of the farm and uses problem-solving skills while heading special projects. His perseverance and commitment to getting tasks done are apparent and appreciated.
Active in the kitchen, John enjoys preparing creative and fresh vegetarian meals for his Charlotte-native family. His best friend Rickie, a hound dog, keeps him active chasing squirrels and visiting neighbors at the community garden. “It’s a daily must!”
“I believe that growing and giving can happen in many forms and is vital to the future of our communities. I look forward to doing just that, every day!”
Alicia Ross
Infrastructure Project Manager
As the Infrastructure Project Manager at Basket Case Farms, Alicia designs, implements and oversees the progress of infrastructure and buildings from beginning to end. Because she enjoys getting out of the office for some fresh air and sunlight, she also provides assistance in maintaining the grow houses and property, placing material orders, and updating the social media and website.
For the past 20 years, Alicia worked in architecture and construction, where she designed and managed an array of projects from private residences to county jails. Towards the end of architecture school, she studied daylighting strategies at UNC Charlotte, which led to her certification in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Although not every client desires a green home or building, she carried the principles she learned with her through her practice and implemented several strategies at Basket Case Farms.
Being a product of a military household, Alicia traveled a great deal in her early life but has settled in Charlotte for the past 18 years. When she’s not dreaming up the next home or restaurant design, she enjoys traveling, yoga, hiking, and spending time with her husband, four dogs, and a cockatoo.