Sarah Rowland Dies at 53

Sarah and Gary Rowland were one of a visionary group of couples who pioneered the modern organic farm movement in Central Texas, founding Hairston Creek Farm near Burnet in 1990. Sarah lost her valiant 4-year battle with metastatic breast cancer on Friday, surrounded by her family.

Over the past 20 years, the Rowlands have provided quality organic produce to Central Texas families through community supported agriculture shares and farmers' market booths at the Westlake Farmers' Market, Sunset Valley Farmers' Market, and Cedar Park Farm2Market. Sarah Rowland offered advice and counsel to Westlake Farmers' Market founder Pamela Boyar and served on the board of that market in both of it's first two locations. She was loved and respected by everyone in the Central Texas farmers' market community. We are grateful to the Rowland family for sharing her obituary and offer them our sincere condolences for their loss.

Sarah Elizabeth Green Rowland, 53, of Burnet, Texas, passed away August 24, 2012 after a courageous four-year battle with breast cancer. She was born November 12, 1958 in Montreal, Quebec, to Elizabeth and Anthony Green and graduated from Sir Robert Borden High School in Ottawa, Ontario in 1976. She attended Christie Secretarial College in Cheltenham, England, before moving to Bermuda, where she worked as a legal secretary specializing in trademarks for Smith, Barnard & Diel Barristers and Attorneys in Hamilton, Bermuda.

While there she met Gary Arthur Rowland, and on March 1, 1986 they were married at St. Mark's Church, Smith's Parish. During their time on the island they were blessed with two beautiful children: Benjamin Stuart, 24, a Lieutenant JG in the U.S. Navy currently serving in Bahrain; and Dorothy Anne, 22, a student in marine sciences and maritime studies at Texas A&M University at Galveston.

They left Bermuda in 1990 and moved to Burnet, where they worked side-by-side to create Hairston Creek Farm. She and Gary were blessed with a third child, Henry Rupert, 14, who was born on the farm and will be a freshman at Burnet High School.

With love and care, her children and the farm thrived. The family worked together planting, harvesting, and traveling to markets to make the farm a success. What they didn't sell, Sarah preserved in one of her delicious jams. She was the voice behind the farm, writing a weekly newsletter for customers and friends that offered an insight into the world of farming much needed in the modern world. She was an advocate for local and organically grown foods, serving on the board of directors of the Sunset Valley Farmers Market.

After being diagnosed with cancer in May 2008, Sarah battled with all her will, continuing to work and care for her family before dying at the farm.

She was preceded in death by her father. She is survived by her husband of 26 years; three children; her mother, of Victoria, British Columbia; sister Stephanie Jane and Ross Fleming of Toronto, Ontario; Aunt Anne Astbury of Devon, England, Aunt Isobel Townshend of Sunderland, England, mother-in-law Mary Jo Wilson, of Burnet; father-in-law A. O. Rowland and wife Jo of Tyler, Texas; brothers-in-law Wayne and Donna Rowland of Hot Springs, Ark.; Mark Rowland of Marble Falls, Texas; Brian and Tamara Wilson of Fort Worth, Texas; sister-in-law Gwynne Wilson of Denver, Colo.; 7 nieces; 1 nephew; and numerous other relatives.

A memorial service is planned for Tuesday morning @ 10:am @ 4300 Cr 335 Burnet,Tx .

The family offers their thanks for the compassionate care offered by Dr. Glenn Preston and the staff at the Cancer Care Centers of South Texas in Marble Falls. They also give thanks for the wonderful friends who gave immeasurable kindness and support during Sarah's illness.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in honor of Sarah's life to help fund Henry's college education. She was a strong advocate for the opportunities afforded by education, and worked hard to help her children attend college. The Sarah Rowland Memorial Scholarship Fund, Security State Bank, P.O. Box 769,Marble Falls, Tx. 78654 -- --