REAL FARMER CARE

Exciting announcement!

American Farmland Trust Collaborates with Real Farmer Care as Fiscal Sponsor to Support and Advance Farmer and Rancher Self-care and Well-being.

$100 & $500 self-care grants, along with future self-care programming stipends, will be available for farmers and ranchers across the country through Real Farmer Care.

Link in bio to learn more.

#realfarmercare #americanfarmlandtrust #farmerselfcare #farmerwellbeing

The 239th recipient is Marc Delaney of Delaney Farms @delaney_farms in Syracuse, NY. Marc writes, “I have been farming my whole life, and I’ve been taking on more responsibilities the past few years. Located outside of Syracuse NY, Delaney Farms is a fifth-generation family farm and it has been a part of the local community for over 100 years. We sell our nursery starts during the spring, and seasonal vegetables during the summer, fall, and winter within a 10-mile radius of the farm.

As a farmer, providing nutritious food is the greatest gift we can give. Caring for the land will preserve it for future generations. To do this for the long term, I must consider my own physical and mental health. Much of the work involves repetitive movements. In order to do this, I must incorporate a practice of mindful, self awareness to help me get through each season a little more successfully than the last.”

#realfarmercare

The 238th recipient is Tom Deacon of Fable: From Farm to Table @fablefoods in Ossining, NY. Tom writes, “Having run a farm for eight years now, I can truly say it is one of the toughest but most rewarding professions. To me, farming is about providing healthy and delicious food to your community while also bringing people together through food at the same time. Whether hosting school field trips, seasonal festivals, or greenhouse dinners, I enjoy seeing the community gather around food.

I am very fortunate to be growing in Westchester County, New York, a place that is very supportive of sustainable organic farming. We receive donations and volunteers often, and are always being asked by our guests if they can help in any way. I personally view farming as a public service and wish farms did not need to rely on donations and volunteers, and I will continue to do my part in helping change the food industry for the better so farmers are not struggling to make ends meet.

I couldn't be more grateful to be farming in Westchester, a community that is so supportive of our mission. A huge ‘thank you’ also goes out to my hardworking team for all the success the farm has achieved. Working alongside others, especially experienced colleagues, has helped alleviate my workload and stress allowing me to spend more time with my family. At the end of the day that's what matters most to me: being around family, friends, and some really great food.”

#realfarmercare

The 237th recipient is Lily McGarey @archegoniaa farmworker at Good Rain Farm @goodrainfarm in Gresham, Oregon.

Lily writes, “I was drawn to farming as a way of accessing tangible aspects of life. Being able to plant a seed and know that something will come from it helps me to feel that I can have an impact and value in our world, where often we are made to feel that is not true. I have pursued farming as a means to take care of my community and to connect with the earth that bears it all. Working with the land feels like an alchemy; feeling the tangible, knowable aspects of growing and always being surprised by the magical and unknowable aspects of all that life brings. Working with the land also feels hard, sweaty, discouraging, heartbreaking, and exhausting. The balance of these two parts is always a challenge; it's hard to feel the alchemy when you feel like your labors are fruitless.

For me, connecting with community and being able to be held by community (especially those that know the challenge of this work) is an essential piece to remembering the magic and the gift of working with the land. Connecting with my community, even if it is just commiserating about the weather, helps me to step back to see what we are doing and the true value of it.”

#realfarmercare

The 236th recipients are Sydney Ellbogen and Noah Price of Mountain Bluebird Farm @mountainbluebirdfarm in Hayden, Colorado. They write, “We both stumbled into this line of work unexpectedly in our early twenties, neither of us having come from a background in agriculture. We spent close to ten years working as farmhands in Boulder County, learning the ins and outs of growing organic produce and raising livestock. Our paths crossed working at Black Cat Farm in 2016 where we quickly dreamt up a plan to start our own operation. Three years ago we finally jumped on an opportunity to lease land in the Yampa Valley of northwest Colorado, and Mountain Bluebird Farm was born.

We farm in a small, rural community, and were warmly welcomed and supported from our very first day here. Hayden is a place where your neighbor will plow your driveway before their own, let you borrow a tractor without question, or stop what they’re doing to help out in a pinch. In just a few short months after moving here, we felt like we could put a name to just about every face we saw around town. Our small community has been instrumental in our success from the very start. We even have a friend who runs a local group @agwell_rockymtn that gets farmers and ranchers together once a week to sit down and talk about whatever is on our minds.

The best thing we’ve done to support our mental health is hiring an amazing team of fellow farmers to work alongside us each summer. Our first season we tried to do everything ourselves, and quickly realized that was a path we didn’t want to go down. Hiring full time employees has brought so much more joy and fulfillment to what we do, and totally changed the trajectory of our business. The hard days are a little bit easier when you’re surrounded by great people. It also gives us a little more flexibility during the season to take some time away for ourselves and recharge. Even during the busiest weeks of the year we’ve been able to take a day or two each week to step away from the farm. It’s totally changed our lives, and made it feel like this is something we can do for a long time!”

#mountainbluebirdfarm #realfarmercare

The 235th recipient is Ellie Lassiter of Age Old Agriculture @ageoldagriculture in Cotter, Arkansas. Ellie writes, “When I was in college pursuing a degree in design management, I took a course called “Unsustainability and Consumerism”. It changed my life. I wanted to find a more meaningful and impactful way to fight climate change, and farming seemed like the way for me to do my part. After interning at a few farms and living a ski bum life in Colorado for a few years, my now husband and I landed in north central Arkansas where I started Age Old Agriculture in 2018.

To me, farming is a creative outlet. It keeps me active and it produces good, clean food for myself and my community. Cooking has also always been a passion of mine, and I love being able to connect with people through sharing recipes and ideas. We really lucked out and have an amazing, supportive community surrounding us. Whether it's jumping to the rescue after a greenhouse has flipped over, CSA members who purchase shares to be donated to local women's shelters/food banks, or listening to The Winter Growers Podcast when you’re having a midsummer meltdown over harvesting endless amounts of okra in the heat, our community has always been there for us. They believe in this dream as much as we do, and that means the world to me.

Remembering to practice self care without feeling guilty about being away from the farm is difficult. Making time for long winter runs and short river floats in the summer helps to keep me grounded. It's important to check out every now and then so when you do show up to work the next morning you're rested and ready to go.”

#ageoldagriculture #realfarmercare

The 234th recipients are Leah, Orlando, and baby Cooper Munsey of The Lo Farm @the_lo_farm in Catskill, New York.

Leah writes, “We have been farming for many years and we were finally able to start our own farm operation in the beginning of 2020. After a successful first year despite the craziness of the pandemic, we moved to our own farm property in Catskill, NY where we now live with our son Cooper. We've had to rebuild our farm from scratch on the new property and it has felt like a constant uphill battle to complete projects and face the growing challenges of farming amid climate change and a tumultuous economy. But somehow we are able to make it happen, growing diversified veggies for our local community.

For us, support comes in so many forms: family members who cook for us and help whenever we need it, friends who bring us a six-pack & pizza at the end of a long and grueling day on the farm, customers who come back season after season to purchase our produce. Farmers are terrible at self-care, as the urgency and demands of the farm are almost always prioritized over anything else. But in the end, the farm wouldn't happen without us. We're trying to learn how to untangle our own health and mental well-being from the chaos of farm life so that we can face its challenges with clear heads and hearts, and also set a healthy example of work ethic and dedication for our baby son.”

#realfarmercare

The 233rd recipient is Ayo Boykin of E-I-E-AYO URBAN FARM LLC @the_microgreen_queen in Columbus, Ohio.

Ayo writes, “My name is Ayo (pronounced I-yo) and I am the CEO of E-I-E-AYO URBAN FARM LLC. I am especially cognizant of how important mental health is - I don't just grow MICROGREENS, I grow MINDS as a school counselor. Much of my counseling career has involved providing mental health support to families in crisis. High quality produce and high quality healthcare
seldom makes its way to the families with the least. A person can't be healthy spiritually, physically or mentally if they are hungry or in a state of lack. You can't heal if your body isn't nourished.

My great grandmother Carrie Lee Peels is my farming inspiration. She was a sharecropper that picked tobacco ("tobacc-ie" as she called it) during a time in our nation's history when black people were no more than chattel. She moved her family from Augusta, Georgia to the urban jungle that is Queens, New York (my hometown). My family was a part of the great migration North that many black people took to escape the oppression in the deep south. She turned her backyard into a homestead that fed her family and the neighborhood. I watched her, as a little girl, canning and preserving the bounty that she grew from her hands. I honor her spirit each time I grow my own bounty.

Farming to me represents taking agency over my life. Farming is my peace, it feeds my soul, my belly and my community. My business tagline is... GROW- HARVEST -NOURISH- REPEAT. And that is EXACTLY what I will continue to do.”

#realfarmercare

The 232nd recipient is Dioganhdih Hall of Iron Path Farms @ironpathfarms in NY.

Dioganhdih writes, “My experience as an agriculturist has been profoundly humbling, intentionally reverent, and often a portal to the seed keeping my ancestors did with the same heirloom seeds. There’s excitement in reclamation of traditional Haudenosaunee food systems, but also a responsibility that aligns me to grounding in my purpose. Growing our traditional foods for our communities in our homelands is a part of cultural preservation and survival.

Being a farmer is a collective effort and involves reciprocal communal care. Having people around you who are experienced farmers has been helpful as I learn. Building community with other folks who are dedicated to loving land has been nourishing beyond belief.”

#ironpathfarms #realfarmercare

The 231st recipient is Maya Kotsogiannis of Alma Roots Farm @almarootsfarm in High Falls, NY.

Maya writes, “I fell into farming by accident, but it was the best accident. My first farm job and the farmers I worked for (Old Ford Farm) showed me that work can be joyful and meaningful in a whole being kind of way. I farm to feed the soil, the community, and my soul. Growing vegetables and raising animals is my way of living with the Earth and all her beings.

To me, self care and whole being health is keeping the connection of mind, body, soul to the Earth. Many days that is achieved simply by doing my work with care and when the crazy frantic days come, I (hopefully) remember to rest my hands on the earth, or within the soil, to find the connection again.”

#almarootsfarm #realfarmercare

The 230th recipient is Catherine Nguyen of Mora Mora Farm @moramorafarm in Gresham, OR.

Catherine writes, “I began farming as a way to slow down. My first experience was volunteering on a small farm in my college town, and it wasn’t long before I was hooked. More than anything, I loved the type of labor that it was - pulling me into my body and settling my thoughts. Anyone who knows me knows that I really value making space for quietness. Farming, for me, affords me that opportunity.

Looking back, farming started more as an escape from my hectic schedule (c’mon…you have to appreciate the irony of that :). But now, farming feels like the real-est thing I do. It somehow is able to hold the tension of opposing values and skill sets. It’s both solitary work and community work. It requires both patience and decisiveness, flexibility and a plan. It is hilariously ordinary at times and yet, still the most profound thing I think I'll ever do. Farming is beautiful to me because it holds these multitudes.

Self-care, for me, looks like cultivating balance. To remind myself that there are always two sides. Work must be balanced with rest. Community engagement must be balanced with self-reflection. Aphids with ladybugs, voles with snakes. A sense of drive with a sense of peace. For me, life has been the most remarkable when I'm floating somewhere between the tension of things.”

#moramorafarm #realfarmercare

The 229th recipient is ameia @ameiasmith of @flhfarm in Oakland, CA.

ameia writes, “I farm because it’s what I know. This work came to me with deep lessons of the importance of land as an anchor for community, and land tending as a practice of how we build sanctuary. Land tending teaches us reciprocity — that is, what it is to be with each other more presently, carefully, and lovingly — and shares whispers of what knowledge might emerge when we let ourselves be guided by rhythms that are not solely our own. Working with land asks how might we listen more deeply ~ to the seeds, the soil, the birds, the moon, the winds, and to each other.

I am oriented especially towards land memory and seed storytelling of Black freedom. land keeps our stories safe. It is a portal for time travel. This work has been opening for me an inquiry into what freedom might come from through connecting more deeply to time ~ what it means to be as gentle with and honoring of death as we are with life, and how to move gracefully and with reverence between worlds and rhythms, like clay.”

#flhfarm #realfarmercare

The 228th recipient is Dexter Collingwood @redcheckeredvans, a farm employee of Xast Sqit Farm @goodrainfarm in Oregon.

Dexter writes, “I feel like I started farming as the choices humanity has made have finally started crashing down around us. The climate crisis is honestly overwhelming, not to mention labor shortages and skyrocketing housing and land prices. Farming at Xast Sqit has brought a form of purpose to my life that I’m not sure I would have found otherwise. This work is so much more than just food, and especially as a white farmer, queer or not, I keep those who made this work possible close to my heart. Bringing people closer to the plants that their ancestors tended, and drawing closer to those that my own ancestors cared for is invaluable.

Support can take so many forms. During a season like 2022, I try to remind myself and the veteran farmers around me to celebrate the smallest victories. It is too easy to look backwards at all the years of abundance and mourn what could have been. Self care is letting the season take its course, accepting what you cannot change, and dissecting what you could have done better. We can’t expect ourselves to be indestructible. Be kind to yourselves, friends.”

#goodrainfarm #realfarmercare

The 227th recipient is ab Banks @muchobanksy of People’s Programs @peoplesprograms in Berkeley, CA.

ab writes, “I’ve always been exposed to farming since my granddad had an acre of land in Delhi, CA. We would go during summer and help out. In 2015, I worked with a group of farmers and realized that without farmers we wouldn’t have food and I decided I needed these skills to consider myself a revolutionary. Farming is one of the cornerstones of revolution - without this knowledge we won’t be able to survive! Right now I farm 1/2 acre in an urban farm and all of the produce goes to the community for free - we pass out 130 boxes of food every other Friday. To me that’s what support looks like - giving people what they need, no questions asked. In my experience, farmers have a hard time doing self care. We are very hard on bodies as farmers and it’s essential that we seek body work. But body work is often not accessible. Healers and farmers coming together will be the next phase of evolution.”

#peoplesprograms #realfarmercare

The 226th recipients are Christine & Fabio Ritmo of Nimble Roots Farm @nimblerootsfarm in Catskill, NY.

They write, “We began farming as a way to combine our passions for environmental action, community-building, caring for animals, and really good, nutrient-dense food. Pursuing those shared interests led us to an apprenticeship on a production farm in northern NY where we fell head-over-heels for small-scale organic vegetable growing. For us, farming isn’t just about growing food — it is a powerful, unifying vehicle through which we can help to repair environmental damage, contribute to a resilient local food system, and foster healthy and equitable communities.

Three weeks ago, when we had a burglary and arson event in our home and on our farm, our community members showed up for us in astounding ways. Family arrived to repair the damage done to our home, friends brought over meals, CSA members showed up to pull weeds. In under a week, over $15k was raised for us to repair the damage done and cover our losses. When we stumbled, the community that we have worked so hard to nourish helped us get back on our feet. It is humbling to be on the receiving end of so much kindness and generosity. Through this we have realized that self and community care are one and the same for us. We are dividing the money raised in three ways: first, to cover our damages and losses; second, towards the purchase of a BCS to take better care of our physical bodies and so that we can grow more food for the people who have and continue to support us; and three, towards the creation of an emergency Farmer Relief Fund for Greene County farmers.”

#nimblerootsfarm #realfarmercare

The 225th recipient is Rosemary June of @blackfarmerscollective in Seattle, WA.

Rosemary writes, “I became a farmer because the material conditions of African peoples, throughout the diaspora here on stolen Salish land, need to be changed. I joined the Black Farmers Collective in particular, because I personally need to do that work around other Africans who wanted to do something similar. Healthy food, clean water, dignified shelter, etc. – everyone deserves having their basic needs met. But there is a clear disparity, when it comes to those basic needs, between Africans and everyone else on Turtle Island (besides the Indigenous people of this land). There is so much more work to do until we even begin to make headway, but it is good to be able to provide community, Africans in particular, with access to healthy food. It is good to be able to expand these farming skills within myself, so that I can utilize them in revolutionary organization moving forward.

True care of one’s community (or community defense) that is both sustainable and radical (grasping at the root of an issue) requires a certain body of revolutionary organization. Farmers will be an indispensable appendage of said body. On a personal level, farming with BFC has contributed to how I view the entire imperialist world around me. We are constantly propagandized to believe the only way to survive and thrive is to do so by having an exploitative relationship with the land, the water, and the people around us. But farming with BFC has taught me (and so many others) that we are a part of nature, not separate from it. More importantly, if we want to change our world for the better, we need only to roll up our sleeves, dig down into the dirt, plant a seed, and cultivate its growth.”

#blackfarmerscollective #realfarmercare

The 224th recipient is Yeawa Asabi of @blackfarmerscollective in Seattle, WA.

Yeawa writes, “Farming is something that continuously teaches me. Farming effortlessly teaches me about myself, the ebbs and flows of life, patience, death, life, rebirth, the elegance of transformation, and so much more. Farming reminds me everyday to stand and be exactly where my two feet are planted and to appreciate being present.

Farming has taught me how to take better care of myself, the earth, along with the people I love. I quickly learned within the first few days of farming that I need a set bedtime in order to get enough rest for the next day or else I’d be exhausted the rest of the week. I learned that I needed to eat foods that supported the energy I was exerting at the farm. Farming continues to teach me about myself, my connection with Spirit, and connection with the collective consciousness. The more time I spend on the farm and awe how everything works together so effortlessly, the more I see myself in others and further realize how connected we all truly are.

I feel as farmers it is important to have self compassion and that self compassion starts with self, of course. Compassion for ourselves not only on the farm, but in our day to day lives. If there is anything I’ve learned within the past several months of being someone who tends to the land, is that everything is always being taken care of and I encourage us to slow down even more. I encourage us to have the self compassion to be present more, to rest more, to take more breaks, to have self compassion in whatever ways your Spirit needs it. Lao Tzu said it best, ‘Nature does not hurry, so why are we always in a rush.’”

#blackfarmerscollective #realfarmercare

The 223rd recipient is Ife Asabi of Yes Farm at the @blackfarmerscollective in Seattle, WA.

Ife writes, “I am an Oakland, California native who moved to Washington in 2021 with hopes of expanding and exploring more of what life has to offer. I am fairly new to the farming game but not the ideologies of healthy eating and holistic health. I’m passionate about herbal medicine and herbalism as a whole, and I will be taking the lead in continuously cultivating the herbal garden located at Yes Farm.

Farming to me is a luxury, to be able to grow and sustain food from seedling to fruit is something we don't all get to experience on this earth. I grew up in a community where fresh fruit and vegetables were not as affordable or accessible so I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to not only feed myself but also loved ones, and community members who need it.

Support to me looks like patience, attentive listening and thorough communication. Remaining healthy as a human being, mentally, physically, and spiritually is important to me. One thing I appreciate about the farm is simply the space - I can always show up as my whole self even if I am navigating certain life challenges. To be able to release on the land, feel held by her, and have no fears surrounding my full expression of self is significant to me and my sense of security in any environment. The land takes care of us everyday. It is important we do not disrespect the earth beneath our feet.”

#blackfarmerscollective #realfarmercare

The 222nd recipient is Taj Ruffin of @blackfarmerscollective in Seattle, WA.

Taj writes, “My experience as a farmer started out when I truly understood liberation. Growing up, food was always a barrier but when I went to the farm for the first time I saw freedom in food and communities being healed by all the growing happening. When I started to attend the volunteer days regularly I found myself planted in a community that taught me how to care for the land, myself and others.

Farming to me means access to more knowledge about yourself and staying connected to the earth. I haven’t been farming for long, but there are a ton of reflections that get revealed to me as I learn to grow the produce. For my community, farming has opened doors for folks in various ways through art, through mediation, through sharing meals, healing etc.

The reason I am here today is because of the support from my community. They offered me consistency, gave me access to tools and showed me how to use them. They provided me with rest that’s never rushed so that I was able to show up as my full self.”

#blackfarmerscollective #realfarmercare

The 221st recipient is Hannah Wilson @blackfarmerscollective in Seattle, WA.

Hannah writes, “My journey to farming came from a desire to steward the land and be in better connection with my community, the land, and myself. As a mixed Black queer and disabled farmer & land steward, I didn’t grow up seeing people who looked like me in this work and continue to see a lack of spaces, especially outdoor green spaces that are built around safety, care, joy, and connection for Black and brown people.

To me, farming made room for me to take care of myself and the people around me from a place of abundance. Just like how plants communicate with us and one another, rely on each other, are continuously in the process of becoming, and going through the cycles of life, death, and rebirth, so do many parts of ourselves and our community. The fact that farming is an ancestral practice keeps me very grounded when I need it most as well. The wisdom of the land that I’ve gained through farming has taught me to embrace and live in all of these truths at once.”

#blackfarmerscollective #realfarmercare

The 220th recipient is Masra Clamoungou of Small Axe Farm of @blackfarmerscollective n Seattle, WA.

Masra writes, “I grew up not being interested in farming, not having a tangible connection with the food system, or even having an idea of what farming could look like, apart from huge golden fields of wheat or acres upon acres of corn.

When I first stepped onto my first farm and began to get in touch with the work, experience the connection with the land and the complexities of the surrounding ecosystem, and experienced the delicious fresh produce that came with it all, it clicked in me that this was the work I wanted to do in the world.

As I’ve worked on different farms and in different farming contexts, one constant has been that the meaningful work that we engage in as farmers comes hand in hand with a lot of hard labor, which can easily drain one’s physical and mental energy - it has become key to make space for myself and other farmworkers to rest, reflect, and play in order to recharge so that we may show up fully for the communities in which we serve.”

#blackfarmerscollective #realfarmercare

The 219th recipient is Loba Huaman (they/loba) @flora.pacha in New Mexico. Loba writes, “My farm story is pretty simple: I come from a family of land workers. I’m originally from Arequipa, Peru which is a high altitude valley in southern coastal Peru surrounded by volcanos. Agriculture is extremely important in the Andean world and the Andean calendar is marked by important agricultural dates. Traditional agriculture in the Andean region is based off connection and reciprocity. Working with land to grow alongside food and medicine really brought meaning to my mutual aid practice. I love growing food and seeds for fellow BIPOC and QTBIPOC communities. Working with land is our birthright.”

#florapacha #realfarmercare

The 218th recipient is Norysell Massanet of La Botica de la Tierra (Earth’s Pharmacy) @laboticadelatierra in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.

Norysell writes, “I was initially drawn to farming by the urgent need of having access to nourishing food. (Colonial dynamics in Puerto Rico tells you that +85% of our food comes from US big ag) Little did I know then that what started as a way to provide fresh food would lead me through a long path towards liberation that took me from a small plot in the city to a forest in the south west of the main island where I currently work establishing an agroforestry systems model, committed to studying and teaching life from an agroecological perspective.

Self care for me, as a neurodivergent person, is having the space of solitude required to thrive to be able to show up in support and reciprocity to my immediate and extended diverse community.”

#laboticadelatierra #realfarmercare

The 217th recipient is Mayra Perez of Maritza Farms in Salina, California.

Mayra writes, “I started my career in agriculture because my parents were farmers. I grew up around agriculture and have a lot of passion for my job. My parents inspired me to have my own farm and start my business. They never had their own ranch so it has always been my dream to own my own ranch.

For me and my community, agriculture is meant by seeing the way people react to our products and the happiness it gives them. I feel very satisfied with my work and I love going to take care of my plants and crops. My husband and children help me a lot and it fills me with happiness to be able to share my passion with them.

Community care is important because it's good to connect with other people. Mental health is important because we need to be happy with ourselves in order to share that happiness with others.”

#realfarmercare

The 216th recipients are Jordan Johnson and Ben Kapadia of Moon Rabbit Farms @moonrabbitfarms in Marshall, NC.

They write, “Our mutual interest in sustainable food systems and how they create healthier communities are what brought us to farming. To us, food is all about relationships. The relationships between the sky, water, and soil, our relationships to the plants, animals, and fungi that feed us, the relationships between foods as they meet on the plate, and the relationships between humans growing, cooking, and eating the food. Farmers steward this web of relationships.

Healing the cycles of soil care, community care, and self care that have been interrupted by colonization and injustice has been the most important work of our lives so far. Every seed planted is an investment in a more just future.

Support can take many forms, but can involve sharing one’s presence, gifts, talents, resources, or knowledge; when communities support their farmers, it drives us forward, and when our wells are full, we are able to give so much.”

#moonrabbitfarms #realfarmercare

The 215th recipient is Maria Dominique Villanueva of Fountain Heights Farms @fountainheightsfarms in Birmingham, Alabama.

Dominique writes, “I started farming to survive living in poverty. Farming was one way that my family was able to access fresh produce in my community in an affordable way. Thankfully our harvest has always been abundant and we have been able to share what we had with our neighbors. Being able to be part of our neighborhood’s food justice movement is why we expanded our farming to what now includes four sites that provided over $32k in fresh produce to our community last year.

When I think about the numbers, the number of pounds we grow and the number of people our farm helps to feed it’s very humbling. Our connection to and reverence for nature continues to bless us and our community with abundant food as we work to listen to the land and heal our bodies.

As a person who is also living on the margins and experiencing poverty, I’m also frustrated by the expectation that we must do so much with so little. Farming is physically intense and brings up so much ancestral trauma related to enslavement, violence, and extraction that can be overwhelming. Having a network of therapists, coaches, mentors, other farmers, and land stewards who can relate and help walk through the healing required to continue this work is essential.”

#fountainheightsfarms #realfarmercare

The 214th recipient is Ashley McGhee @2asplus4js in Helotes, Texas.

Ashley writes, “Growing food was born out of a need for healing and growth during a rough time in my life. I was taught to grow food at a very young age and I'm so grateful that I rediscovered it. I feel like I was created to do what I do. Every other path I took in life did not work for me, but farming was different. It felt completely natural for me and I feel at peace when my hands touch the soil.

Farming has connected me with so many beautiful people I'd have never met in my community and around the world. It connected me in a new way to my ancestors. It's taught me many life lessons. It brought my family together in a beautiful way. It has had a noticeable impact, for the better, on my mental health. I have had to work, however, to get stronger physically and learn when to stop, to maintain my physical and mental well being and have balance. Farming is very taxing at times, so self care is something I've had to learn to do since starting this journey.

I am compelled to farm because there needs to be representation! There were NO farmers who look like me when I started and now look at us! I want to help inspire and teach as many young black farmers and growers as I can while I can.”

#realfarmercare

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SELF CARE FOR FARMERS

Founded in January 2020 by farmer Clara Coleman, Real Farmer Care’s founding mission is to support farmers' self-care needs and allocate donated funds directly to farmers as $100 self-care awards.

Past Grant Recipients pictured from Left to Right Top Row: Mary Creveling & Nicole Gilmore (formerly of Silver Seeds Farm); Amber Tamm; Mark & Kristin Kimball of Essex Farm

Bottom Row: Vera Fabian & Gordon Jenkins of Ten Mothers Farm; David & Nneka Williams and family of Sunset Market Gardens; Bil Thorn of Sky Island Farm

Self-care is generally defined as the practice of taking an active role in protecting and improving one’s own well-being and happiness, particularly during times of stress. Self-care activities are inexpensive, but rarely prioritized. Farmer self-care can look like a delicious dinner with friends and family at a restaurant where their products are served, a family fun day outing, a deep tissue massage for overworked muscles, a gym or yoga membership to build strength and cultivate relaxation, monthly online therapy sessions to process challenging life stressors, or even a new pair of boot insoles to support their tired feet.

Research shows that higher levels of self-care play a pivotal role in healthier lives and improved longevity. As levels of burnout continue to increase in farmers, especially those with marginalized identities, initiatives that financially support farmers in taking time to recharge are essential.

Real Farmer Care recognizes that BIPOC farmers (Black, Indigenous, People Of Color) are disproportionately impacted in access to land, education and capital by systemic racism. On top of all of the common challenges that exist in farming, this means that BIPOC growers face substantial additional hurdles that impact their everyday wellness and livelihood. Therefore, making space to center and prioritize their needs is paramount. Since Real Farmer Care began awarding self-care grants in 2020, over 50% of the 239 Real Farmer Care grant recipients have been BIPOC and LGBTQ+ farmers.

$100 SELF-CARE APPLICATION NOW LIVE!

If you are a farmer or rancher operating in the contiguous United States, including all U.S territories, and have never received a Real Farmer Care self-care award before, you are eligible to apply for the next round of grants.

Applications will be accepted for review until December 16th 2024 with all applications reviewed in the order in which they are received. Funds will be awarded while available and award distribution for the first round will begin in early 2025. Applications submitted after the initial window or beyond fund availability will be considered for funding in future rounds.

To apply, visit $100 Self-Care Application

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SELF-CARE SUPPORT SURVEY

Got 10 mins to answer a few questions about self-care? We want to hear from you! Please fill out this anonymous survey to help us better understand, develop, and offer the most needed self-care support farmers and ranchers. Thank you!!

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Please support Real Farmer Care with a donation today. The more we care for our farmers, the more successful they can be at caring for themselves, our communities, and the land.

Real Farmer Care is fiscally sponsored by American Farmland Trust, a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law. Read Press Release about the collaboration.

Meet farmer recipients here, and follow Real Farmer Care on Instagram.

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