The 183rd recipient is Becky Richey of The People's Garden on Boyd, a communal garden project of the @villagegreenfoundation in Cincinnati, OH. Becky writes, “I feel very proud to call myself a farm worker - there's such a legacy of organizing and community care among folks who've carried that title. I come from a very privileged background compared the vast majority of farm workers, and I try to pay it forward by sharing my skills and knowledge with anyone who wants to learn. At the People's Garden on Boyd, we are working to open a space in our neighborhood where anyone can experience the joy and power of having access to nature and growing their own food. The photo above is from our explosive crop of Tulsi last year - a plant I'm so grateful to for its ability to encourage new gardeners with great success!
Meanwhile I am on my third season working on local vegetable farms, and I am more in love with the work than ever. I often feel overwhelmed by my commitments outside of work, but when I'm in the field most of that melts away. This year I'm lucky enough to be enrolled in @OEFFA's Produce Farm Manager Apprenticeship Program at @thatguysfamilyfarm. I know some people with two seasons of farm work already under their belt feel ready to jump into running an operation, but to me it is vitally important that I am as prepared as possible before taking that leap, because I never want to lose my love of farming to stress (or debt).
Holding on to that love is a big part of what I consider self care, and I think the best way to do that is to build a community of farmers and supporters who are mutually involved in each other's care and success. Unfortunately that can sometimes feel like work as well, since we are all learning how to balance being responsible to each other and maintaining healthy boundaries. I'm hoping this award will buy me a day off to rest and reflect so I can dive back into this work.”