The 247th recipient is Chelsea Belle Graves of Bee's Wing Farm @beeswingfarm_flowers in White Post, VA. Chelsea writes:
What self-care and well-being mean to me as a farmer: “Farming requires a wild amount of grit. I am often checking in my mind and body if I'm keeping the balance of what I call tender grit. Is my love and affection for this work still there or have I let things get to a place that affection is no longer leading my work? If it's August I know I’m likely just to kick on, September will be there soon, but if it's a different part of the season, what can I do to be more gentle? Is there a system I can change, a tool I can acquire to help? Do I need a day away from the farm?”
How I might use this $100 self-care award: “This has been a grueling season of moving our ten-year-old farm business from our leased land to land that we bought. I'm still pinching myself daily that we are farmers with land but I unfortunately got plantar fasciitis. I am hobbling by 3PM everyday. I would use this award to go towards some massage therapy, and new shoe inserts that help with some of the pain. I've worn out my current inserts.”
Most important self-care needs that contribute to my well-being as a farmer: “After farming for sixteen seasons, this was the first season that I have felt "old". I am not old, I'm only 36. The physicality of farming is one of the things I love most about it but I'm realizing I need to do more self-care and body work to keep me strong and pain free.”
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