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.”