Emmanuel Stone of Athens Land Trust

The 461st recipient is Emmanuel Stone of Athens Land Trust in Athens, GA. Emmanuel writes:

What self-care and well-being mean to me as a farmer: “The work of farming and educational programming is ongoing and at times the amount of work can seem unending. Self-care is often about reminding ourselves that we are doing everything that we can, that everything does not need to be completed today, it is okay to leave more for tomorrow. Self-care is finding healthy ways to relax and unwind, recharging so that we can continue the work.”

How I might use this $100 self-care award: “I would love to use this award to help fund a self-care celebration event with our incubator farmer participants and my co-workers. Everyone at the farm works so hard to grow produce which we then donate to families who are experiencing food insecurity in our local public school system. Currently we have distributed 1,730 pounds of produce since January of this year to 48 families with elementary school aged children in the Clarke County School District. Celebrating our progress would be a great way to relax with the group and build positivity about the work!”

Most important self-care needs that contribute to my well-being as a farmer: "Our farming work at Williams Farm is a group enterprise, with local high schoolers and adults engaged in educational programs contributing to our work, as well as community members and local university students volunteering their time at the farm as well. Managing these operations can be quite a project. Self-care for me would be celebrating the achievements of our team so that we all keep a positive outlook because the heat of summer is coming!”

#realfarmercare