Leslie Witter of Root to Rise Gardens

The 476th recipient is Leslie Witter of Root to Rise Gardens in Red Lodge, MT. Leslie writes:

What self-care and well-being mean to me as a farmer: “Self-care and well-being mean having enough time to be well rested and have time for family, friends and recreation as well as showing up with my full presence and attention to farm work.  It also means time for working out, yoga & meditation to take care of myself in mid-age so I can hopefully maintain the stamina to continue to farm into old age.”

How I might use this $100 self-care award: “I’d use the award to take my partner out on a date night to one of our restaurant supporters. Having enough personal time with him and finding a better work-life balance are things I’m continuing to work on. We’re grateful to have several restaurants that purchase our veggies, but we rarely if ever go out to eat at them because of our tight finances.”

Most important self-care needs that contribute to my well-being as a farmer: "More time to spend with family, friends and recreating.  As the sole full (plus) time worker on the farm it’s hard for me to get away during our busy season. But, finding and affording labor is a big challenge at this point.”

#realfarmercare