The 287th recipient is Margaret Reilingh of Letterbox Farm @letterboxfarmers in Hudson, NY. Margaret writes:
What self-care and well-being mean to me as a farmer: “It means being able to persevere with the work (like we would do anyway without it) without hitting the point of total burnout. I am still struggling with the fact that chronic illness is making me less able-bodied as the years go by. Being able to care for myself allows me to integrate this new state of my being/body and keep doing what I love on the long term.”
How I might use this $100 self-care award: “I would likely get a professional massage. But I do have some surgical procedures coming up this winter so another way I would maybe use the award would be to get a craft kit to do while I am in recovery.”
Most important self-care needs that contribute to my well-being as a farmer: “Attending to mental health is a huge need but I find that I can’t get to the step of caring for my mental health if my body is out of whack. Unfortunately it seems that self-care can be a privilege at times, and that getting medical care or financial stability comes first. It takes a toll trying to scrape your way up to stability in those areas and sometimes you just don’t have the energy left for actual self-care.”
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