The 188th recipient is Sophia Buggs of Lady Buggs Farm @ladybuggsfarm in Youngstown, Ohio.
Sophia writes, “I started farming because I was trying to find joy and a more affordable way to getting natural medicine into my home. I usually tell people that I did it for my mental health and a way to connect with my grandma. I’m realizing that it was to save my wholeness from being fragmented.
Spring is the season that I’m always worrying about the landscape of my farm. Is it visibly neat enough to be in a neighborhood or what’s going to be stolen next by two legged humans. The ground hogs, deer, rabbit and wild turkey are also a concern but it’s all apart of natural stress of farming.
Some of these challenges can be resolved but that usually requires early planning with execution and my community activist role gets in the way every season. In order to eliminate some of the stress I’ve decided to only grow what I love. I’ll also continue allowing volunteer plants to thrive and grow with plants that I add to the garden beds. This renewed way of cultivating more North East Plant Prairie and Urban Forest species is exciting. This will allow me to be more balanced and creative in my life. I’m looking forward to better centerIng all of my work on this lovely and beautiful green space that the universe has blessed me to steward named Lady Buggs Farm AKA Sophia’s Medicinal Sanctuary.
I was also thinking about getting into an urban forestry program but remembered how I’ve taught myself how to be an agriculturist, farmer and wildcrafter. I’ve got a class room right in my backyard and it’s time to shift. I’m excited about mapping out all of my plant family members and shifting from so called farming to a medicinal sanctuary.”