Emily Oakley and Mike Appel, OK
We are Emily Oakley and Mike Appel, and we own and operate Three Springs Farm, a diversified, certified-organic vegetable farm in northeastern Oklahoma. We cultivate over fifty different crops on six acres of land. Farming is our full-time job; we don’t have any off-farm income. About half of our crop land is sown in annuals […]
Cara Fraver and Luke Deikis, NY
By Cara Fraver Quincy Farm is still in its first days, but we have been working on the plan for years. Luke Deikis, my partner, and I will cultivate organically grown vegetables on abeautiful 48 acre farm on the Hudson River in upstate New York. We plan to sell CSA shares as the years progress, […]
Dana Gentile, NY
Interview with young farmer Dana Gentile, by Devin Dinihanian Let’s start with the H’s and W’s. Can you tell me who you are, what and where you farm, how long you’ve been farming, and lastly, why you’ve chosen to be a farmer? My name is Dana Gentile and I am a meat goat farmer. My partner Abbi and […]
Climate Change, Water and Land Access Challenges in Northern California
My name is Scott Chang-Fleeman and I live and farm in Northern California. My business, Shao Shan Farm is a five-acre certified organic farm specializing in Asian vegetables. We sell our products at farmers markets, through vegetable boxes, and to chefs and grocery stores throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. This year, I am scaling […]
Land access challenges cause Texas farming couple to rebuild their farm three times
Ara and Jim Holmes operate , a successful 62-member community supported agriculture (CSA) program, but they didn’t grow up raising vegetables or other food for their community. Ara and Jim both started farming while working full-time as a safety and health professional and registered nurse. Things changed for them when they saw the potential in […]
Young flower farmer in Florida motivated by regenerating natural resources and protecting pollinators, but left behind by USDA
My name is Tasha Trujillo and I am the owner and operator of Palm Pike, a second-year flower farm located in Miami, Florida. We specialize in growing flowers using both organic and regenerative practices to protect pollinators and our community from pesticides. Restoring the health of our soil through cover cropping and organic amendments is […]
Young Black Farmer Continues His Family’s Legacy Aiming to Avoid the Loans That His Family Was Denied
My name is Walter Davis III and I grew up in New Orleans, but spent a large part of my childhood visiting my family’s farm in St. Francisville, Louisiana. I’m so fortunate to have had the experience of spending time on my grandmother’s farm, learning to love the land and understanding there is more to […]
USDA Program Reform Needed for Equitable Farmland Access
As the daughter of Hmong refugees who have farmed in Minnesota since the early 1980s, my lived experience is grounded in the struggle for anti-racism, justice, equity, and inclusion. When I was younger and more naive, I believed that attaining higher education would allow me to participate equally in the American Dream. I thought education […]
Citizenship status prevents Colorado mushroom farmer from accessing the capital he needs to grow his business
My name is Irving Reza and I am a farmer and owner of Sugar Moon Mushrooms in Bennett, Colorado. I got my start in agriculture back in 2018 when I became a farm apprentice for the GrowHaus in Denver. During a year-long apprenticeship, I worked at the hydroponic, aquaponic, and mushroom farms that are part […]
Indigenous Farmer and Mayordomo Dedicated to Future Generations Through Land and Water Stewardship in Northern New Mexico
My name is Joseluis Ortiz y Muniz and I am a detribalized Indigenous and Indo-Hispano father, farmer, mayordomo and community liaison from the village of Llano de La Yegua in the Indigenous Genizaro Santo Tomas el Apostol de Rio de Las Trampas Land Grant. I currently live with my daughter Corina and partner Luzero in […]