January Farming for Justice RECAP – Federal Farm Program Access for POC Farmers
This January, we welcomed Ariana Taylor-Stanley, Northeast Regional Organizer for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, to inform us about Federal Farm Program Access, specifically for farmers of color, and other historically marginalized groups. It was an incredible informative session about USDA programs, like EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) or CSP (Conservation Stewardship Program). These are…
Read MoreMeet Our Newest Team Member! Jade Brewer, Marketing & Communications Intern
We’re excited to have Jade join the Groundswell team as the new Marketing & Communications Intern! We asked him a few questions to learn more about him: What brought you to the Fingerlakes? I’ve lived basically my whole life in Nashville, TN. It’s a little warmer there. But there’s certain experiences you can only get from…
Read MoreMeet Our Newest Team Member! Holly Stein, Manager of Farmer Training
We’re excited to have Holly join the Groundswell team as Manager of Farmer Training! We asked her a few questions to learn more about her: What brought you to farming? Growing up in a suburb I had little exposure to growing my own food. I increasingly became interested in where my food was coming from…
Read MoreMeet Our Newest Team Member! Giavanna Townsend, Programs Manager
We’re excited to have Giavanna join the Groundswell team as Programs Manager! We asked her a few questions to learn more about her: What brought you to farming? When I began farming it was completely new to me. I learned very little about agriculture and the food system growing up, and had very little connection to…
Read MoreConnecting Community Through Food: An Interview With Up-and-Coming Local Farmer, John Whitmore
Dirt under his nails and a warm smile behind a scraggly beard, John Whitmore of Shagbark Gardens in Danby, NY sat down with me on Tuesday to reflect on his experience in the “Grow Your Farm Business Course”, held every winter here at Groundswell. Situated atop the Autumn Leaves Book Store in a cozy little…
Read MoreThe Learning Farm: Connecting Kids to the Land
Connecting children and families to the land is a primary goal of the Learning Farm. Based in Ithaca, the farm focuses on exposure to the outdoors and education about the natural world. It is also a juicery, and the Learning Farm Juicery grew out of a desire to see healthier juices on the market for…
Read MoreSouth Hill Cider: An A-peel-ing Addition
In 2014, Steve Selin and his family achieved their dream of owning their own estate cider orchard. Now, the 5-acre South Hill Cider Orchard boasts 20 varieties of apples and 1,500 trees. Just this fall, South Hill Cider opened a new cider house and tasting room, located next to the orchard, and participated in Finger…
Read MoreWhat does the Green New Deal Mean for Justice & Farming?
The Green New Deal is increasingly becoming a hot topic in discussions about climate change. Introduced by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Edward J. Markey earlier this year, the Green New Deal is a plan to fight climate change through moving away from fossil fuels, reducing greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors of the economy,…
Read MoreNorthstar Farm: Starting Out Strong
At Northstar Farm, food goes straight from the field to people’s plates. The farm grows produce based around Northstar House’s menu. The pub, located in Fall Creek, is supplied with a steady flow of fresh, organic food from the farm. The pub has several co-owners, and Northstar Farm is located on one of the co-owner’s…
Read MoreCommunity Teach-in at the Gayogo̱hó:no (Cayuga) School House
On Wednesday, October 2nd, as part of the work Groundswell Center is involved in with the Finger Lakes Land Access Reconciliation and Reparations Working Group, a group of community members from the larger Ithaca Area drove the hour up the lakeside to join people from the Gayogo̱hó:no nation to create and cultivate community. The day…
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