Anna Sommo's Story
Food is a powerful tool for change and a common ground for pleasure and satisfaction at a time when we are all facing an incredible amount of distressing information about the future. The local food movement is a ray of hope that seems to have lit on people of all ages and backgrounds, myself included. With a background in gardening and education, I want to take my agricultural education to the next level by attending the University of Vermont Farmer Training Program in May 2012 and I am requesting $3,000 to pay for half the tuition.
Summer days filled with garden chores like mulching or picking potato bugs under the hot sun were lessons more than inspirations, but my adult self certainly thanks my parents for including my siblings and I in the process of growing and cooking our food. I feel blessed to have many memories of apple picking with friends, canning tomatoes in the fall and planting seeds in the kitchen in winter. Knowing how to feed myself is a source of pride and working with others to produce food provides a sense of community; taking part in the growing, production or cooking of food empowers people to make a difference in their lives. Youth in particular are drawn to this opportunity for self-sufficiency, hands-on satisfaction and group achievement and I want to engage teens in this work while doing something I am passionate about. After the UVM Farmer Training Program I am excited to return to my home state of Maine, where I aspire to combine my experience working in outdoor education, garden-based education and program development to create a youth run fruit and vegetable production farm that combines work experience with community engagement, academic, and leadership skills.
I am eager to participate in the UVM Farmer Training Program in order to develop the experience and professional network that will allow me to commit to the food and farming field in a long term way. I am an organized, committed and professional individual, and I feel very confident in my ability to create a program from the ground up. I have extensive experience teaching youth and developing programs and my warm nature and comfortable humor help me to reach out and include participants and partners. I am a self- starter who seeks to have a long-range vision while meeting short-term goals and I work hard to understand the context of each project in order to maximize effectiveness and efficiency. The Farmer Training Program would allow me to expand my knowledge of food production and provide essential business skills that I will be able to pass on to youth.
I hope to gain the funds to participate in this training program because of my investment in my home state, the pleasure I see in people who are empowered to engage in creating self -sufficiency in our food system and the enjoyment I find in putting a seed in the soil, pulling up a fresh carrot and stirring soup.
Anna Sommo's Story
Food is a powerful tool for change and a common ground for pleasure and satisfaction at a time when we are all facing an incredible amount of distressing information about the future. The local food movement is a ray of hope that seems to have lit on people of all ages and backgrounds, myself included. With a background in gardening and education, I want to take my agricultural education to the next level by attending the University of Vermont Farmer Training Program in May 2012 and I am requesting $3,000 to pay for half the tuition.
Summer days filled with garden chores like mulching or picking potato bugs under the hot sun were lessons more than inspirations, but my adult self certainly thanks my parents for including my siblings and I in the process of growing and cooking our food. I feel blessed to have many memories of apple picking with friends, canning tomatoes in the fall and planting seeds in the kitchen in winter. Knowing how to feed myself is a source of pride and working with others to produce food provides a sense of community; taking part in the growing, production or cooking of food empowers people to make a difference in their lives. Youth in particular are drawn to this opportunity for self-sufficiency, hands-on satisfaction and group achievement and I want to engage teens in this work while doing something I am passionate about. After the UVM Farmer Training Program I am excited to return to my home state of Maine, where I aspire to combine my experience working in outdoor education, garden-based education and program development to create a youth run fruit and vegetable production farm that combines work experience with community engagement, academic, and leadership skills.
I am eager to participate in the UVM Farmer Training Program in order to develop the experience and professional network that will allow me to commit to the food and farming field in a long term way. I am an organized, committed and professional individual, and I feel very confident in my ability to create a program from the ground up. I have extensive experience teaching youth and developing programs and my warm nature and comfortable humor help me to reach out and include participants and partners. I am a self- starter who seeks to have a long-range vision while meeting short-term goals and I work hard to understand the context of each project in order to maximize effectiveness and efficiency. The Farmer Training Program would allow me to expand my knowledge of food production and provide essential business skills that I will be able to pass on to youth.
I hope to gain the funds to participate in this training program because of my investment in my home state, the pleasure I see in people who are empowered to engage in creating self -sufficiency in our food system and the enjoyment I find in putting a seed in the soil, pulling up a fresh carrot and stirring soup.
Jennifer Brown's Story
Jennifer Brown's Story
Life changes without warning. In September 16, 1999 my life did. I was in my eleventh year as a respiratory therapist when I needed life saving surgery. My insurance denied the surgery through all levels of appeal. I did the only thing I could to allow my body a chance at life; I emptied my retirement account to pay for surgery. That decision was based in the faith that I would have a future. Unfortunately, the loss of the retirement fund also meant the loss of the dream to return to small farm life like I grew up with.
I grew up as a 4-H member in rural Southern Oregon with goats, cattle, horses, poultry, and swine. My after school job during high school was to help one of our neighbors in her small scale goats' milk cheese venture. Thirty years later—I continue use what I learned there to make mozzarella and several cultured milk products for our personal use at home. I also teach group classes on home cheese-making in my clients' homes as I can, for extra money.
I am currently receiving Social Security income. It is a goal of mine to build our farm income to the point that I am no longer dependent on public assistance for income. My goals include increasing our herd size from our current two to ten for small scale commercial cheese production, offer cheeses for sale at local food co-ops and at both the Vancouver and Portland Saturday Markets, and use excess male goats to help meet the need for Halal goat meat for Portland, Oregon's Muslim population.
Last January my spouse and I were very fortunate. We found and purchased our property through the USDA Rural Redevelopment program. The land is 2.14 unfenced acres with a large shop/garage, livestock barn, greenhouse, and our home.
I have a lot of enthusiasm and a little knowledge. I would appreciate becoming involved with another organic or small scale farmer with which I can become a mentor. There is so much I can be doing, but have no idea how to market, pre-plan for upcoming seasons, and especially learn how to manage farm finances. A mentor or educational program would be such an amazing help for me. Washington St University has a program in organic gardening and sustainability that I would love to attend, but cannot afford because of it's tuition cost. I would also like to include in my request, the $100 for the 2012 WA State Master Food Preservation certification program. I love to can vegetables and fruits, and would like to incorporate teaching food preservation as part of our farm's outreach to our community.
The grant of continuing education would make such a positive start in the fulfillment of my dream to no longer be government dependent for my living, but able to rely upon my own hands instead.
Thank you for your consideration,
Jennifer J. Brown
Brian Bates' Story
Brian Bates' Story
I am 21 years old. The average American farmer is almost triple my age. I did not grow up on a farm, or very near one, but I found my way to the field and have not looked back. I have worked 80-hour weeks, week after week, sleeping for lack of daylight, more than lack of desire. This is hard to explain to people. I can read Berry, Jackson, and Pollan (and have), but books cannot provide me the hands-on knowledge from the field that I can obtain at the Organic Seed Growers Conference.
This is why I am applying for $500 to help offset the travel and lodging expenses in order to be able to attend the Organic Seed Growers Conference this January 19-21 in Port Townsend, WA. I believe that growing organic seeds is the best way I can help to improve the food system in our country and this conference is the only one of its kind in our country. I want to attend this conference to glean knowledge from some of the best and brightest in the organic seed growing industry so that I can make my operation the best it can be. When small farmers get together, they are a powerful bunch, and I firmly believe that the connections I can make and knowledge I can gather at this conference will help position the family farm at which I work, Coveyou Farm, to help de-centralize and re-localize the seed system for organic family farmers in Michigan and beyond.
Farmers need to talk to farmers, and the exchange of ideas and passing down of knowledge are what makes agriculture rich in this country. Farmers are a rare breed today and attending this conference will provide opportunities for interaction and insights from other seed farmers, both new and old. This is critical for our survival. If we don’t raise organic family-farmed seeds, it’s going to be very difficult to raise organic family farms.
I am a straight-A, honors student in the top 2% of my class with family, friends, and advisers questioning my pursuit. I want to show them why I need to be doing this. There is no money in farming they tell me, and the hours suck. And while I cannot do much about the hours, with the right knowledge and skill set, I am confident I can make it a viable profession. After all, farming is less of a career choice and more of a calling. It is a lifestyle. I recognize this, but it is critical for me to attend the Organic Seed Growers Conference to learn from successful farmers, to communicate and share ideas with my peers, and to be part of a movement that is literally changing the face (and age) of farming in America.
If you’re an aspiring organic farmer or sustainable agriculture student seeking a little extra help, then tell Raising Organic Family Farms what you need to be successful. 
This blog is by and for young and beginning farmers in the United States. It includes a "farm hack" section on DIY farm tools and best inventions, modifications, innovations, fixes and idea for making farms work better.
