Community care, on and off the farm

Wrapping up after a fulfilling conference over the weekend, we were reminded once again how much better our world can be when everyone is welcome to share a variety of perspectives and life experiences. 

Our community is stronger when everyone has a voice and can participate fully without fear.

Our food system is infinitely more robust and can meet the needs of our community - both farmers and eaters - when everyone feels safe, welcomed, and valued.

In preparation for the conference last week and in response to the rising risks our farmers and farmworkers are facing in their communities and across the country, staff and the planning team were trained on constitutional observer practices. 

You can create and build communities of support for your neighbors, too. Below are some helpful resources to get started:

• The Handbook for Constitutional Observers

• Minneapolis groups offering food aid

• Support those affected by ICE occupation in MN

• Anti-performative ICE Resistance Guide

We invite you to remember the sentiment shared by Fannie Lou Hamer: "Nobody's free until everybody's free."

In solidarity, 

The FairShare team

Apprentices in action

In October, our Organic Vegetable Farm Manager Apprenticeship program apprentices and farmer educators gathered at Full Circle Community Farm to learn, connect and celebrate. We had the pleasure of hosting SG of SG Tractors who led our group through a workshop on tractor parts, maintenance, and troubleshooting. 

SG introduced our field day group to the different tractor engine parts and expertly guided us through how the engine parts work together to power the engine. Apprentices and farmer educators then delved further into tractor systems and safety practices, and got to perform maintenance on the Kubota MX6000 tractor - changing engine oil, greasing joints and more! 

Each host farm in the apprenticeship program is so unique - in its scale, location, land, crew, history, culture and any/all choices farmers make to run their farm, which is something that makes this program so special. That also means that even while the program’s on-the-job training is guided by a standard job book of competencies, each apprentice’s experience is going to vary based on their host farm. 

Some farms use tractors regularly and some more frequently lean on hand scale tools. This tractor workshop was an opportunity to supplement the skills that apprentices are learning during their time with their farmer educators by deepening their training and knowledge on tractors. We’re grateful SG was able to come to Wisconsin to shepherd us through this important learning.

During our day-long workshop, we were able to take a mid-day moment for a tour of Full Circle Community Farm, led by Isaac (apprentice) and Scott (farmer educator). We got to see everything from their packshed - with their innovative and cost-efficient pulley racks for drying produce - to their hoophouses, greenhouses and fields. We were joined by some furry friends on the tour as well!

Finally, we came together in the hay loft under twinkling lights to celebrate our graduating apprentices, who shared about their highlights and future plans. Sabee Culinary Services catered our lunch and dinner with a delicious seasonal menu developed using local produce - including Full Circle’s veggies! The night completed in a ceremony where our graduating apprentices made their congratulatory walk and received a small gift from FairShare - a polaroid photo and a branded harvest knife and sheath. 

We thank everyone there and behind the scenes who made this a magical October Apprenticeship field day.

A Message from FairShare on SNAP and food security

To our FairShare community: 

As we enter the month of November, we are immediately seeing the impact of the loss of SNAP (food stamp) benefits on food assistance programs and the emergency food system. 

Through the Partner Shares program, 53 people use SNAP to pay for their CSA shares directly. An additional 30 participants receive SNAP benefits and pay for their shares through alternate payment methods. 

This is a small example of how the SNAP program directly impacts our local food economies. People who receive SNAP get to choose where to spend their food dollars, and many choose to support local farmers - through CSA with programs like the Partner Shares Program or farmers markets with the support of the Double Dollars program. 

SNAP benefits also help limited-income households increase their overall purchasing power. By providing more resources for households to access food, SNAP helps free up cash to buy other essential items. Each dollar in federally funded SNAP benefits generates $1.73 in economic activity. 

With the current lapse in SNAP benefits, pantries are seeing exponential growth in requests for assistance. SNAP, along with programs that help recipients of federally funded benefits maximize their purchasing power, takes the pressure off emergency feeding programs like food pantries. 

Loss of SNAP affects so many in our community - from families and children who receive SNAP, to local farmers and the small retailers who accept it, to the food pantries that fill the gaps when need increases. We are all seeing the shift of where people access food and how their buying power is affected. 

In a country of abundance where so many people face hunger and poverty, we will continue supporting farmers and eaters as we all navigate the changing landscape of food access work.