Resilient food communities don’t happen on their own...

The best way to understand YOUR impact is through the people at the heart of FairShare’s work.

From growers solving difficult challenges together through peer networks, to HMoob farmers building stronger businesses through education and connection, to investing in the next generation of farmers and healthy workplaces…these stories all point to the same truth. 

When we invest in farmers, our entire community benefits.  

Today, you can be part of that change.

Resilient food communities don’t happen on their own. They grow when farmers have access to trusted relationships, hands-on education, and a supportive community. 

Your gift of $40 today will help a farmer attend a fall workshop to learn sustainable growing practices & connect with fellow farmers.

Every workshop, every new connection, and every shared piece of knowledge creates a ripple effect that reaches far beyond a single farm. 

NOW is the time to invest in resilient food communities. 

Make your gift today to ensure farmers have the support they need to thrive and that our local food communities continue to grow stronger for years to come!

Summer is almost over! You can make a difference when you help us raise $10,000 to host our upcoming fall farmer workshop series. Make a gift at csacoalition.org/donate, or give via your Donor Advised Fund using EIN #27-2588129.

What makes a good farm workplace?

Today I want to share a story with you about Sarah and Pat.

Sarah and Pat, Squashington Farm

Sarah and Pat are farmers and were used to doing everything themselves. (Can you relate to feeling like you're doing everything yourself? I sure can!) 

And sometimes, that meant some things wouldn't get done. After all, there's only so much two humans can get done in a day. 

But once they joined the apprenticeship program as a host farm, something amazing happened...

Apprentice Emma, washing green onions

Hosting an apprentice on their farm meant they had to let go of control and share responsibilities so their apprentice could learn the ropes. It was a bit scary - but also freeing! 

Now, Sarah and Pat are able to delegate tasks to trusted, knowledgeable staff so things can happen simultaneously on the farm. The farm is not only more efficient, but Sarah and Pat are less stressed. 

Farming requires so much skill when it comes to production. But it's also important to invest in the work environment on the farm. 

Programs like FairShare's apprenticeship program, the Becoming the Employer of Choice (BTEC) and Training and Education for Aspiring Managers (TEAMs) programs (in partnership with Dane County Extension) help farmers and farm managers foster strong, purposeful work cultures. 

Intentional work cultures lead to thriving farms where people want to - and enjoy - working! 

Your gift today will support farmers in creating a supportive atmosphere where every worker can thrive. Which leads to some pretty great vegetables! 

Will you make a gift today and help secure a future where farms and farm workers alike can flourish?

Make a gift today at csacoalition.org/donate.

Peoples' Queer Farmer Convergence

There are many ways to support racial justice and community work, and one way I have been able to do that outside of, but related to my work at FairShare, is co-organizing the Peoples’ Queer Farmer Convergence (PQFC) in 2024 and again this year in 2026.

First, a bit more on the PQFC from our organizing crew:

After attending queer farmer convergences around the Midwest, there grew seeds of longing to craft a unique and precious space for us, by us. The PQFC is that space; a space for queer/trans/2-spirit BIPoC farmers, earthworkers, land stewards, and those wanting to ignite a relationship with the land and agriculture to come together for a weekend to celebrate, nurture kinship, learn, play, rest and dream! The PQFC is a multi-generational space and will take place this year on occupied Ho-chunk lands, in so-called Mount Horeb, Wisconsin.

Speaking from personal experience, farming is a beautiful, challenging, sometimes isolating endeavor. I’ve grown veggies and intentionally tended land primarily in rural or peri-urban Wisconsin for a handful of years, where I feel additional layers of both gratitude and grief: gratitude for the relationship I get to build every day in the small and slow noticings of the land and connections with people around me; and grief in the stretches of moments where I feel far from cultures and communities that have raised and shaped me as a queer, trans multi-racial Taiwanese person. And grief in the times where I may not feel seen, where microaggressions shape my daily interactions, and where I confront how racism and colonization have shaped farming on this land. 

I know that building relationships in a society built on white supremacy requires humility, connection and hard conversations. And I often long to feel deeply seen and connected without working so hard. 

I’m grateful for the chance to co-organize an event where I may gather in a dedicated way with queer/trans/2-spirit BIPoC farmers and land stewards to vision, practice the heart (and hard) labor to cultivate community, and embody that world we long for and love - one that confronts white supremacy and builds a world full of care and intention, culture-making and sharing, and that honors who we are and where we come from, through land and food work together. 

Find us on Instagram @peoples_qfc. 

FairShare is proud to be the fiscal sponsor of the PQFC, which allows the event to accept tax-deductible donations here.