#smallholderfarmers — Public Fediverse posts

https://www.europesays.com/africa/437584/ Nabbanja Says Museveni Wants Law Restricting Smallholders From Growing Maize, Sugarcane #agriculture #cotton #FourAcreModel #Kakumiro #Maize #RobinahNabbanja #SmallholderFarmers #Sugarcane #Tobacco #Uganda #YoweriMuseveni

https://www.europesays.com/africa/432285/ Ghana’s Farmers Get Financing Boost: IFC Backs Cocoa Buying and Digital Access #AbsaBankGhana #AgriConnect #AgriculturalFinance #agtech #CocoaFarmers #CompleteFarmer #FoodSecurity #Ghana #IFC #RuralLivelihoods #SmallholderFarmers

https://www.europesays.com/africa/395783/ €4M Climate Insurance Initiative Links Rural Credit, Food Security in Ethiopia #AgriculturalFinance #ClimateChange #ClimateResilience #ClimateRiskInsurance #DevelopmentBankOfEthiopia #EIBGlobal #Ethiopia #EuropeanInvestmentBank #FoodSecurity #microinsurance #RUFIPIII #RuralFinance #SmallholderFarmers #WFP #WorldFoodProgramme

https://www.europesays.com/africa/387201/ Angola Backs Eastern Farms to Create Jobs and Cut Food Imports #afdb #AfricanDevelopmentBank #AgriculturalValueChains #agriculture #angola #EasternAngola #EconomicDiversification #FoodSecurity #LobitoCorridor #RiceProduction #RuralDevelopment #SmallholderFarmers #WheatProduction #WomenInAgriculture #YouthEmployment

https://www.europesays.com/africa/386268/ Food4Education founder Wawira Njiru wins 2026 German Africa Prize #ChildNutrition #FoodSecurity #Food4Education #GermanAfricaPrize #JobCreation #Kenya #KenyaNews #LocalFoodSystems #SchoolFeeding #SmallholderFarmers #star #StarNews #StarNewsKenya #StarNewspaper #StarNewspaperKenya #TheStar #TheStarKenya #TheStarNewspaper #WawiraNjiru

https://www.europesays.com/africa/386010/ Food4Education founder Wawira Njiru wins 2026 German Africa Prize #ChildNutrition #FoodSecurity #Food4Education #GermanAfricaPrize #JobCreation #Kenya #KenyaNews #LocalFoodSystems #SchoolFeeding #SmallholderFarmers #star #StarNews #StarNewsKenya #StarNewspaper #StarNewspaperKenya #TheStar #TheStarKenya #TheStarNewspaper #WawiraNjiru

https://www.europesays.com/africa/383166/ Agric. & Environment: PGS certification opens new market opp #PGSCertification #PGSCertificationOpensNewMarketOpportunitiesForSmallholderFarmers #SmallholderFarmers #Uganda

#Solar #ColdStorage helps #AfricanFarmers cut losses and reach global markets

As food handling systems come under pressure from #ClimateChange, raising temperatures and sometimes disrupting supply chains, #CoolingTechnology is increasingly vital.

by AP, June 16, 2026

Excerpt: " #SolarPowered, #OffGrid #ColdRooms, warehouses and #CoolingHubs allow farmers and traders to preserve perishable goods without relying on expensive and unreliable electricity grids. This shift is gaining momentum across #Kenya, #Nigeria, #Ethiopia, #Rwanda and #SouthAfrica.

" 'The biggest challenge was preserving the quality after harvest,' said Mumiah, who, like many other #SmallholderFarmers, could not afford the roughly $30,000 upfront cost of a solar-powered cold storage unit of her own.

" 'You can do everything right on the farm, but if the produce is not stored properly, you lose both the product and income,' she said, noting the increased flexibility cold storage provides. 'We are no longer forced to sell immediately because we fear the produce will spoil. We can wait for collection and still maintain quality.'

"As food handling systems come under pressure from climate change, rising temperatures, and sometimes disrupting supply chains, cooling technology is increasingly vital."

Learn more:
https://www.presstelegram.com/2026/06/16/africa-solar-agriculture/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/gXFVl

#SolarPunkSunday #PreservingTheHarvest #Offgrid #SolarColdStorage #Africa #SolarPower

#Solar #ColdStorage helps #AfricanFarmers cut losses and reach global markets

As food handling systems come under pressure from #ClimateChange, raising temperatures and sometimes disrupting supply chains, #CoolingTechnology is increasingly vital.

by AP, June 16, 2026

Excerpt: " #SolarPowered, #OffGrid #ColdRooms, warehouses and #CoolingHubs allow farmers and traders to preserve perishable goods without relying on expensive and unreliable electricity grids. This shift is gaining momentum across #Kenya, #Nigeria, #Ethiopia, #Rwanda and #SouthAfrica.

" 'The biggest challenge was preserving the quality after harvest,' said Mumiah, who, like many other #SmallholderFarmers, could not afford the roughly $30,000 upfront cost of a solar-powered cold storage unit of her own.

" 'You can do everything right on the farm, but if the produce is not stored properly, you lose both the product and income,' she said, noting the increased flexibility cold storage provides. 'We are no longer forced to sell immediately because we fear the produce will spoil. We can wait for collection and still maintain quality.'

"As food handling systems come under pressure from climate change, rising temperatures, and sometimes disrupting supply chains, cooling technology is increasingly vital."

Learn more:
https://www.presstelegram.com/2026/06/16/africa-solar-agriculture/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/gXFVl

#SolarPunkSunday #PreservingTheHarvest #Offgrid #SolarColdStorage #Africa #SolarPower

#Solar #ColdStorage helps #AfricanFarmers cut losses and reach global markets

As food handling systems come under pressure from #ClimateChange, raising temperatures and sometimes disrupting supply chains, #CoolingTechnology is increasingly vital.

by AP, June 16, 2026

Excerpt: " #SolarPowered, #OffGrid #ColdRooms, warehouses and #CoolingHubs allow farmers and traders to preserve perishable goods without relying on expensive and unreliable electricity grids. This shift is gaining momentum across #Kenya, #Nigeria, #Ethiopia, #Rwanda and #SouthAfrica.

" 'The biggest challenge was preserving the quality after harvest,' said Mumiah, who, like many other #SmallholderFarmers, could not afford the roughly $30,000 upfront cost of a solar-powered cold storage unit of her own.

" 'You can do everything right on the farm, but if the produce is not stored properly, you lose both the product and income,' she said, noting the increased flexibility cold storage provides. 'We are no longer forced to sell immediately because we fear the produce will spoil. We can wait for collection and still maintain quality.'

"As food handling systems come under pressure from climate change, rising temperatures, and sometimes disrupting supply chains, cooling technology is increasingly vital."

Learn more:
https://www.presstelegram.com/2026/06/16/africa-solar-agriculture/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/gXFVl

#SolarPunkSunday #PreservingTheHarvest #Offgrid #SolarColdStorage #Africa #SolarPower

#Solar #ColdStorage helps #AfricanFarmers cut losses and reach global markets

As food handling systems come under pressure from #ClimateChange, raising temperatures and sometimes disrupting supply chains, #CoolingTechnology is increasingly vital.

by AP, June 16, 2026

Excerpt: " #SolarPowered, #OffGrid #ColdRooms, warehouses and #CoolingHubs allow farmers and traders to preserve perishable goods without relying on expensive and unreliable electricity grids. This shift is gaining momentum across #Kenya, #Nigeria, #Ethiopia, #Rwanda and #SouthAfrica.

" 'The biggest challenge was preserving the quality after harvest,' said Mumiah, who, like many other #SmallholderFarmers, could not afford the roughly $30,000 upfront cost of a solar-powered cold storage unit of her own.

" 'You can do everything right on the farm, but if the produce is not stored properly, you lose both the product and income,' she said, noting the increased flexibility cold storage provides. 'We are no longer forced to sell immediately because we fear the produce will spoil. We can wait for collection and still maintain quality.'

"As food handling systems come under pressure from climate change, rising temperatures, and sometimes disrupting supply chains, cooling technology is increasingly vital."

Learn more:
https://www.presstelegram.com/2026/06/16/africa-solar-agriculture/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/gXFVl

#SolarPunkSunday #PreservingTheHarvest #Offgrid #SolarColdStorage #Africa #SolarPower

#Solar #ColdStorage helps #AfricanFarmers cut losses and reach global markets

As food handling systems come under pressure from #ClimateChange, raising temperatures and sometimes disrupting supply chains, #CoolingTechnology is increasingly vital.

by AP, June 16, 2026

Excerpt: " #SolarPowered, #OffGrid #ColdRooms, warehouses and #CoolingHubs allow farmers and traders to preserve perishable goods without relying on expensive and unreliable electricity grids. This shift is gaining momentum across #Kenya, #Nigeria, #Ethiopia, #Rwanda and #SouthAfrica.

" 'The biggest challenge was preserving the quality after harvest,' said Mumiah, who, like many other #SmallholderFarmers, could not afford the roughly $30,000 upfront cost of a solar-powered cold storage unit of her own.

" 'You can do everything right on the farm, but if the produce is not stored properly, you lose both the product and income,' she said, noting the increased flexibility cold storage provides. 'We are no longer forced to sell immediately because we fear the produce will spoil. We can wait for collection and still maintain quality.'

"As food handling systems come under pressure from climate change, rising temperatures, and sometimes disrupting supply chains, cooling technology is increasingly vital."

Learn more:
https://www.presstelegram.com/2026/06/16/africa-solar-agriculture/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/gXFVl

#SolarPunkSunday #PreservingTheHarvest #Offgrid #SolarColdStorage #Africa #SolarPower

https://www.europesays.com/africa/360895/ Seed bank boosts Zimbabwe’s food security #AgriculturalHeritage #AgronomistKundaiZvarayi #biodiversity #buffer #ClimateChange #CommunityGroupViceChairperson #Drought #DrySpells\ #farmers #FoodSecurity #growers #harvests #HotterTemperatures #IndigenousFarmingPractices #IndigenousTreeSpecies #LengtonNechiwowe #MutiusinazitaSeedBank #revenue #SmallholderFarmers #TraditionalCropVarieties #TraditionalGrains #TraditionalKnowledge #zimbabwe

https://www.europesays.com/africa/356949/ Cisco explores AI for Nigeria farmers #AcademyEmergingMarkets #AgriTech #agriculture #ArtificialIntelligence #BornoState #Cisco #CiscoFoundation #DigitalInclusion #DigitalSkills #GeospatialMapping #ICTDevelopment #Networking #Nigeria #SmallholderFarmers #WeatherData #WhatsAppAI

https://www.europesays.com/africa/342730/ Zimbabwe farm project lifts 188,000 households and boosts food security #AfricanDevelopmentBank #AgriculturalFinance #agriculture #AgrifoodSystems #ClimateResilience #ClimateSmartAgriculture #FAO #FoodSecurity #RuralDevelopment #SeedRevolvingFund #SmallholderFarmers #SustainableAgriculture #WheatProduction #WomenFarmers #zimbabwe

https://www.europesays.com/africa/341729/ Whole Foods Market Foundation Announces $2.2M To Fund Projects in Ghana and the United States #AnnFoundation #farmer #foundation #FoundationPartner #Ghana #SchoolCafeterias #SchoolMeals #SmallholderFarmers #WholeFoodsMarket

https://www.europesays.com/ch/97593/ Nestlé Rewards Farmers for Adopting Climate-Smart Farming #MSMEs #Nestlé #NestléAcademy #SmallHolderFarmers #SMEs

https://www.europesays.com/africa/317088/ Kazo Farmers Boost Year-Round Harvests Through Government Irrigation Programme #agriculture #ClimateChange #ClimateResilience #CommercialFarming #farming #FoodSecurity #irrigation #KazoDistrict #MAAIF #MicroIrrigation #MinistryOfAgriculture #PassionFruit #SmallholderFarmers #Uganda #UgandaCattleCorridor #WorldBank

https://www.europesays.com/africa/303535/ IFAD Joins Angola AgriConnect to Boost Rural Growth #Agribusiness #AgriConnect #AgriculturalValueChains #agriculture #angola #EconomicGrowth #FoodSecurity #IFAD #LobitoCorridor #MalanjeCorridor #RuralDevelopment #RuralFinance #SmallholderFarmers #SustainableAgriculture #WorldBankGroup

https://www.europesays.com/africa/288400/ Tree-based biopesticides could help power Africa’s bioeconomy #Africa #AgriculturalInnovation #agroforestry #biodiversity #bioeconomy #Biopesticides #BotanicalPesticides #FoodSecurity #GreenJobs #LandscapeAlliance #Neem #PestManagement #PesticidalPlants #SmallholderFarmers #SustainableAgriculture #trees

https://www.europesays.com/africa/250121/ Kenya Launches Climate Data Platform to Empower Smallholder Farmers and #Africa #AGRA #agriculture #ClimateChange #ClimateResilience #FoodSecurity #Kenya #SmallholderFarmers #SustainableFarming #Technology

https://www.europesays.com/africa/238480/ School Meals Do More Than Feed Kids—They Can Re-Nourish The Planet – Food Tank #Ethiopia #FoodSecurity #NutritionSecurity #RegenerativeFarming #RegenerativeSchoolMeals #SchoolFeedingPrograms #SmallholderFarmers #TheRockefellerFoundation #WorldFoodProgramme

School Meals Do More Than Feed Kids—They Can Re-Nourish The Planet – Food Tank

A version of this piece was featured in Food Tank’s newsletter, released weekly on Thursdays. To …
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Food #foodsecurity #nutritionsecurity #regenerativefarming #regenerativeschoolmeals #Schoolfeedingprograms #smallholderfarmers #theRockefellerFoundation #WorldFoodProgramme
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2644893/school-meals-do-more-than-feed-kids-they-can-re-nourish-the-planet-food-tank/

School Meals Do More Than Feed Kids—They Can Re-Nourish The Planet – Food Tank

A version of this piece was featured in Food Tank’s newsletter, released weekly on Thursdays. To …
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Food #foodsecurity #nutritionsecurity #regenerativefarming #regenerativeschoolmeals #Schoolfeedingprograms #smallholderfarmers #theRockefellerFoundation #WorldFoodProgramme
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2644893/school-meals-do-more-than-feed-kids-they-can-re-nourish-the-planet-food-tank/

School Meals Do More Than Feed Kids—They Can Re-Nourish The Planet – Food Tank

A version of this piece was featured in Food Tank’s newsletter, released weekly on Thursdays. To …
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Food #foodsecurity #nutritionsecurity #regenerativefarming #regenerativeschoolmeals #Schoolfeedingprograms #smallholderfarmers #theRockefellerFoundation #WorldFoodProgramme
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2644893/school-meals-do-more-than-feed-kids-they-can-re-nourish-the-planet-food-tank/

School Meals Do More Than Feed Kids—They Can Re-Nourish The Planet – Food Tank

A version of this piece was featured in Food Tank’s newsletter, released weekly on Thursdays. To …
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Food #foodsecurity #nutritionsecurity #regenerativefarming #regenerativeschoolmeals #Schoolfeedingprograms #smallholderfarmers #theRockefellerFoundation #WorldFoodProgramme
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2644893/school-meals-do-more-than-feed-kids-they-can-re-nourish-the-planet-food-tank/

https://www.europesays.com/africa/235523/ Ghana stands at a critical turning point in agricultural development, UN experts warn #AgriculturalReform #ArtisanalFishers #ClimateChangeAgriculture #FulbeCommunities #galamsey #Ghana #GhanaAgriculture #GhanaFoodSecurity #IllegalMiningGhana #LandTenureInsecurity #pastoralists #RuralPoverty #SmallholderFarmers #UNDROP #UnitedNationsPeasantsRights #WomenFarmersGhana

https://www.europesays.com/africa/184682/ Two strategies, one vision for Ethiopia’s sustainable food future #agroecology #agroforestry #ClimateResilience #Ethiopia #FoodSecurity #RuralLivelihoods #SmallholderFarmers #SoilHealth

https://www.europesays.com/africa/166992/ World Bank approves $500m credit for Nigeria’s smallholder farmers #agriculture #Nigeria #SmallholderFarmers #WorldBank

https://www.europesays.com/africa/113035/ Tanzania activates three new agricultural corridors in biggest reform drive since Davos 2010 #AgriculturalGrowthCorridors #SmallholderFarmers #Tanzania

Climate Change Adding Weeks of ‘Coffee-Harming Heat’ in Major Growing Regions https://www.byteseu.com/1810775/ #AkshayDashrath #Arabica #Brazil #Climate #ClimateAdaptation #ClimateCentral #ClimateChange #ClimateShiftIndex #Colombia #DejeneDadi #ElSalvador #ERA5 #Ethiopia #GlobalWarming #Indonesia #MinasGerais #nicaragua #nonprofits #OCFCU #OromiaCoffeeFarmersCooperativesUnion #robusta #SmallholderFarmers #smallholders #SouthIndiaCoffeeCompany #thailand #Vietnam

[Reposting a very cool blog chapter by @[email protected] :ecoanarchism_heart: before it gets lost in the depths of the internet]

"Imposter farmer?"
February 11th, 2025

It feels cliche to say, but ever since I can remember, I've wanted to grow food for people. I've spent the last 20 years growing it for myself and my family, but regardless of how fulfilling my personal gardening endeavors went, there was always an itch to do more. But... call myself a farmer? Oof.

This year is the first year that I have access to a large swath of land to grow food on. In July, I moved onto 80 acres with my friends to mold and shape the land into a community resource: event space, ecological learning, conservation, and yep, growing food.

To say I'm excited about the opportunity would be an understatement, yet whenever the chance arises to call myself a farmer, I pause. And feel a pit in my stomach. And it's not because I think ill of farmers - farmers are rad. I couldn't figure out exactly why, until I took a closer look at some internalized capitalism that was stuck inside me: there isn't much social capital in barely making ends meet growing food. Sometimes there are no days off. Plants can be finnicky and pests, detrimental. Industrialized food is less expensive. Climate change is a real threat to food production. It's hard work and very little external validation. So, why the heck would I want to farm?

To say farming is stigmatized seems a bit hyperbolic, but it's not lauded like high-paying, college-educated careers - the careers I was told I should be working toward. That's to say, if I told people I was going back to school to become an engineer or nurse, I can't imagine I'd be met with the same skepticism and doubt that I have in sharing I want to grow food.

For me, growing food is a radical act. Farms are weavers of community, connection, reciprocity, and liberation - they connect us to the land and to each other with the abundance they provide while directly countering oppressive, exclusionary systems. Farms are magic. I know this because I feel it every time I harvest a vegetable. Every time I see the diversity of life alongside me as I tend to the land - the birds, the bugs, the soil, the water. The work is hard and uncertain, sure. But for me, so is an office job with a toxic culture.

It's becoming easier, saying that I am a farmer. And although I'm only in my first year of "farming", I've been a farmer in my soul for much longer. Navigating the shame around choosing farming has made it clear how important finding like-minded, young, radical farmers is for me. Similarly, so is connecting with seasoned farmers that are eager to teach the newbies all the things we didn't know that we don't know. I feel motivated to make this work - or at least give it my all to say I tried. So, yes. I am a farmer. And I'm absolutely ecstatic to finally say that.

Curious to see my farm plans? Visit Dirtfolk Farm (@[email protected])

https://nannnsss.omg.lol/2025/imposter-farmer/

#Farming #Agriculture #FarmerIdentity #Agroecology #SmallholderFarmers #Horticulture #Gardening #FoodSystems

[Reposting a very cool blog chapter by @[email protected] :ecoanarchism_heart: before it gets lost in the depths of the internet]

"Imposter farmer?"
February 11th, 2025

It feels cliche to say, but ever since I can remember, I've wanted to grow food for people. I've spent the last 20 years growing it for myself and my family, but regardless of how fulfilling my personal gardening endeavors went, there was always an itch to do more. But... call myself a farmer? Oof.

This year is the first year that I have access to a large swath of land to grow food on. In July, I moved onto 80 acres with my friends to mold and shape the land into a community resource: event space, ecological learning, conservation, and yep, growing food.

To say I'm excited about the opportunity would be an understatement, yet whenever the chance arises to call myself a farmer, I pause. And feel a pit in my stomach. And it's not because I think ill of farmers - farmers are rad. I couldn't figure out exactly why, until I took a closer look at some internalized capitalism that was stuck inside me: there isn't much social capital in barely making ends meet growing food. Sometimes there are no days off. Plants can be finnicky and pests, detrimental. Industrialized food is less expensive. Climate change is a real threat to food production. It's hard work and very little external validation. So, why the heck would I want to farm?

To say farming is stigmatized seems a bit hyperbolic, but it's not lauded like high-paying, college-educated careers - the careers I was told I should be working toward. That's to say, if I told people I was going back to school to become an engineer or nurse, I can't imagine I'd be met with the same skepticism and doubt that I have in sharing I want to grow food.

For me, growing food is a radical act. Farms are weavers of community, connection, reciprocity, and liberation - they connect us to the land and to each other with the abundance they provide while directly countering oppressive, exclusionary systems. Farms are magic. I know this because I feel it every time I harvest a vegetable. Every time I see the diversity of life alongside me as I tend to the land - the birds, the bugs, the soil, the water. The work is hard and uncertain, sure. But for me, so is an office job with a toxic culture.

It's becoming easier, saying that I am a farmer. And although I'm only in my first year of "farming", I've been a farmer in my soul for much longer. Navigating the shame around choosing farming has made it clear how important finding like-minded, young, radical farmers is for me. Similarly, so is connecting with seasoned farmers that are eager to teach the newbies all the things we didn't know that we don't know. I feel motivated to make this work - or at least give it my all to say I tried. So, yes. I am a farmer. And I'm absolutely ecstatic to finally say that.

Curious to see my farm plans? Visit Dirtfolk Farm (@[email protected])

https://nannnsss.omg.lol/2025/imposter-farmer/

#Farming #Agriculture #FarmerIdentity #Agroecology #SmallholderFarmers #Horticulture #Gardening #FoodSystems

[Reposting a very cool blog chapter by @[email protected] :ecoanarchism_heart: before it gets lost in the depths of the internet]

"Imposter farmer?"
February 11th, 2025

It feels cliche to say, but ever since I can remember, I've wanted to grow food for people. I've spent the last 20 years growing it for myself and my family, but regardless of how fulfilling my personal gardening endeavors went, there was always an itch to do more. But... call myself a farmer? Oof.

This year is the first year that I have access to a large swath of land to grow food on. In July, I moved onto 80 acres with my friends to mold and shape the land into a community resource: event space, ecological learning, conservation, and yep, growing food.

To say I'm excited about the opportunity would be an understatement, yet whenever the chance arises to call myself a farmer, I pause. And feel a pit in my stomach. And it's not because I think ill of farmers - farmers are rad. I couldn't figure out exactly why, until I took a closer look at some internalized capitalism that was stuck inside me: there isn't much social capital in barely making ends meet growing food. Sometimes there are no days off. Plants can be finnicky and pests, detrimental. Industrialized food is less expensive. Climate change is a real threat to food production. It's hard work and very little external validation. So, why the heck would I want to farm?

To say farming is stigmatized seems a bit hyperbolic, but it's not lauded like high-paying, college-educated careers - the careers I was told I should be working toward. That's to say, if I told people I was going back to school to become an engineer or nurse, I can't imagine I'd be met with the same skepticism and doubt that I have in sharing I want to grow food.

For me, growing food is a radical act. Farms are weavers of community, connection, reciprocity, and liberation - they connect us to the land and to each other with the abundance they provide while directly countering oppressive, exclusionary systems. Farms are magic. I know this because I feel it every time I harvest a vegetable. Every time I see the diversity of life alongside me as I tend to the land - the birds, the bugs, the soil, the water. The work is hard and uncertain, sure. But for me, so is an office job with a toxic culture.

It's becoming easier, saying that I am a farmer. And although I'm only in my first year of "farming", I've been a farmer in my soul for much longer. Navigating the shame around choosing farming has made it clear how important finding like-minded, young, radical farmers is for me. Similarly, so is connecting with seasoned farmers that are eager to teach the newbies all the things we didn't know that we don't know. I feel motivated to make this work - or at least give it my all to say I tried. So, yes. I am a farmer. And I'm absolutely ecstatic to finally say that.

Curious to see my farm plans? Visit Dirtfolk Farm (@[email protected])

https://nannnsss.omg.lol/2025/imposter-farmer/

#Farming #Agriculture #FarmerIdentity #Agroecology #SmallholderFarmers #Horticulture #Gardening #FoodSystems

[Reposting a very cool blog chapter by @[email protected] :ecoanarchism_heart: before it gets lost in the depths of the internet]

"Imposter farmer?"
February 11th, 2025

It feels cliche to say, but ever since I can remember, I've wanted to grow food for people. I've spent the last 20 years growing it for myself and my family, but regardless of how fulfilling my personal gardening endeavors went, there was always an itch to do more. But... call myself a farmer? Oof.

This year is the first year that I have access to a large swath of land to grow food on. In July, I moved onto 80 acres with my friends to mold and shape the land into a community resource: event space, ecological learning, conservation, and yep, growing food.

To say I'm excited about the opportunity would be an understatement, yet whenever the chance arises to call myself a farmer, I pause. And feel a pit in my stomach. And it's not because I think ill of farmers - farmers are rad. I couldn't figure out exactly why, until I took a closer look at some internalized capitalism that was stuck inside me: there isn't much social capital in barely making ends meet growing food. Sometimes there are no days off. Plants can be finnicky and pests, detrimental. Industrialized food is less expensive. Climate change is a real threat to food production. It's hard work and very little external validation. So, why the heck would I want to farm?

To say farming is stigmatized seems a bit hyperbolic, but it's not lauded like high-paying, college-educated careers - the careers I was told I should be working toward. That's to say, if I told people I was going back to school to become an engineer or nurse, I can't imagine I'd be met with the same skepticism and doubt that I have in sharing I want to grow food.

For me, growing food is a radical act. Farms are weavers of community, connection, reciprocity, and liberation - they connect us to the land and to each other with the abundance they provide while directly countering oppressive, exclusionary systems. Farms are magic. I know this because I feel it every time I harvest a vegetable. Every time I see the diversity of life alongside me as I tend to the land - the birds, the bugs, the soil, the water. The work is hard and uncertain, sure. But for me, so is an office job with a toxic culture.

It's becoming easier, saying that I am a farmer. And although I'm only in my first year of "farming", I've been a farmer in my soul for much longer. Navigating the shame around choosing farming has made it clear how important finding like-minded, young, radical farmers is for me. Similarly, so is connecting with seasoned farmers that are eager to teach the newbies all the things we didn't know that we don't know. I feel motivated to make this work - or at least give it my all to say I tried. So, yes. I am a farmer. And I'm absolutely ecstatic to finally say that.

Curious to see my farm plans? Visit Dirtfolk Farm (@[email protected])

https://nannnsss.omg.lol/2025/imposter-farmer/

#Farming #Agriculture #FarmerIdentity #Agroecology #SmallholderFarmers #Horticulture #Gardening #FoodSystems

New CEF video: “Farming Food for Life” features Stephen Sherwood, a regenerative farmer and researcher in Ecuador’s Andes. We discuss how smallholder farmers can restore soil, draw down carbon, and build climate resilience, with practical lessons from decades of work. Watch the conversation and join us in rethinking food, farming, and climate action.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjipMzFUmy19o_2gOrk_3VA
#ClimateJustice #RegenerativeAgriculture #ClimateAction #FoodSystems #Sustainability #SmallholderFarmers

New CEF video: “Farming Food for Life” features Stephen Sherwood, a regenerative farmer and researcher in Ecuador’s Andes. We discuss how smallholder farmers can restore soil, draw down carbon, and build climate resilience, with practical lessons from decades of work. Watch the conversation and join us in rethinking food, farming, and climate action.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjipMzFUmy19o_2gOrk_3VA
#ClimateJustice #RegenerativeAgriculture #ClimateAction #FoodSystems #Sustainability #SmallholderFarmers

New CEF video: “Farming Food for Life” features Stephen Sherwood, a regenerative farmer and researcher in Ecuador’s Andes. We discuss how smallholder farmers can restore soil, draw down carbon, and build climate resilience, with practical lessons from decades of work. Watch the conversation and join us in rethinking food, farming, and climate action.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjipMzFUmy19o_2gOrk_3VA
#ClimateJustice #RegenerativeAgriculture #ClimateAction #FoodSystems #Sustainability #SmallholderFarmers

New CEF video: “Farming Food for Life” features Stephen Sherwood, a regenerative farmer and researcher in Ecuador’s Andes. We discuss how smallholder farmers can restore soil, draw down carbon, and build climate resilience, with practical lessons from decades of work. Watch the conversation and join us in rethinking food, farming, and climate action.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjipMzFUmy19o_2gOrk_3VA
#ClimateJustice #RegenerativeAgriculture #ClimateAction #FoodSystems #Sustainability #SmallholderFarmers

@larryneufeld

To elaborate a little bit more profoundly:

Agricultural management that aims to increase soil carbon content can be a very meaningful tool for a variety of reasons.

First, what is good for carbon, is (in most cases) good for the soil:
- soil rest
- no over-fertilization with mineral N
- reduction of pesticide use
- cover crops
- C-rich amendments
- diverse and deep-rooting crops
- agroforestry
- proper* livestock management
...

All things that integrate perfectly with smallholder agroecological farming systems.

But since we live in late-stage capitalism, "Carbon farming" does not refer explicitely to the abovementioned techniques, but to the entrance of finance investors into farming, high-tech, AI-assisted remote sensing and large, industrial farming corporations that will have an advantage over smallholders when tapping the revenue streams.

So, the article is spot-on.

* yes, here I am a bit vague, but the pros and cons of holistic grazing will be another thread
#Agriculture #CarbonFarming #SustainableAgriculture #SmallholderFarmers #Agroecology

@larryneufeld

To elaborate a little bit more profoundly:

Agricultural management that aims to increase soil carbon content can be a very meaningful tool for a variety of reasons.

First, what is good for carbon, is (in most cases) good for the soil:
- soil rest
- no over-fertilization with mineral N
- reduction of pesticide use
- cover crops
- C-rich amendments
- diverse and deep-rooting crops
- agroforestry
- proper* livestock management
...

All things that integrate perfectly with smallholder agroecological farming systems.

But since we live in late-stage capitalism, "Carbon farming" does not refer explicitely to the abovementioned techniques, but to the entrance of finance investors into farming, high-tech, AI-assisted remote sensing and large, industrial farming corporations that will have an advantage over smallholders when tapping the revenue streams.

So, the article is spot-on.

* yes, here I am a bit vague, but the pros and cons of holistic grazing will be another thread
#Agriculture #CarbonFarming #SustainableAgriculture #SmallholderFarmers #Agroecology

@larryneufeld

To elaborate a little bit more profoundly:

Agricultural management that aims to increase soil carbon content can be a very meaningful tool for a variety of reasons.

First, what is good for carbon, is (in most cases) good for the soil:
- soil rest
- no over-fertilization with mineral N
- reduction of pesticide use
- cover crops
- C-rich amendments
- diverse and deep-rooting crops
- agroforestry
- proper* livestock management
...

All things that integrate perfectly with smallholder agroecological farming systems.

But since we live in late-stage capitalism, "Carbon farming" does not refer explicitely to the abovementioned techniques, but to the entrance of finance investors into farming, high-tech, AI-assisted remote sensing and large, industrial farming corporations that will have an advantage over smallholders when tapping the revenue streams.

So, the article is spot-on.

* yes, here I am a bit vague, but the pros and cons of holistic grazing will be another thread
#Agriculture #CarbonFarming #SustainableAgriculture #SmallholderFarmers #Agroecology

@larryneufeld

To elaborate a little bit more profoundly:

Agricultural management that aims to increase soil carbon content can be a very meaningful tool for a variety of reasons.

First, what is good for carbon, is (in most cases) good for the soil:
- soil rest
- no over-fertilization with mineral N
- reduction of pesticide use
- cover crops
- C-rich amendments
- diverse and deep-rooting crops
- agroforestry
- proper* livestock management
...

All things that integrate perfectly with smallholder agroecological farming systems.

But since we live in late-stage capitalism, "Carbon farming" does not refer explicitely to the abovementioned techniques, but to the entrance of finance investors into farming, high-tech, AI-assisted remote sensing and large, industrial farming corporations that will have an advantage over smallholders when tapping the revenue streams.

So, the article is spot-on.

* yes, here I am a bit vague, but the pros and cons of holistic grazing will be another thread
#Agriculture #CarbonFarming #SustainableAgriculture #SmallholderFarmers #Agroecology