Women Who Farm and the community level of small scale local farming

The Women Who Farm group provide support on a community level and that’s what I want to talk about - the community level of farming. WHF play a beautiful part in the revolutionising of farming and the food system. As local residents I would like us to take a real look at how we can as a community support local organic small scale farming so they can keep providing for us. The reasons why that’s a great idea are basically endless, from feeding ourselves to deep care for our whole natural environment.

WHF offer something that is often lacking within the picture of being a farmer. Small scale local organic farmers need networks of community support in order to compete and survive within the mainstream agricultural system. Farmers feed us and are at the interface of the human nature relationship. That is an essential, complex, beautiful and challenging role. The care and passion for this role that shines in the whf group is phenomenal and powerful. At the gatherings you really see the level of care and creativity, knowledge, social enjoyment, passion and love for this profession - and the need for support for farmers. Many women are farming while also raising children and juggling family life.

We face the questions of how do we keep farming in a caring way at low pay, avoid overworking and burn out and do all the tasks with little resources. In my mind to achieve this we need more hands and support. It’s very new in humanity to not have direct participation in growing, gathering and hunting our own food. Currently, it’s very few people taking on the work of growing the food for large numbers of people. There are consequences to that, such as soil degradation and also the fact that farmers decide it’s too hard and less people are wanting to take on this work. Farmer mental health challenges are higher than average. Social isolation, long work hours, extreme weather and financial instability take their toll. More community support and participation in farming could lessen those barriers and besides from my experience it is really enjoyable and fun to farm and share food together and feels nourishing to support your local community. How can we be creative to be a little closer to this ideal?

Farmers markets and local food boxes are an awesome way to support farmers and access food. Nidya has a stall at the growers markets. I want to point out that access to local organic food is a privilege we have in Bellingen. Our local growers who provide this as affordable as possible while still being able to keep doing their work are true treasures. They are keeping us alive WHILE best looking after the state of the soils, the health of the land and conducting the highest level of welfare of domestic and wild animals they possibly can.

With the land we have in the area available for farming we could probably feed the whole town. That’s not the issue. The systems, legislations and barriers to working together as groups are the issue.

Personally the main questions I constantly carry are

• how can we gain produce from the earth to meet our needs while farming as gently and respectfully to nature as possible. How do we get the hands and resources to do that?

• how can the energy and financials of my work make sense.

• How can groups of people come together to farm collectively?

• How can the enterprise of small scale organic local farming be adequately supported?

I’m confident in my knowledge of market farming and recently my learning and thinking is around how we can better work together in groups and effectively deal with conflict and challenges. How can we follow the wisdom of nature in food production, land use, ourselves and groups so we can put more of our energy into the dream and keep the group in healthy relationship? How can we stay enlivened to our own natures, sense of purpose and inspiration personally and collectively? I know these are huge questions but I find them very relevant to farming, including deeper relationality, communication and collaboration with the plants, animals, non human beings and the spirit of the land. They are also part of the group.

Living on intentional community taught me a lot about the joy and productivity of group collaboration.. and also showed me at times the drag of group dynamics. I also learnt things from running a community garden. From this experience, as well as training in group work and also settling into a more relational attuned approach to farm management i’m starting a garden group again, as for me at this point this is the direction to explore these questions and passions.

So basically I’m saying farming is a whole community issue. Farmers are carrying a load for the community as an act of service and the sustainability of their work is an ongoing challenge.

The discussions and stories within WWF give a lot to changing the mad mainstream food system and all the conversations inspire and motivate me. Last gathering there was a discussion on managing flood damage, cooperative group structures and varroa virus affecting bees.

Anyone who is interested in gardening and eating local food is welcome to join. You don’t need to own land or be farming, just have an interest in learning, growing food or supporting the local producers.