The Seasons Are Changing
As summer winds down, we’re reflecting with gratitude on all that’s been growing — from apprenticeships and skillshares to new projects on the farm and big steps forward in our fight for justice. We’re excited to share some updates, stories, and celebrations from the summer with you!
Community Education
This summer we hosted our very first dinner party on the farm to celebrate the Farmer Mobilization Apprenticeship Program!
This year, we are honored to support 17 graduates of the Bay Area Farmer-to-Farmer Training Program (BAFTT) as they step into paid on-farm apprenticeships across 12 different farms in Northern California. Just as importantly, our dedicated farm mentors, who also serve as educators in the BAFFT, are compensated for the invaluable time, care, and knowledge they invest in guiding new farmers.
Over the summer, our team has been conducting farm visits to connect with apprentices and mentors in the field, witnessing firsthand the learning, growth, and community being cultivated on each farm.
Last month we had the joy of welcoming the UC Santa Cruz Agroecology Short Course to the farm!
Adrionna Fike, led a beautiful workshop on the seven cooperative principles: voluntary and open membership, democratic member control, member economic participation, autonomy and independence, education/training/information, cooperation among cooperatives, and concern for community. Participants even wrote poems to reflect on each principle, it was so sweet to see the farm filled with so much creativity and art!
We also learned with Mauricio Rivera, who guided us through making wattles, woven erosion-control structures, to help redirect water across the land in ways that nurture the ecology and existing plants. This practice is now part of our climate resilience plan for the farm. Big gratitude to the students who sewed these wattles out of 100% recycled materials and helped us install them on the land!
Land Stewardship
It has been a beautiful season on the farm! We are busy harvesting tomatoes, tomatillos, flowers, and a variety of seeds, while preparing for the upcoming honey harvest.
We’re also thrilled to be preparing for the build of our rainwater catchment system. We are grateful for the UC Berkeley engineering students who designed a system for our farm! By harvesting rain, we reduce our dependence on municipal water, nurture soil health, and build resilience in the face of climate uncertainty.
With the guidance of Julio Madrigal manager of the Planting Justice orchard and agricultural engineer Mauricio Rivera we have also been putting together a design for our orchard, which we plan to plant later this year. This orchard will be another step in growing our farm as a living classroom for agroecology, resilience, and food sovereignty.
Collective Organizing
We’re excited to share some powerful news: a federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction restoring several USDA grants that were unlawfully terminated — including one at Agroecology Commons.
This victory affirms that when we stand up to injustice, we can make change. We are deeply grateful to the attorneys and legal teams at FarmSTAND, Earthjustice, and all who continue to fight alongside us.
The road ahead is still uncertain — the government may appeal, and the case continues. Meanwhile, the loss and disruption have caused real hardship for our organization. Your support is more important than ever as we continue our programs with resilience and hope. Thank you for standing with us. Together, we grow stronger!
Apprentice Spotlight
“Deepening my farming practice through Agroecology Commons’ programs has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Growing up in the inner city, I always dreamed of immersing myself in the wonderful world my grandparents transmitted through their childhood stories - one full of plants, fruit, soil, and song tethered together by and for the community.
Through the Bay Area Farmer to Farmer Training Program and subsequently through my farming apprenticeship at Feral Heart Farm, I’ve been able to tap into this dream that I carried in my heart for so long. I’ve spent this summer slowly learning the nuances of planting, tending, harvesting, and saving seed from over 70 different varieties of annual and perennial crops. I’ve developed a greater understanding of the complexities associated with market distribution, land access, and food sovereignty in the Bay Area. And, I’ve been able to distribute pounds and pounds of food to my neighbors in the inner city, including my grandparents, the roots of my inspiration. While many of my discoveries throughout this process have been sensory, I can say for certain that this program has given me the tools to better serve my community through right relationship with the land and its people.”
-Carlos Hernandez
