Rock Steady Farm & Flowers

Food Sovereignty includes queer and trans liberation! Check out Europe Coordination Vía Campesina’s newest publication- Embracing Rural Diversity: Genders and Sexualities in the Peasant Movement This publication includes testimony form rural LGBTQ+ farmers including our very own Rock Steady farmer, Maggie! We are grateful for all the farmers pushing for more inclusive spaces for gender and sexual diversity in rural areas and in the peasant movement as a key in the transform...ation of the food system. #FiertéPaysanne, Pride2021, #PeasantPride, #OrgulloCampesino

Scenes of an incoming storm.

Something that continues to inspire and humble us daily is how Rock Steady has hit a nerve in unexpected ways in a global queer farming movement. When we were younger adults trying to make our way in a cis male-dominated farming industry, there were very few visible role models, and often we didn’t see ourselves represented anywhere. These days, we regularly hear from LGBTQIA+ farmers from all over the world, sharing how meaningful it is to them to see an out farm. As a res...ult of our visibility, we’ve also heard from countless queer and trans folks who want to do this work, yet do not have access to the learning and employment opportunities to get started. We want to change that. After many months of work behind the scenes, we’re so proud to announce what’s on the horizon at Rock Steady! . Introducing POLLINATE! our paid apprenticeship program for aspiring and beginner queer and trans farmers. We’re piloting the program this August and preparing for our official launch in 2022, in partnership with @farmschool_nyc! Check out our updated website to learn more about the program. And if you can chip in to support this work, please consider becoming a monthly sustainer! Big shout out to @diginn who is one of our incredible community partners supporting this program with a DOUBLE MATCH of all donations through them (when you get place an order this month you’ll see an option to donate $10 to us and they’ll match to triple your contribution!) thank you DIG!

Feeling super grateful for the abundance and beauty at the farm right now. Huge shout out to our incredible team! Kyle, rica, mika, lisa, amara, katherine, saka, hannah and badass D! The farm looks gorgeous!

Giant chard leaf with a happy giant farmer!

The 1st on-farm CSA pickup was today! So great to see both new and old faces! These three have been members since day 1! So amazing to see some of the Rock Steady kiddos grow up along side us! Here is to season six! #csafarming #lgbtq #lgbtq #pridemonth #sustainablefarming #ruralcommunity

Check out our Year-End Fundraising Campaign Video! We are trying to raise money for our 2021 Food Access Fund and new educational programming for LGBTQIA+ farmers! To learn more and DONATE go to the donate page of our website. https://vimeo.com/492705330

We are trying to raise funds for our 2021 Food Access Fund and new educational programs for both the public and LGBTQIA+ farmers! Spread the word! DONATE here: www.rocksteadyfarm.com/donate

This post is the first featuring our 4-part newsletter series uplifting our year-end fundraising campaign! Each week, we’ll tackle one of the interconnected issues that drive our work and this week is all about Food Access. One in eight Americans reported they didn’t have enough food to eat in the past week, hitting nearly 26 million Americans, a threefold increase from the most comparable pre-pandemic figure, according to Census Bureau survey data collected in late Octo...ber and early November. Close to home, a recent report published in the New York Times found that 1.5 million New Yorkers cannot afford food. The pandemic continues to escalate an already devastating food crisis in this country. These are staggering statistics and they reflect a systemic failure that is not new, nor temporary. The many answers to this question are what led to the founding of Rock Steady, and what continues to drive our work. Fresh and delicious food is a basic human right. It’s easy to feel immobilized by the scope of the injustices in our food system. While we work towards policy change and long term repair, we need to keep working to meet the immediate needs in our community. At Rock Steady, we do this through our Food Access Fund and sliding scale CSA, which provide no-cost or subsidized vegetables to low-income households, including communities of color, LGBTQAI+ folks, seniors, families with young children, and people living with serious health concerns (such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes and cancer). What makes our model unique? There are many approaches to the problem - from government, policy makers, nonprofit orgs, mutual aid efforts - we need everyone in this fight! What’s different about our work is the ways it goes beyond feeding people. We believe in a food access model that also cares for our planet, the farmers who are growing the food (especially queer, BIPOC farmers), and communities we feed. Quite honestly, there is just something special about queers feeding queers. BIPOC folks feeding BIPOC folks. These connections make for a long lasting and unique impact on all the humans involved, as well the soil we care for. Continue reading in comments...

Last day of the season for our full team! What a day. Weatherizing and cleaning up the greenhouse and barn bays, crop planning for next season, end of day hike, quick plunge in our quarry (cold but life giving!) and an incredibly sweet evening of good food, fire and the bursting laughter of tackling a chocolate filled piñata! A long exhale. A season weighted with the stress of keeping us all safe and healthy. Of numerous pivots as a business. Of intensional grappling of how ...we can deepen our commitment to BIPOC lives, farmers and community members. A year of leaning on each other, celebrating each other, and challenging each other to show up everyday with honesty and respect for both ourselves and the land. Thank you 2020, for the many lessons learned. And for the wisdom in recognizing that when the world is a blaze and it all feels undone, what really matters is who stands by your side while you seek refuge and rebuild. See more

Last harvest of the season! These sweet sweet carrots will go to our upcoming local low-income food distributions over the holidays, in partnership with Millerton’s very own North East Community Center (NECC). They have partnered with us all season, dropping off our CSA boxes and bulk veg orders to four food pantries in Dover Plains, Pine Plains, Amenia and Millerton. This is our fifth year working with them, and it has been incredible to see their COVID responce this year, increasing access to fresh locally grown produce to their massive community. Huge thank you for working with us this season! #foodaccess @neccmillertonfmkt @teenteam_necc @necc_schoolgarden @neccteenprograms

We are hiring for 2021 team members! Looking to hire 1 full-time field crew person, April to November, and a NYC delivery person, June through October. We work hard but have a lot of fun! Please see the link in our bio for information to apply, or the job opportunities page on our website. Please share #queerfarmers

You know, there is no sugar coating life, but some days you just gotta look like a badass. We are glad to be connected to 1% For The Planet ( @1percentftp ) this year, which has connected us to businesses who want to support our food access fund. That’s how we got connected to @paskho who is featuring our farm this month and generously donating to our 2021 fund! A local, black, lgbtq+ owned clothing company with a social and environmental mission? Yes please. Capitalism is a tough, and most often evil. But supporting bipoc run businesses is one way to shift things in a better direction. When you can not escape it, it is important to engage radically, and if your in it please consider donating your profits.

It feels so good when farmers can help other farmers! It is almost impossible to visit other farms while in season. This week some of our team members were able to vist @riseandrootfarm and @soulfirefarm to help with important end of season tasks. We love both farm projects so much and hope to visit more! #queerfarmers #blackfarmers #bipocfarmers #smallfarms