Progress report for SNE23-010-NY
Project Information
The Northeast SARE community is beginning to awaken to the inner work needed to achieve our shared dream to ‘honor the holistic connections among land, water, air and all living beings’. To honor our relationships in this interconnected web of life, we must first look inward to remember who we are at our ‘core’. Through our previous NESARE professional development State Program “Reconnecting with Purpose”, we learned that when participants join in community to uncover and reclaim their birth gifts, stories of self, and inner identities, they develop a sense of awareness, connection and trust with one another that builds a collective strength. Collective strength enables us to act with the kinds of courage and integrity we need to create and sustain the bold, ambitious, urgent change our farm and food system badly needs. Since 2020, our facilitator teams have fostered these transformations and impacts in the 75 participants we have served, but we have had to turn another 75 applications away. The need to develop a collaborator network of experienced facilitators who are prepared to design and curate programs for inner work is very high.
In the first year, our Facilitation/Mentoring team will design a Practitioners Preparation course for 22 alumni who are eager to dive more deeply into the practices and principles introduced in “Reconnecting with Purpose”. As new Practitioners feel ready to live, embody and steward these principles, they will work in teams around areas of interest to co-design a range of programs, virtual and in-person, open to the entire agricultural community. Themes already identified include exploring farmer wellness and balance, fostering allyship and rural community safety, cultivating gratitude and reverence for the land, and climate grief and action.
15 inspired alumni of the "Reconnecting with Purpose" program community (2020-2023 NY State NESARE PDP Program) will draw upon their gifts, strengths, and newly acquired practitioner skills to co-design and co-facilitate a variety of in-person and virtual programs focused on connection, trust, wellness and healing for 100 sustainable agriculture educators, change-makers, earth-workers, activists and farmers.
Description of Opportunity
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Northeast SARE community is beginning to awaken to the inner work needed to achieve our shared dream to ‘honor the holistic connections among land, water, air and all living beings’ (NESARE outcome statement). To honor our relationships in this interconnected web of life, we must first look inward to remember who we are at our ‘core’. Through our previous NESARE professional development State Program “Reconnecting with Purpose”, we learned that when agricultural educators, earthworkers, change-makers & farmers join in community to uncover and reclaim their birth gifts, stories of self, and inner identities, they develop a sense of awareness, connection and trust with one another that builds a collective grounding and strength. Collective strength enables us to act with the kinds of courage and integrity we need to create and sustain the bold, ambitious, urgent change our farm and food system so badly needs. (See graph (left) which illustrates most cited outcomes of connection, support and strength). Since 2020, our facilitator teams have drawn on the practices and principles put forward by the Center for Courage & Renewal to foster these transformations and impacts in the 75 participants we have served, but we have had to turn another 75 applications away. The need to develop a collaborator network of experienced facilitators who are prepared to design and curate inner work-focused programs is very high within the sustainable agriculture community. In fact, Reconnecting with Purpose was the first and currently remains the only program within the virtual archival history of SARE to propose holding a space for inner work – a space to honor and nourish the roots within that give energy and life to the change we manifest in our work and lives.
Solution and Benefits
In the first year, facilitators will design a Practitioners Preparation course for 22 alumni who are eager to dive more deeply into the practices and principles introduced in “Reconnecting with Purpose”. As new Practitioners feel ready to live, embody and steward these principles, they will work in teams around areas of interest to co-design programs, virtual and in-person, open to the entire agricultural community. Themes already identified include exploring farmer wellness and balance, fostering allyship and rural community safety, cultivating gratitude and reverence for the land, and climate grief and action. Each of these themes will have unique benefits described in greater detail later in this proposal, but the universal impacts of the work revolve around building deep connection, relational trust and a sense of community among and between a broad range of agricultural professionals working in the farm and food system. These closing words of a Farm Net Consultant and recent Alumni of Reconnecting with Purpose bring to life the profound interconnectedness that arises using the Courage & Renewal approach - “I love you. I feel loved. I have finally found my family”
Service Provider Interest
The interest in a place and space for inner work – the work of manifesting our core values, gifts, dreams, identities, and learning from our grief, losses, failings and set-backs – is enormous within the sustainable agriculture field. As stated above - each year of our former program "Reconnecting with Purpose" we have received twice the number of applications as we could accommodate, despite recently charging a sliding scale registration fee of up to $660. Each year Alumni have returned to enroll in the 5 month program all over again, and some have already become leaders in the program. Please refer to the attached 31 testimonials from Alumni expressing their gratitude and support of the program. This proposal came about based on conversations, reflections and responses to a feedback form from 17 of our Alumni who voiced need and desire in identifying the program themes described above.
Educational Approach
Engagement: For the Practitioners Preparation Course, 17 of our most recent Alumni of Reconnecting with Purpose asked for the course via our Closing survey (see results indicating 13 responses; we have an additional 4 who responded via emails). We will reach out to all 75 previous graduates and expect to have a waiting list. We have the human and financial resources to support 22 practitioners.
The number and type of service providers:
The types of service providers generally being served through the "Creating Benevolent Communities" Program are people of all ages, backgrounds, genders and religions who serve, and are called to work, at the intersection of farming, food, earth and nature.
In the 6 months following the Practitioners Preparation Course, 12 of these new practitioners will work in pairs to design and facilitate a total of six 1.5 hour virtual programs to the Practitioners' community based on Inner Work themes of their choice. These short programs will take place each month and be an opportunity for newly prepared Practitioners to begin experimenting with the skills learned.
An additional 6 of these new practitioners will collaborate with the Facilitator Team to co-design and or cofacilitate a longer (1/2 day - 2.5 day) retreat during Year 2 and Year 3 for the agricultural community.
6 practitioners who choose to collaborate on longer programs will be supported through cofacilitator stipends and financial support covering retreat costs to make sliding scale registration fees for attendees possible.
Commitment & Types of Support: Our new practitioners will be supported through mentoring from our experienced facilitator team and directed to resources or other Courage & Renewal programs and mentors when needed. As stated above, practitioners dedicating significant time to longer programs (1/2 day - 2 1/2 day Retreats) will receive stipends to support their time in program design and facilitation. Funds are also allocated to off-setting attendee costs for the general sustainable ag community who will attend these programs. Having built deeply connected, trusting relationships prior, we trust our Alumni members' commitment and enthusiasm, but if health, family or some other life change needs attention, we encourage them to step back and tend to their needs. We have intentionally chosen the number (15) out of (22) in our Performance Target for this reason. Our experience thus far in offering inner work programs is that they both attract and yield abundance.
Educational content:
Growing Benevolent Agricultural Communities 2023-2026 Programs
The attached are more detailed descriptions of Programs and Retreats themes. The ideas for these programs arose from conversations with Year 3 Reconnecting with Purpose Alumni who wish to enroll in the practitioners’ preparation program. Newly prepared practitioners will partner with experienced facilitators/mentors to design and cofacilitate these themes in Years 2 and 3 of the project.
Click here: Growing-Benevolent-Agricultural-Communities-2023-2026-Programs_V2
Describe the knowledge, awareness, skills, and/or attitudes service providers will acquire:
New Practitioners co-designing and co-facilitating these programs will first learn how to:
- Deepen their capacity to listen with whole attention and open-heartedness
- Explore Rhythm and Energetics in Program Design
- Incorporate Third Things to Frame Themes
- Hold Tension and Paradox while Holding Space
- Design Open, Honest Questions for Reflection
- Lean into their unique Facilitator Voice, Style and Presence
- Uphold Touchstones with both ferocity and grace
- Thread and Sequence Program Themes
Although each subsequent program will have it's own impacts based upon the theme, generally Sustainable Agriculture Community Members enrolling in Retreats and Programs will learn how to:
- Develop the skill of attentive listening
- Practice asking open, honest questions
- Create supportive networks among people of all ages, places and backgrounds connected to farm, food, earth and nature
- Reconnect with one's inner voice or teacher to source intuition and guidance
- Measure one's self worth beyond productivity and external expectations
- Evaluate the outcomes of one's work through the lens faithfulness
- Source and sustain courage for radical change-making
- Develop connected, trusting relationships with colleagues and peers
- Bring humility, vulnerability and love to leadership and service
Evaluation: For both the Practitioners Preparation Course and subsequent programs, we will gather vocal reflections via a Closing Circle and written feedback through a series of open, honest questions. Reflection, evolution and growth are inherent to the work of a Courage & Renewal Facilitator - evolving program design will be responsive to our participants expressions. Additionally, cofacilitators will meet immediately after each program to offer one another peer feedback in the form of "rose, thorn, bud".
Milestones
- Engagement: (September 15th, 2023). The Growing Benevolent Agricultural Communities team, including Advisory and Key individuals meet to establish connection, build community and contribute ideas, questions and concerns to the entire program.
Status: Complete
- Engagement: (September 15th, 2023). New project website is unveiled at www.smallfarms.cornell.edu
Status: Complete
Accomplishments: The public facing project name is "Growing Together" and the new website was completed and is available here: https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/projects/growing-together/
- Engagement: (September 15th - October 15th, 2023) Outreach and open application period for the Practitioners Preparation Program.
Status: Complete
Accomplishments: Below is our press describing the retreat and vision for the project. We had a robust application pool. Our waitlist was full within 2 days of public announcement. Our applicants included about half alumni from the prior Reconnecting with Purpose program.
Coming Home: Recentering in Self and CommunityDate: December 1st, starting at 3pm through December 3rd, ending at lunchLocation: Light on the Hill Retreat Center, Van Etten, NYCost: Sliding scale from $0-$330 which covers registration, food and lodging.Description:"Community . . . is an environment where you can find a home in each other’s heart and soul. It is a living entity with spirit as its anchor, where a group of people are empowered by one another, by spirit, and by the ancestors to be themselves, to carry out their purpose, and use their power responsibly." — Sobonfu Somé, Welcoming Spirit Home
In this Retreat, you will recenter in self and community by journeying through a carefully curated arc of themes. Incorporating teachings from diverse wisdom traditions, clay, mosaics, movement, embodiment exercises, reflection, writing and more, "Coming Home" is designed to help us settle in ourselves and harness our gifts to serve our communities through bringing home the principles and practices to others. All content is grounded in the Courage & Renewal® approach which can be explored at https://couragerenewal.org/Project Timeline & Opportunities:December 1
December 3
2023
“Coming Home” Retreat at Light on the Hill
January
August
2024
Participants work in pairs to offer 1- 1.5 hour programs based on themes of their choice, drawing on the practices and principles, with support and mentorship. Some conversation guides/facilitation notes will be offered by invitation as models. These programs may be offered to our Cohort group or to audiences in your community.
September
March
2024-2026
During this 19 month period, interested participants will have opportunities to collaborate with project leadership to design and cofacilitate longer (.5 day - 2.5 day programs) open to the entire agricultural community. The following themes have been identified. Others will arise according to participant interests.
- Cultivating Farm Wellness, a program exploring how farmers can feed and care for themselves while feeding others.
- A Changing World, a retreat for farmers and earthworkers to explore fear, grief and gratitude in an era of climate variability and mass extinction.
- Creating Benevolent Agricultural Communities, a retreat for farmers and earth workers of all backgrounds exploring identity and integrity, connection, care and trust in the context of our urban or rural agricultural communities.
- Cultivando Bienestar, a similar program to “Cultivating Farm Wellness” offered en español and adapted to better serve the needs of the Latino/Latina/LatinX farming community.
- Leadership Embodiment. An interactive, experiential program for educators, change-makers and activists to engage with inclusivity, centering practice, centered listening, inspiration and advocacy.
April
June
2026
The entire "Growing Together" Practitioners' Cohort, including Alumni and all Program participants from 2023 - 2026 attend a Community Celebration honoring the stories and experiences we've shared, the growth and evolution we've undertaken and the joyful impact of our work to build a culture of agriculture that fosters interconnectedness, allyship, and power.
- Engagement: (September 1st - November 30th, 2023) Facilitator/Mentoring team designs the Practitioners Preparation Program, a 2.5 day in person retreat.
Status: Complete
Accomplishments: I worked with Marcia Eames Sheavly, my mentor and long time highly skilled facilitator to design the preparation retreat which was ultimately titled "Coming Home to Self and Community. The agenda and resource packet are below. Look over the Coming Home Retreat Packet
- Engagement: (October 30, 2023). 22 Reconnecting with Purpose Alumni who expressed passion and enthusiasm to become Practitioners of Inner work using the Courage & Renewal Approach are officially welcomed to the Course. We will use the same standard formula to award needs-based, sliding scale scholarships to off-set registration fees as in the previous project.
Status: Complete
Accomplishments: Just over half of our attendees (14) were Reconnecting with Purpose Alumni. Since we had room for 27,we opened the course up for outside applications. Here is a bare bones version of our Coming Home Retreat Participants .
- Learning & *Evaluation: (December 31st, 2023) 17 new Practitioners complete the 2.5 day Preparation Course. They learn how to:
- Deepen their capacity to hold space with whole attention and open-heartedness
- Explore Rhythm and Energetics in Program Design
- Incorporate Third Things to Frame Themes
- Hold Tension and Paradox while Holding Space
- Design Open, Honest Questions for Reflection
- Lean into their unique Facilitator Voice, Style and Presence
- Uphold Touchstones with both ferocity and grace
- Thread and Sequence Program Themes
Status: Complete
Accomplishments: Our facilitation team and group photo are below. The evaluation results are here. Coming Home Retreat Feedback Anonymous.
Excerpted quotes:
"I just want to express that utmost gratitude for this space, the ability to grow together, and to come home to ourselves. I look forward to curating more workshops, sharing my gifts, and to be connected to community in these very inspirational ways. I believe that there is so much continual growing potential in this space... I'm so excited to grow, expand, and elevate as I bare witness to other in shared communal space being able to do the same and achieve their own personal journey of expansion."
"The was a magic to this group. Each time I attend, it gets better. "
"To me, the most important benefits of the Retreat were having the opportunity to join in a community of people from different backgrounds with common goals. The circle of trust and open and honest questions afforded me the ability to truly listen and gain better perspective of others and my goals."
"Some of the most beneficial sharing took place over meals where I learned and shared so much about how other famers have approached growing and building soil health as well as learning about small farm resources that could be very helpful in my own farm. And then there was the deep, deep dive within, exploring what truly matters for me and how I express this."
FACILITATOR TEAM
7. Engagement, Learning & Evaluation. (January 2024 - July 2024). 12 newly prepared practitioners work in pairs to design and facilitate a total of six 1.5 hour virtual programs to the Practitioners' community based on Inner Work themes of their choice. These short programs will take place each month and be an opportunity for newly prepared Practitioners to begin experimenting with the skills learned. These 1.5 hour programs will not be open to the general public to ensure a supportive space for these practitioners to debut as facilitators.
Status: Complete
Accomplishments: We used funding from a different grant to invite participants to work in teams or solo to create short programs drawing from retreat practices during the 2024 year. Below are short summaries of the programs participants offered with photos:
Pause, Rest, Be: Community Lunch and Conversation Circle at the Massachusetts Avenue Project, Buffalo, NY
Join Shontaé Cannon-Buckley and Violet Stone on Saturday, May 11th, from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm, for a community lunch served by Breva Kitchen followed by conversation and restorative yoga drawn from the book “Pause, Rest, Be. Stillness Practices for Courage in Times of Change” by Octavia F. Raheem. Our gathering will take place in the Community Room at Massachusetts Avenue Project, 387 Massachusetts Ave, Buffalo, NY 14213. Facilitators will share excerpts of Raheem's wise words to inspire large and small group conversation. Raheem writes "With so much shifting, now we are ready to go deeper. Alone and together. Let us begin with the end." This gathering will focus on the theme of "Endings". After some reflection and sharing, a restorative yoga teacher will guide us spaciously in and out of the Pose for Endings, Savasana. All are welcome; no yoga experience is necessary.
Sounds, Silence, Stillness at the Ellenville Community Library with Jamillah El Bey
Join Jamillah El Bey for a reflective program on July 13th, 2024 titled “Sounds, Stillness and Silence: Tools of the Inner Teacher”. We will start the program by opening our throats and clearing ourbodies and minds of stagnant energy. Then, through a series of breathing techniques and universal sounds the group will be invited to experience the calm of releasing blocked/ stagnant energy. The program will include invitations to write, draw and share in small groups. (No photo available)
Getting to the Root of Fear for Urban Gardeners and Urbalists with Jawhara Taitt and Angel Torres
Join urban earthworkers and herbalists Jawhara Taitt and Angel Torres for a transformative virtual workshop on Tuesday, September 17th, from 5pm - 7pm EST called "Getting to the Root of Fear". An important element of this workshop is trust. We invite all participants who strive toward being attentive and present for the entire 2 hour session. Please join us from a comfortable, quiet space where confidentially is possible.
Vibe’O’Clock with Meliq August and Jamillah El Bey at Rabbit Hole Farm
Join Meliq August and Jamillah El Bey for Vibe’O’Clock, a vocal jam/rap/poetry performance bout plant life and the earth around us. Hosted at Rabbit Hole farm in Newark NJ October 5th from 5-8pm. Reflective circle incorporating herbs and activities.
Asha Laaya Regional Support Network Meeting
Maryellen Sheenan and Violet Stone designed and cofacilitated this meeting with the intention of building connection, trust, appreciation and understanding between rural service providers and the deaf new Americans at Asha Laaya Farm.
8. Engagement, Learning & Evaluation. (September 2024 - March 2026) During this 19 month period, an additional 6 of these new practitioners will receive support and mentorship from the Facilitator Team to design and cofacilitate longer ( .5 day - 2.5 day programs/retreats) open to the entire agricultural community. We have intentionally not placed specific deadlines on these events because they will be scheduled according to venue and practitioner availability. Program coordinator and lead facilitator Violet Stone will work closely with these 6 new practitioners to arrange venue and facility needs, develop press and outreach, register attendees from the sustainable agriculture community, arrange scholarships, coordinate carpool and travel arrangements and other event planning logistics. We offer once again below themes that have been identified. Other themes may arise.
- Cultivating Farm Wellness, a retreat exploring how farmers can feed and care for themselves while we feed others. We can accommodate up to 25 sustainable agriculture community members in this retreat.
- Earthworkers: Grieving Loss, Remembering Reverence, a retreat for farmers and earthworkers to explore fear, grief and gratitude in an era of climate variability and mass extinction. We can accommodate up to 25 sustainable agriculture community members in this program.
- Creating Benevolent Agricultural Communities, a retreat for farmers and earth workers of all backgrounds exploring identity and integrity, connection, care and trust in the context of our urban or rural agricultural communities. We can accommodate up to 25 sustainable agriculture community members in this retreat.
- Cultivando Bienestar, a similar program to “Cultivating Farm Wellness” offered en español and adapted to better serve the needs of the Latino/Latina/LatinX farming community.
Status: In Process, work falls into next annual report!
Accomplishments:
9. Engagement, Learning & *Evaluation (June 30th, 2026) The entire "Creating Benevolent Agricultural Communities" Practitioners' Cohort, including Alumni and all Retreat/Program participants from 2023 - 2026 will be invited to a Community Retreat and Celebration honoring the stories and experiences we've shared, the growth and evolution we've undertaken and the joyful impact of our work to build a culture of agriculture that fosters interconnectedness, trust and love.
*Overall Evaluation Strategy: After each program and Retreat, we will collect feedback from our participants verbally via a closing circle, and written via a feedback form. Each facilitator team will meet to offer one another peer feedback via rose, bud, thorn immediately after each program.
Milestone Activities and Participation Summary
Participation Summary:
Learning Outcomes
Performance Target Outcomes
Performance Target Outcomes - Service Providers
Target #1
15 inspired alumni of the "Reconnecting with Purpose" program community (2020-2023 NY State NESARE PDP Program) will draw upon their gifts, strengths, and newly acquired practitioner skills to co-design and co-facilitate a variety of in-person and virtual programs focused on connection, trust, wellness and healing for 100 sustainable agriculture educators, change-makers, earth-workers, activists and farmers.
Additional Project Outcomes
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3000 | $ | $ | $3000 |
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 30 |
During the 2023-24 annual report period, the project offered 10 needs-based scholarships. Following are program evaluations from scholarship recipients:
"This program has opened so many doors for me. First it’s currently connected me to my current garden home. Which gave me a chance to utilize my skill set I am currently Compost Director. Secondly it gave me a chance to get into more rural farming, learning, and networking opportunities. It opened me up to my passion for connection and facilitation. And I met the most amazing cohort along the way."
"My family has had many challenges and barriers to accessing land in which to grow food and/or livestock. These retreats have opened up networking opportunities for which we can begin breaking those barriers."
"The first retreat was very grounding and rejuvenating for me. I learned a lot about styles of communication different than my own. The space provided me the safety to be able to try out new ones. I look forward to continuing to be able to grow more together."
SARE Outreach
The NYS NESARE PDP coordinator reaches a huge audience by way of being housed at the Cornell Small Farms Program. Information about NESARE grant opportunities, announcements about NESARE programs, events and job opportunities are all distributed through the Cornell Small Farms Program list-serve, which reaches over 20,000 farmers and ag service providers, and through the Cornell Small Farms Program website, which receives over one million unique visitors per year.
The NYS NESARE PDP coordinator responds regularly to inquiries about NESARE grant opportunities as well as requests for interviews and information meetings on a broad range of sustainable agriculture topics from students, ag educators, ag entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations and farmer advocacy groups.
Recieved information about SARE grant programs and information resouces:
| Audience | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service providers | 5000 | 0 | 0 | 5000 |
| Farmers | 10000 | 0 | 0 | 10000 |