In this popular series, NAFSN provides participants with insights and connections to help them identify next steps for their careers in community food systems.
This four-part series for Fall 2024 highlights job creators and others across the food systems profession. This webinar series is offered free of charge and open to the public. 

This specific episode features a panel of organic farmers and is sponsored by the Organic Farmers Association.
 

In this episode, we feature: 

 

Ashawaug Farm is six acres of organically cultivated crops growing alongside woodlands and wild-growing fruits and herbs, rooted in rich Narragansett silt loam soil. The Farm sells a variety of products at their farmstand and at local farmers’ markets, including heirloom and culturally significant crops. The land is protected by Dawn and Cassius Spears with the help of their children, grandchildren, and extended community of supporters. Both Dawn and Cassius are active members of the Narragansett Tribe.

Dawn Spears is a multimedia artist whose work is infused with cultural symbolism and the vibrant colors of our natural world, and farming is part of her art. She also supports the Indigenous artist community through facilitating art markets and other opportunities that increase the visibility and vitality of Indigenous arts and culture. Currently, Dawn is the Director of the Northeast Indigenous Agriculture and Arts Alliance.

Dawn and Cassius also run the Ashawaug Project, the educational initiative of Ashawaug Farm, which integrates art and agriculture to expand knowledge of Narragansett foodways, support community health and cultural revitalization, and promote food sovereignty.

LOCATION: Ashaway, RI

Jared Krawitz, Farmer, Closter Farm & Livestock Co.

Jared came to farming relatively late in life. After cooking in NYC, he moved to North Carolina where he apprenticed at Fickle Creek Farm, learning the basics of low-stress animal management, rotational grazing, pasture health, crop planning, market gardening, and much more. After the apprenticeship, he moved to Hopewell, NJ to manage the poultry program at Double Brook Farm. When the opportunity came up to start Closter Farm, Jared jumped at the chance to rejuvenate a piece of land in an amazing community.

LOCATION: Closter, NJ

Tianna Rose Neal, Farmer/Owner, Starlit Roots

In Keysville, Georgia, on the historic grounds of the Boggs Life Center, Tianna Rose Neal has embarked on a mission to cultivate a connection between people, the land, and their food. Starlit Roots, now in its 4th year of operation, is not just an organic vegetable farm – it’s a symbol of resilience, legacy, and community empowerment. 

Tianna’s journey began just before the pandemic, as a recent graduate of North Carolina A&T with a degree in agribusiness. After completing her studies, she enrolled in a class offered by HABESHA Works, a Metro Atlanta initiative to train beginner farmers in developing sustainable urban agricultural practices. 

“Before my work with HABESHA, I was like most people and got all my food from the grocery store, said Tianna.” “I had no idea of where my food came from or how to grow it. After I completed the class, I connected with an elder couple who grow organic food for the Keysville community. They brought me and a few other trainees onto the land where I currently farm.” Guided by elder farmers in her community, Tianna established Starlit Roots to sell wholesale to the local school community.

LOCATION: Keysville, GA