Join the Be Well Farming Project’s Winter Workshop Series
The Be Well Farming project offers a winter workshop series for those identifying as farmers or earth workers of all roles and backgrounds across the Northeast.
This season, the series focuses on topics to bring more wellness and better communication to all of the people (owners, managers, employees, interns, etc) in the farm ecosystem. As these workshops are interactive, capacity is limited to 25 participants. Register for one or both in the series. Spots will fill on a first-come, first-served basis with a waitlist.
The Be Well Farming project creates reflective spaces for farmers to connect meaningfully and explore strategies that can ameliorate challenges and bolster farmers’ quality of life.
Balance, Health, and Passion: Strategies by Farmers, for Farmers (2-part session)
February 1 & February 8, 2021, from 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
For many farmers, the work is never done. Even in these quieter ‘off-season’ months for those of us in the Northeast region, the ‘to-do’ list is long. When work always calls, it can be hard to carve out time to take care of ourselves and reconnect with the passion that led us to farming in the first place. In this virtual session, several farmers including Jen Salinetti of Woven Roots Farm, Tyringham, MA, Deb Habib of Seeds of Solidarity, (and one other farmer, TBD) will describe some practices they employ to maintain health and wellbeing for themselves and others on the farm, and how these manifest in their overall approach to farming. The workshop allows ample time for participants to reflect on and share ideas, questions, and concerns regarding health, balance, and passion on the farm. Participants will leave inspired with strategies that ease some of these real challenges. At the close of this workshop, participants will be invited to choose an element or value regarding wellbeing from the workshop that resonated, and gently practice it over the following week. Participants are encouraged to reconvene one week later to reflect on their experiences.
Facilitator: Deb Habib, Seeds of Solidarity Farm
Peaceful Communication on the Farm: Listening Tools to Improve Understanding
February 15, 2021, from 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
In the profession of farming, we often focus on improving our skills to cultivate crops or tend animals. But what about our skills cultivating and tending to farm relationships? Whether it be interactions with customers, partners, interns, employees, family or friends, communication is the way we keep all of the farm operations running. Yet, communication isn’t always easy. Misunderstandings, tensions, even conflicts can arise and be hard to face in the moment. In this interactive virtual workshop, we’ll learn simple techniques to cultivate listening skills for both professional and personal growth. Listening is one of the core ways we build trust and show respect in our relationships. Join us to practice elements of listening with exercises for the head, heart and gut.
Facilitator: Claudia Kenny, NYS Agricultural Mediation Program