“We always had to self-censor and be careful what we say publicly. I’m happy to have speech and spiritual freedom here in the United States.” In her birth country, she was an English teacher. She married a colleague, an English teacher, and a United States citizen. They returned stateside about 16 years ago. She cites the pandemic as her final motivation to farm.
Initially, their farm was conceived as a hobby farm. However, being in the program has taught Rebecka what an asset their land is and what their farm can become with her new knowledge and skills. “CAFF’s mission is to teach people to farm profitably, and that was a happy surprise. Our intensive crop planning in class made me think about different things we could grow to earn money while the fruit trees and berries mature.”
Cubicles were never going to be a good job fit for Josh. He always enjoyed physical labor more. Being in nature was necessary, and he wanted to make a living working outside. It came naturally and felt right. He eventually found himself doing turf management in the golf course industry.
Twenty years ago, when she was studying International Business, Erin couldn’t have imagined that she’d eventually become a poet farmer in Arkansas. Life can be twisty that way. With two young children, her MFA coursework, and the CAFF Farm School all simultaneously, it’s surprising that Erin has time to think. She was happy to find other artists and even a fellow poet in her cohort at the CAFF Farm School. She’s also learned about many different farms run by artists and writers who farm in the mornings and create in the afternoon.
Marcela grew up with their mother’s shared stories of a childhood living on a farm. The anecdotes were told with tenderness and fondness, painting a mental image of a lifestyle filled with hard work and generosity. To Marcela, it always seemed like a fulfilling way to live.
As a teen, Graham started working in restaurants and eventually attended culinary school. His culinary resume working with lauded farm-to-table restaurants is impressive. They feature locally grown produce in their creations, and some have farm managers or culinary farmers that grow exclusively for their menus.
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