As a child, Rori was drawn to farming. While growing up in Noble, Oklahoma, her family didn’t farm. So, studying agriculture was never presented to her as a possibility. Instead, she went on to study art and eventually joined the Navy, serving for fourteen years. Afterward, with a child to support, she worked in the New Mexico oil fields.
Throughout it all, the desire to farm remained a constant for Rori. She wanted to learn how to grow food for her family and community. In 2022 she had an epiphany, “I reached a point where I had been responsible, served my country, raised my child, and I wanted to do something for me next. I decided to stop chasing the dollars and start chasing my dream of farming.”
Rori wasn’t sure how to do that with no prior farm experience, but then she found the CAFF Farm School at The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food in Fayetteville, AR. The program is part of the University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture. It’s structured as an intensive 11-month education in running a small farm business. It combines hands-on fieldwork at the CAFF teaching farm with crop production, soil health, and business classes. Students work on their individual farm business plans with help and advice from the CAFF instructors. Going through a year of farming while studying farm entrepreneurship gives students a clear vision of what type of farm they want to run and what it will take to make that a reality. They leave the program equipped to pursue that or to find work on an existing farm. Some continue learning through the CAFF Farm Apprenticeship Program. There they are matched with a farm that aligns with their areas of interest and can see first-hand how another farmer is doing it successfully.
Rori received a scholarship from Farm Credit of Arkansas and the Homegrown by Heroes program of the AR Agriculture Dept. The program provides $1,000 to military veterans and active military personnel to attend the Center for Arkansas Farm and Food’s Farm School. Funding for the scholarship is generously provided by Farm Credit.
“I’ve always loved being outside and working with my hands,” says Rori when asked how farming is living up to her expectations. “It fits,” She says with a smile in her voice adding that her favorite part of the farming journey so far is the people. “There’s a network of kindred spirits and like minds. It’s the most rewarding and unexpected thing. And, there are opportunities presented to you just by getting to know people in the farming community. It isn’t competitive, everyone else wants you to succeed. The other farmers all seem to believe in what they do and to know the world needs more of it.”
When asked about future farming goals, Rori says hers change all the time, “Just about every time I learn something new,” she laughs. “Right now, my goal is to have a small local farm with a stand on the property, selling vegetables and plants. I like the idea of people coming to the farm.”
This year Rori was offered a garden plot by a friend. She started everything from seed, putting into practice what she had learned in farm school. The results were encouraging, and she’s even provided plants for fellow students, “It’s been an exciting opportunity and has built my confidence. “
Rori’s advice for anyone interested in farming is “Find a good educational program. I can honestly say that the CAFF Farm School could not be run any more professionally. The instructors are preparing us the best they possibly can. This is not a laid-back program, either. It’s very comprehensive. It’s an excellent way to learn everything quickly, from soil to business and production.”
It will be interesting to watch Rori’s journey continue and blossom as she brings her long-held desire to farm to fruition as part of the Northwest Arkansas food system.
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