Volunteers from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville’s Center for Leadership and Service worked on the Discovery Trail, helping to create a section of accessible trail on the farm property.
SAHC Community Farm
Conservation • Education • Celebration
SAHC’s 140-acre Community Farm hosts beginning farm businesses, educational workshops, and service learning experiences. It’s a working model that blends productive agriculture and responsible land management with educational opportunities and community engagement. Contact us for more info about the programs, event space, or opportunities to visit the farm (by appointment). The U. S. Dept. of Agriculture’s and Technical Assistance to provide This fall, we have been joined by multiple long-term, targeted, and farmerBeginning Farmer and Rancher volunteer groups who assisted with specific support; a new Journeyperson: Development Program has awarded diverse projects, including the French Advanced-Beginner Farmer Education a $600,000 grant over three years to Broad River Academy boys and girls Program for farmers in years 3-10 support Beginning Farmer Success: schools, the Willows Recovery Center designed to serve the beginning farmer Farm Pathways To Long-Term Land and the accounting firm of Corliss & from start-up to establishment. Tenure, in which SAHC partners with Solomon, PLLC. Community Farm 2) SAHC provides a Farmer Incubator the Organic Growers School (OGS) Associate Tamarya Sims continues Program which offers land, infrastructure, and NC Farm Link (NCFL). This to focus on outreach, education and and equipment along with support, ongoing strategic partnership provides volunteer engagement. Tamarya has training, and coaching for beginning much needed, high value resources been working to analyze the local food farmers; The Farm Production for beginning farmers to create, run, system and explore ways SAHC can Workshops Series; and Agricultural and maintain successful, resilient farm better serve our community. Conservation Easements and Farmland enterprises throughout WNC. Acquisition services which assure longWe will offer the following programs to term availability of affordable farmland provide a trajectory of support: for beginning farmers. 1) OGS offers Farm Beginnings® Farmer 3) NCFL contributes Land Matching Training, a year-long comprehensive Services, which link beginning farmers program (the only one of its kind in with farmland owners; One-on-one the Southeast) to promote holistic, consultations for both landowners and practical, whole-farm business, financial, farm seekers, including succession Community Farm Manager Chris Link instructs and marketing education; Mentoring planning support. Our Community Farm work is funded in part by grants from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, a grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, and a cost-share grant from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
FBRA volunteers on seeding garlic.
SAHC Community Farm | 2021 Vol. 3 View from the Highlands | 15
