Who grows the food we eat? Who sows the seeds, tends the soil, picks the fruits and harvests the carrots? At ARC, we want to put faces to our food.
Agroecology is not one fixed way of doing agriculture, rather it is a philosophy, set of practices, and way of engaging the land with many different techniques and strategies. Welcome to our Letter From The Farm series.
Through telling their own personal farming stories, these farmers are showing how agriculture can be done. Penned by a growing number of farmers across the continent, you can find out how these characters ended up farming, and what’s involved on a day to day practical level. What are the struggles for new entrants? How are they coping with the Covid crisis and its aftermath? What farming practices do they use and why? How do they make the tough decisions about money – about the balance between best practice and earning cold hard cash? What do they find useful to guide their work? How does policy constrain or enable their work?
These are sometimes practical, sometimes more theoretical notes straight from the farm.
Portraits by Serbian artist Aleksandra Djordjevic
Interested?
Do you want to tell the story of your land, your farm, your farming – the trials and tribulations, the choices, decisions and conundrums through the seasons? if so, we’d love to hear from you. Whether it’s a one-off piece or more regular letter you could contribute, we’re seeking farmers from as many different backgrounds, farming practices and corners of Europe as possible. We want to shed light on the range of farming approaches and actors working with agroecology in Europe. Let’s hear from you!
Contact Louise Kelleher at louise.kelleher[at]arc2020.eu if you’re interested.