Good news is nowhere to be found most days in America, with Social Media being dominated by politics and negativity. But when we get out into the real world and see the hard work that is happening in our community, we find good things. Today, we are sharing the story of Working Theory Farm, located on the edge of the Urban Growth Boundary, where they are changing lives. Yes, this is a unique farm, to be sure. But there is so much more going on with this unique non-profit organization. The Herald seeks to bring stories of the people and places transforming lives in our community daily.
Their mission statement clearly states who they are and what they do.
Our mission is to empower youth through the shared work of farming to grow food for partner organizations who distribute this food to families in need.
Take the youth of Hillsboro, many of whom are not thriving in our traditional systems. Bring them to an organic farm and teach them how to grow sustainable, high-quality food. Then, feed the people of our community who need it most. Everyone wins, and the powerful lessons and connections grow a blueprint for a meaningful and abundant life. The entire process grows food and community and helps everyone in the chain.
To find out more, we visited the farm and learned firsthand how it all works. After our visit, we had more questions and went deeper with the management team for some Q&A.
Working Theory Farm, also known as WTF, is a nonprofit farm in suburban Hillsboro. We provide employment training and mentoring to youth navigating the carceral system or other barriers. Through this shared work we grow a substantial amount of organic fruits and vegetables, the majority of which are distributed by our partners at Centro Cultural to low-income families, many of whom are migrants and/or undocumented. Over the last six years, we have distributed more than 75,000 pounds of produce and employed more than 40 youth.
Our mission is to empower youth through the shared work of farming to grow food for partner organizations who distribute this food to families in need.
Justin Green is responsible for the initial vision and much of the current infrastructure. Justin left his career as a teacher in 2010 with the hope of building a farm-based educational program to reach youth who were being failed by traditional classrooms. There was just one problem: first, he needed to learn how to farm. Justin ran Working Theory Farm as a market farm from 2011 – 2018, developing systems of vegetable production and selling to farm-to-table restaurants. In 2019, current Co-Directors Capers Rumph and Henney Sullivan came onboard to build community partnerships, develop youth programming, and transform WTF into a community nonprofit. Lastly, WTF would not exist without the generosity of our landlords, the Serrurier family, and their commitment to protecting farmland and wild spaces as development transforms Hillsboro all around us.
We grow a wide variety of different vegetables and raise pigs and chickens. We focus on diversified vegetable production with a special emphasis on culturally appropriate crops for the Latino community that receives our produce through Centro Cultural: tomatoes, cilantro, tomatillos, jalapeños, and more. We partner with Centro to distribute the majority of our produce through their Free Food Mercado, a market in Cornelius where folks in need can shop for food free of charge. If you have the means to buy vegetables, you can support WTF by purchasing a CSA share, a full season vegetable subscription where customers come to the farm once a week from June through October and choose your vegetables from our weekly harvest. This year we’re also excited to accept discounted CSA sign-ups for SNAP users through Double Up Food Bucks. See https://workingtheoryfarm.org/csa for more information.
A key component of the farm is working with a specific population of our youth here in Washington County. Can you tell us more about that and how things are going? What has this been like for both the farm and participants?
We started by facilitating educational programming for youth living at Harkins House, a detention center operated by Washington County. As we saw the same faces cycling back through the carceral system, we shifted our focus to providing mentorship and education through paid work as youth transition back to the community. We launched our transitional employment program to help youth build financial self-reliance and to center equity given the long history of farms relying on racial exploitation and unpaid labor. More than half of the youth we’ve employed have navigated the carceral system and many others have experienced homelessness, housing instability, developmental disabilities and other barriers. The youth we serve have been labeled as burdens or menaces by society, but most seek meaningful and engaging work that contributes positively to the community. As one youth put it: “When I’m bored, I get into trouble.” Through learning to care for plants and animals, responding to a community need, and receiving positive feedback our youth participants begin to see themselves as caretakers and positive forces in the community.
We are currently at an inflection point between our start-up phase and one of sustenance. The last six years have been characterized by rapid growth and change and we are prioritizing building for the long haul in all that we do. In the next few years we hope to develop a farmer training program and a network of local employers who are committed to hiring youth alumni of our programs. We would not exist without our community partners and we hope to continue working with Centro and others to leverage access to this land for youth and community members.
Launching this program in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. We came into 2020 (our second year as a nonprofit) with a vision for next steps and instead found ourselves pivoting. We can’t feed everyone. Truly responding to food insecurity in Washington County will take a shift in the priorities of our systems.Seeing youth alumni graduate from high school, find stable housing, and gain long-term employment after initially encountering the farm in times of crisis. As one youth texted upon receiving a long-term job offer: “I’m actually happy, it’s so f**king weird.”
Intergenerational Programming:
We initially focused on providing the products of the farm to Centro but quickly learned that connection with the farm itself was just as nourishing. Before the pandemic, participants in Centro’s Edad de Oro senior wellness program gathered at Centro for shared meals and exercise classes, but in 2020 these activities were canceled to limit seniors’ risk of exposure to COVID-19. Centro asked if small cohorts of seniors could visit the farm once a week for a farm walk and an outdoor meal. Rotating groups of seniors have continued to visit WTF weekly since 2020 to walk, banter, and harvest cilantro, cempasuchil (marigolds), and corn leaves for tamale-making. We became excited by the potential benefits of intergenerational programming observing the reactions of youth when they overlapped with seniors. One youth developed confidence as a facilitator, recognized friends of her grandmother, and appreciated the chance to give back to the community. For the youth we serve, this opportunity to give, to grow food for the community, and to lend an abuelita an arm on uneven ground is an essential complement to receiving services.
No-Till Agriculture:We have practiced No-Till Agriculture since 2021. Tillage breaks up the soil structure, releases soil carbon as carbon dioxide, decreases organic matter, and displaces or kills many soil organisms; no-till agriculture helps to sequester carbon emissions and increase soil carbon when paired with cover cropping over time. By building up the soil’s health and capacity to retain water, we are shifting to a more regenerative form of vegetable production and making our farm more resilient to drought and extreme weather for years to come.
We encourage all of you to find out more, donate, help, and learn more about WTF! https://workingtheoryfarm.org/donate-1
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Would there happen to be volunteer opportunities?
I’d like to give back to the community and learn about farming at the same time.
I think so Steve – check out the website and contact them. There is a lot of manual work to a farm like that where they are practicing no-till. I think it would be awesome if you could help!