The 162nd recipient is Amanda Wong of Star Route Farm @starroutefarm in Charlotteville, New York. Amanda writes, “I became a farmer in 2017 at Star Route Farm when my life was a mess in every way, but I knew that I would find meaningful work through working with nature.
Differences divide us all but at one point all of our ancestors were farmers. I like that its one of the few things that make sense in a world that taught me junk values - to internalize racism, misogyny, and homophobia, and then accumulate social and material capital at the expense of other people and other places. Farming for mutual-aid is a way for me to obliterate my ego, stand for another way of life, eat and share incredible food, and do what I can to apologize to the Earth and people who suffer for the sake of American dominance.
Running a farm and doing farm labor is physically and mentally challenging in our current economic model that grossly undervalues farm labor. I use my stresses to learn about myself and about the conditions that create stress - especially for working-class communities of color. I want a better life for all of us - free healthcare, stable housing, and a living wage. I am lucky that I found a queer POC therapist and that I now have an incredible, patient, and fun partner, chaotic, and anti-capitalist farm-partners, and friends who work with us to redistribute our resources to mutual-aid organizations and weed carrots with us.”
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