Our 45th @realfarmercare recipient - Moretta ‘Mo’ Browne of Berkeley Basket CSA @berkeleybasketcsa in Berkeley, CA.
Mo writes, “My name is Moretta ‘Mo’ Browne (they/she) and I am a co-Farm Manager at the @berkeleybasketcsa. The Berkeley Basket is a CSA that operates in three residential backyards in the heart of downtown Berkeley (Ohlone Land). Started in 2009, it is a community project that has provided families with “hyper-local” produce for over a decade and influenced the shift in the ‘Edible Gardens’ legislation. I joined the Berkeley Basket in Jan 2018 because it was what my farm dreams were made of. I had told myself I wanted to be managing a farm by the age of 30. The Berkeley Basket made that possible because of the generosity of our neighbors, the homeowners who donated their backyards to us and our CSA members. The challenges we face are similar to what many beginning farmers are facing: how do we pay ourselves a living wage and keep the cost of our produce affordable? My co-farm manager and I currently work two off-farm jobs in addition to running the CSA, jobs that are hard, physical labor as well. I have been dreaming of a time where I can get a massage and sit in a sauna and allow my body to relax and my mind to rest. I love Berkeley Basket CSA and I want to be able to show up in full so that we can continue to provide our people with fresh local food for another ten years and on!” #realfarmercare#berkeleybasketcsa
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