So excited to share with you the conversation I had with Margo Candelario who is one of four generations working on Young Female Farmers. These powerful women own and run a farm in Georgia, outside of Athens and are serving food deserts with her delicious produce, pastries and herbal goodies. They have been featured on NPR for changing the outlook of the farming industry and featured in the Huffinton Post as one of the top 30 under 30 businesses. Be sure to follow their work @youngfemalefarmers. Margo is also an author, poet, and artist and created a book called “Looking to the Clouds for Daddy.” Margo is a wonderful storyteller and we discuss the difference of working around pain versus working through the pain of a situation and the power of owning your own business and the experience of collaborating with a friend to write a book. She also discusses her experience as a Black Woman living in Georgia right now. And gives a painful reminder that we have so far to go to create racial equity in this country. There is so much we can do right now to heal and to help create more racial equity and justice. Read a book, make a call, send an email, donate, send a gift, meditate, volunteer, start a book club, plant a garden, listen to a podcast, have a difficult conversation.
Let’s do the work!
Young Female Farmers Links:
https://youngfemalefarmers.com/index.html
https://www.wabe.org/young-female-farmers-work-to-change-outlook-of-farming-industry/
Thymelights:
https://www.instagram.com/caseyconcelmo/
https://www.instagram.com/dianecluckofficial/
https://www.instagram.com/honeysucklehandmadestudio/
https://www.instagram.com/crafting_the_future/
Thyme in the Studio links:
https://www.patreon.com/thymeinthestudio
https://www.instagram.com/thymeinthestudiopodcast/
https://www.instagram.com/aida.zea.arts/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/403582056803336/
https://www.aidazea.com
Contact me: sara@aidazea.com
Music by komiku
Topics covered in this chat:
Bishop, GA, outside of Athens.
Challenges of farming in Georgia-snakes, humidity, mold, bugs
4 generations of female farmers
Ranked by Huffington Post, as a 30 under 30 company changing the future of farming in the US.
Featured on NPR for changing the outlook of farming.
Margo Candelario
“Looking to the Clouds for Daddy” by Margo Candelario author of children’s book.
Lost her husband at a young age with children to take care of
The ability of being a storyteller
Wrote a book of poetry
Wrote a children’s book
Visual artist
Having a gift
Having the courage to share your gift
Discretion
Communicate with boldness but know what you are talking about
Have conviction but have your facts straight.
Born in California
Exposure to agriculture began in CA
Neighbors taught them about farming and auctions, buying equipment and cattle and growing plants
Grew up riding horses
Parents were from Harlem, and moved back to NY for her senior year of high school
Summers in NY- and always felt like home.
Living in NY Helped her find her voice and created clarity
Father was a writer and cartoonist
Uncle worked for sesame Street
Moved to Georgia with her husband
Creativity in her DNA
For success: there must be some stability, family, community, friends to support through the difficult times
Being able to make mistakes and still be encouraged with unconditional love
Having children and allowing them space to make their own mistakes
Moving through the pain versus working around pain
The healing power of witnessing and being witnessed
Collaborating with another author to create a children’s book
Jerry Craft
Long term friendship made it easier to collaborate together.
Wearing many hats-mother, farmer, artist, author, poet, healer, helper, entrepreneur,
Listens to the body to allow herself to be led through her day.
Listen to the animals
Listening to music is the cue to paint
Earth wind and Fire
Marvin Gaye
Loves to listen to things that have meaning and true stories
“Why We Can’t Wait” by Martin Luther King Jr
Chaucer
Enjoys feeding her busy mind
Does not sit still and is often told to sit down
Always thinking and working
Enjoys listening to people who are forward thinking
Progress!
Likes positive conversations and seeking solutions and brainstorming
Stagnant quagmire slows progress
Working through rather than avoiding it
Idea of community is a great idea
But not our present reality
Wearing different hats allows her to stay flexible and move through life
Growing your own food
Being proactive about health-mental, physical, spiritual and emotional
Plants that are top of mind:
Yellow Dock-beneficial for blood, liver, kidneys
Roots for sale
Dandelion
Mullein-beneficial for lung support
Plantain-natural bug repellent and joint support, scalp treatment
Blackberry
Elderberry
Wildcrafting safari
Transitioning into growing food
Ask yourself-why do you want to farm
When you do not work for anyone else, you cannot be controlled