Farmer Jawn: Only Love Grows Here
October 2024
On Saturday, August 24 Farmer Jawn held an open house at their Westtown farmer's market. The theme of the open house was "Only Love Grows Here", in response to recent antisemitic vandalism at the farm. The event featured farm tours, samples of "culinary creations" from the facility's new kitchen, and a fully-stocked market. Hundreds of community members came out to the event in support of Farmer Jawn, whose CEO Christa Barfield is the first female farmer and first black farmer to farm the land, and to better understand what's going on at the farm, which Farmer Jawn acknowledged through an extensive FAQ sheet has been slow to ramp up production.
PA Secretary of Agriculture Russel Redding attended the event and expressed support for urban first-generation farmers like Barfield, and condemned hate in the agriculture industry. He provided a vision for "Agriculture Supported Communities," where everyone knows and has a relationship with their farmer, and offered that Farmer Jawn offers the community that opportunity.
Most recently operated by Pete's Produce Farm, the 126-acre farm on the Westtown School's campus now operated by Farmer Jawn looks different than it did. Visible from the road are chest-high weeds, and passers by can't see the regenerative practices in action, the barriers that have prevented Farmer Jawn team from planting more of the land, or the innovative ideas for the future of farming gestating on the farm.
"We farm with the weeds," said Barfield, noting the opportunity costs of spraying herbicide and of utilizing employee time weeding instead of farming. The farm's manager noted that "Weeds aren't the problem — weeds show you what the problem is." He went on to describe that the presence of certain weeds can indicate imbalances of certain minerals and nutrients in the soil, which can help the farmer address the issues in a more targeted and natural way. The farm is currently undergoing certification as an Organic farm, and in the next few years will seek their Regenerative Agriculture certification.
Currently, only small portions of the farm are planted, primarily because the farm lacked the capital to purchase a tractor until this spring and had been plowing and sowing by hand since beginning operations in early 2023. In addition to produce, Farmer Jawn tends two chicken tractors (a mobile coop that allows chickens to aerate and fertilize rows for future crops) with Freedom Ranger chicks being raised as broilers.
A large barn complex lies fallow at the back of the property, but despite its current appearance, it is a major source of excitement and inspiration for Farmer Jawn. Barfield noted a plan for which she is seeking funding to transform the complex into an Agriculture Innovation Center to train a new generation of farmers on regenerative practices. Farmer Jawn envisions the space housing research facilities for integrating hydroponics and aquaculture, food justice, and increasing nutrient density. The Innovation Center is being pursued as a partnership with the Westtown School and Cheyney University.
Farmer Jawn is much more than just growing food at the Westtown School. It seeks to transform the way our food is grown by creating a sustainable farming community — a network of producers all relying on and supporting each other to repair the land and grow quality local food. Regenerative farming operates on a different time scale than conventional farming, not to mention stewarding a new agricultural system. Farmer Jawn's Open House event helped the community understand this better, and left attendees with excitement for things to come!