Project Leads: Violet Stone
Welcome to Growing Together
We are a community of farmers, earth-workers, educators and change-makers from all backgrounds, ages and walks of life. Our lives are connected through acts of growing food and growing people. We share a common goal of creating more peace, connection and trust in our rural and urban communities. This project primarily serves New York State.
“What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Growing Together Project offers...
- Retreats and programs that center and celebrate our common humanity
- Discernment Circles for farmers and earth-workers to dive deeply into important work or life questions
- Facilitation support for educators who want to create spacious, inclusive, heart-centered programs
- Safer spaces and containers for courageous conversations & inquiry
- Support for building skill with attentive listening and asking open, honest questions
Coming Home to Self and Community Retreat, December 2023
Sponsored by the Cornell Small Farms Program and Northeast SARE
This project is supported by the Equitable Farm Futures Initiative funded by New York State Agriculture and Markets and the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under sub-award number SNE23-010-NY funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Wellness in Agriculture Resources
Tom & Sea: A Story of Farmer Friendship
Facilitators Past & Present
Reflections from Retreat Participants
Upcoming Retreat: Teachings of Leaves
If you’re feeling the need to pause, rest and lay some things down, we are hosting an in-person retreat titled "Teachings of Leaves: Let Go, Lay Down, Rest & Rejoice." This retreat is especially for farmers, growers, earth-workers and tenders who live in New York.
When: Friday, November 22, to Sunday, November 24
Where: Van Etten, NY
The application to attend is now open, with a deadline of October 4 or until the waitlist is full.
Full Events Calendar Coming Soon...
News and Updates
Farming can bring joy, delight, and awe, from apples reddening to lambs leaping. It can also be tireless and demanding. The energy and attention required to tend and harvest abundant…
Read MoreThe Cornell Small Farms Program’s “Reconnecting with Purpose – A Renewal Experience for NY Farm and Food System Educators and Change Makers” fosters a welcoming and trustworthy space for participants…
Read MoreAs farm and food system educators or change makers, we face enormous challenges to our efforts to support improved livelihoods of those we serve. Although we may work hard toward…
Read MoreSee the full archive from Reconnecting with Purpose
About Violet Stone
Violet's work focuses on creating retreats, workshops and programs for the agricultural community centered on themes of connection, wellness, purpose, integrity and courage. She sees this work as contributing to a more inclusive ‘culture’ of agriculture where all voices are warmly welcomed, honored and celebrated, including the voices of our ‘inner teachers’, sometimes referred to as 'spirit' or 'soul'. Violet serves as the NY SARE Coordinator and can help farmers and educators navigate NESARE grant opportunities.
Read Articles by Violet Stone
