Growing Together

Project Leads: Violet Stone

Welcome to Growing Together

We are a community of farmers, earth-workers, educators and change-makers from many cultures and backgrounds. Our lives are connected through acts of growing food and growing people. We share a common hope 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, workshops and programs that center and celebrate our common humanity
  • Wellness programs that weave in movement, meditation, rest practices, song, writing, art, and wisdom from many global traditions
  • Discernment Circles for farmers and earth-workers to receive support while navigating complex questions and challenges. 
  • Facilitation support for farmers, educators and changemakers who want to create spacious, inclusive, heart-centered programs around themes of wellness, healing, purpose, courage, connection and community
  • Practice toward becoming more attentive listeners and asking open, honest, powerful questions

Military Veterans who Tend the Land Retreat, 2025

Farmer Veterans outside Light on the Hill Retreat Center

Teaching of Leaves: Let go, Lay down, Rest & Rejoice, 2024

A joyful community gathers outdoors, tossing leaves in the air. Against a backdrop of snowy ground and barren trees, everyone is dressed in winter clothing, smiling and celebrating the moment together.

Coming Home to Self & Community, 2023

Group photo of participants and facilitators "Coming Home: Centering in Self and Community" retreat

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

Events

  • Leadership Embodiment Workshop for Farmers and Educators

    Light on the Hill Retreat Center 209 Blake Hill Rd, Van Etten, NY, United States

    Leadership Embodiment - A Workshop Informed by the Japanese non-aggressive martial art of Aikido, Mindfulness practices & Posture awareness Would you like to navigate the impact of stress and intensity…

    $100.00

News and Updates

Apply Now for Farmer Rest Retreat: Teachings of Leaves

By Violet Stone | September 18, 2024

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…

A Path to Farm Community

By Violet Stone | April 3, 2023

The 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…

Reconnecting with Purpose Program Welcomes Applicants for Year 3 Cohort

By Violet Stone | August 12, 2022

As 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…

See the full archive from Reconnecting with Purpose

About Violet Stone

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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

Cornell Small Farms Program

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