Farmer training program yields abundant fruit

by Jill Ragar Esfeld
jill.esfeld@theleaven.org

Ca Saw loves farming.

From the time he was a small child in Chin State, Burma, and read his first book on the subject, he knew becoming a farmer was his heart’s desire.

But by the time he was old enough to pursue that dream, unrest in his home country forced Saw to flee as a refugee, first to Malaysia and then to the United States.

At that point, he was told his dream of farming was impossible.

“A social worker ask me, ‘What are you going to do in the United States?’” he recalled. “I say, ‘Be a farmer!’ She say, ‘No way. If you don’t have money you can’t do that.’”

Fortunately, in 2017, Saw arrived in Kansas City, Kansas, and discovered New Roots, where he found all the encouragement, support and training he needed to realize his dream.

A collaboration between Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas and Cultivate KC, New Roots is a four-year farmer training program.

“The goal of New Roots is to empower people to start small farm businesses,” said program manager Kristen Selby. “The way we do that is through a stair-step approach.

 “The first year, we pay for seeds, their water bills and their farmers market fee. We provide support and do weekly one-on-one meetings to check on the status of how everything is going.”

Each year in the four-year apprenticeship a little less support is provided, and farmers are empowered to do everything on their own.

“They’ll have a real clear idea of what it takes to run a farm business independently,” Selby said. “The goal is that they will be able to find their own land or lease land.”

Training takes place at Juniper Farm in Kansas City, Kansas, where nine acres are currently home to 17 plots being used by farmers.

“We also have a quarter-acre space for community gardeners who aren’t running small farm businesses but want to grow their own food,” said Selby.

 All trainee and graduate farmers use organic principles.

“New Roots is a lot of help because I just want to be farmer, but I don’t have any experience,” said Saw. “And the climate, the weather, everything change — very different from Burma.

“And they teach everything; they support people like me.”

Saw, his wife and their two children live with his brother.

Saw farms a quarter-acre behind his brother’s house, as well as a quarter-acre he leases from New Roots.

His brother and his wife work, but Saw is proud to be able to help support the family, as well as saving enough income from farming to help his mother in Chin State and a brother in Malaysia.

Like all New Roots’ farmers, Saw sells his produce at farmers markets. He also earns money through New Roots’ farm share program. (See below.)

“What I’d really like people to know is that when they purchase a farm share,” said Selby, “they’re directly supporting the farm family and they are supporting local sustainable agriculture, which is good for our environment.

“And they’re getting amazing, fresh, organic produce.”

15-year anniversary celebrated with a new name

In 2008, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas broke ground at the Juniper Gardens Training Farm in Kansas City, Kansas, and the New Roots for Refugees four-year farmer training program officially began.

Last fall, the program celebrated 15 years of growth and success, with a history of overwhelming support from the community generating more than $2 million in sales.

Today, 46 farming families have graduated and 32 of those are still farming locally.

Mindful of a desire to continue moving forward, New Roots for Refugees changed its name to simply “New Roots.”

Though the program continues to work with refugees, many of the graduate farmers have been settled in the United States for years.

“They don’t see themselves as refugees,” said Selby. “A number have become American citizens.

“So, it’s an effort to be more sensitive to how people want to identify themselves.”

The name change also reflects New Roots’ desire to expand the program to participants that may not have refugee status, but have come to this country with an agricultural background and need help to start a small farm business using organic principles.

Late summer farm shares are available now!

Sign up now to share in New Roots’ late summer produce. Your share will begin the first week in August and span 11 weeks.

Many believe it’s the best deal New Roots has to offer. The season starts at the height of the summer with vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and squash. But then by October, it will transition to fall crops featuring more greens, radishes, sweet potatoes and pumpkins.

There are five convenient locations across the metro where customers can pick up their share each week.

Supporters can also purchase a share and, as an option, have it donated to the local food pantry. 

Everything grown at the Juniper Gardens Training Farm abides by strict, certified organic principles – no genetically modified or treated seeds, synthetic fertilizers or chemical pesticides are used.

To learn more about New Roots or to purchase a share, visit the website at: catholiccharitiesks.org/new-roots/home.