By Staff and Survivors at GreenHouse17
Three signs spring is on her way: the sun’s shining, the wind’s blowing, and our farm stipend project has begun!
Survivors of intimate partner violence who are living in our emergency shelter or receiving non-residential services are encouraged to participate in our farm program. Staff introduce the farm’s nature-based healing concepts, and survivors of all ages are invited to consider the farm as their space to explore, reflect, and participate. Adult survivors also receive information related to other optional farm-based activities, such as nature-based support groups, field-to-table workshops, and the farm stipend project.
The farm stipend project encourages survivors to become involved in the day-to-day maintenance of the farm, develop new job skills, and establish current work histories in a safe and supportive environment. One hour of each week’s stipend activities is reserved for written or photographic reflection. Many farm stipend participants choose to share their anonymous journal reflections and photography right here on this blog.
In fact, the lovely photos in this blog post were taken by farm stipend participants a few days ago. We’re looking forward to sharing more survivor reflections with you during the next few months! These posts will be marked with the Field Notes tag.
I love the field notes blog posts. They show how healing working in the garden can be. Scripture says God took a hand full of soil (humus) and breathed His Spirit in to it, creating man (human). I believe it is that re-connection to the soil that reminds us of our true selves. I look forward to reading their words of healing and re-connection.
This is nice, but I am wondering where it is.
Hi Greta! Thanks for commenting on our post. We were formerly known as Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program, but changed our name a few months ago. Our farm is located on the 40-acre property surrounding the emergency shelter we operate in rural Fayette County. We’re just a stone’s throw from the Clark County line. (Given the nature of our mission, we try not to publicize our exact location.) We provide services for survivors of intimate partner abuse in 17 counties, including the Appalachia counties of Clark, Estill, Garrard, Lincoln, Madison, Nicholas, and Powell.