The organic and small scale ag sector is pretty romanticized to the public, which has led to a lack of accountability and excuses from management. This is a barrier to the significant conversations that are needed to grow as a sector. 

I began farming when I was 19 as a full-time, unpaid intern on a non-profit education farm. Throughout the first few weeks, I was being groomed by the farm manager who was in his late twenties. He was continuously speaking / interacting with me in a really inappropriate fashion. At the time, I did not conceptualize the power dynamics and manipulation involved, though it’s truly baffling to recall the language utilized in convincing those around us that everything was okay. As I’ve continued farming, I’ve noticed that there is typically always a problematic power dynamic involved between farm manager and farm hand. Management regards themselves often as unregulated individuals; and views staff as labor undeserving of a voice, comfortability, or professional investment. 

After about a month of working there I was shocked to be told we were dating – that he had cleared our relationship with the Board of Directors, whom he reported to monthly. At this point, he stated that their only concern was that I would someday take legal action against him, i.e. sexual harassment in the workplace, etc. As my voice was uninvolved from this conversation, it is difficult to say whether his recounting of the Board’s reaction was accurate.

In his narrative, a false sense of me holding power was fostered. In reality it was a facade to shift away from the lack of both leadership accountability and my presence during a conversation involving a personal / workplace relationship.

There is a lack of accountability for managers or even a lack of accountability for older white men.

That was kind of my basis for navigating the farm industry in this area. Once I left that, I felt scared to bring up the experience with other people or other farmers.

In general I’m fairly timid moving into other farm jobs being managed by other white men. I wasn’t in a position or felt like I could speak up or bring my ideas to the table. I wasn’t taken super seriously when I did. That has been a huge issue that I have experienced throughout the past the couple of years.  

Once I did secure a management position at the non-profit farm, I was kind of met with the same attitude from leadership there. I was not taken seriously. At my first board meeting that I held there, it was a room full of older white people, averaging 50 -75 years old, and after I laid out my plan for the season, their response was that it sounded okay, but that I would have to prove myself to them before them granting me trust of the space. I didn’t say anything about it and it allowed further communication problems.

As a young woman, it’s been hard to speak up for myself when things are happening. In that room, I was the only one with any farm experience. Within that position I was able to bring up a lot of other problems and again wasn’t taken seriously. At one point, I had been working 70 hour work weeks for 3- 4 months, and each month I brought it up to the Board and Executive Director. I finally called the Labor Board for Michigan. They said they didn’t think it was legal, so I brought it up, but rather than talking about shifting my responsibilities or market streams or how much farm is taking on, it was met with this idea that I have an insatiable thirst and desire for money, that my experience doesn’t matter, an I’m unable to separate my identity as a farmer from reality - that it’s my fault an I lack time management skills.

That was in June of the past year. I was paid $12.50/hour and only paid for 40 hours/week. That meeting was 2 hours of me being berated by the ED and the Board President. It was and invalidating and manipulative experience. I didn’t know where to go from there. It’s hard to stand up for yourself in a room like that. It was a gas lighting experience. It is pretty troubling. 

The farm crew this past season was really supportive about it. We all agreed to stay until farm staff had either secured other jobs or we couldn’t handle it any longer.

We waited until September when everyone felt like they were financially secure and then we left together. 

I worked there for a little over one year. I started in 2019 (July) when their farm manager quit mid-season. I didn’t learn why. I feel like I was going into farm jobs with questions, like, I wonder why that happened? Then I’d be a month in and be like, Oh I get it. That kind of stinks. The warning signs become more apparent with experience now. 

The summary comes down to not being listened to or taken seriously and a lot of problematic narratives and lack of accountability that have definitely made their way into the farming scene. Farm workers and farm hands are at the hands of that most often.