FIELD Networking Sessions

Register HERE for the Zoom Link!

Networking Sessions are monthly, online gatherings for staff of land-based training programs. We host these sessions to connect, learn from one another, and build our network. We meet in small-group breakouts after an introduction to the topic. This is an opportunity to share challenges and successes, and brainstorm ideas, solutions, and shared resources with your peers across the country.

General Agenda for Networking Sessions:

1:00-1:20pm EST Speaker introduces topic 

1:20-1:30pm EST Q&A with Speaker

1:30-1:50pm EST Networking Breakout Rooms

1:50-2:00pm EST Group Discussion: Emerging questions, ideas, Zoom Poll

2:00pm onwards EST Formal Agenda ends. Zoom left open for anyone to continue open networking as they please!

We look forward to seeing you online! 

This Month's Topic: Agrarian Commoning 101

Join us June 20th, at 1pm EST. 

Conversation Hosts: Keesa V. Johnson, MDes, is an award-winning designer focused on human-systems interaction and community-driven solutions for a sustainable food future. As the commons network manager, she collaborates with partners to develop community-based landholding strategies and supports the growth of the commons movement through storytelling and resource sharing. Keesa also facilitates gatherings, develops governance frameworks, and trains on community land stewardship, using African-Indigenous technologies to transform power dynamics in food initiatives. Nathan M. Galaviz is Commons Manager at Agrarian Trust, where he supports a growing network of community-led Agrarian Commons across the U.S. Through real estate strategy, governance development, and movement building, he helps steward farmland into regenerative, decommodified ownership. Rooted in the Appalachian mountains in EBCI territory (Western North Carolina), Nathan brings hands-on land stewardship experience and a deep commitment to equity and systemic change, advancing a model of land justice grounded in collective ownership, ecological care, and intergenerational community power.

In this one hour Networking Session, participants will write a personal advocacy story based on the impacts of the federal funding freeze, contract terminations and suspensions, and other political sources of financial uncertainty. The session will include a brief presentation, a writing workshop in breakout groups, and discussion.

Some of the guiding questions this month:

Sharing power can be hard, especially in land work.
1.  What’s a challenge you’ve experienced (or witnessed) when a group tries to make decisions together?  If this is new to you, what questions come up? If you’ve been through this, share a story—what worked, what didn’t?
Working in a commons means changing how we relate to land and to each other.
2.  Have you had to let go of assumptions or shift your mindset to work collectively?  Even small examples help—what did you learn, unlearn, or notice in yourself or your community?
This work asks for deep, long-term commitment—but it can also be joyful and healing.
3.  What makes this kind of long-term commitment feel possible (or impossible) in your world?
What’s something you’ve seen—big or small—that shows what’s possible when people really move at the speed of trust?

We are open to a diversity of conversation topics – come ready to share and/or gain new perspective on some of your sticky programmatic challenges!  If you have a question, quandry, existential inquiry, or specific topic related to running a beginning farmer training program you’d like to host at a future networking session, please email Colleen to discuss ideas:  Colleen.hanley@tufts.edu

Past topics have included:

  • Advocacy with Tyler Edwards of National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
  • Navigating Funding with Kenan Hill of Northern Colorado Foodshed Project
  • Incubator Evaluation with Emily Round and Leah Jurman of New Entry Sustainable Farming Project
  • Soil Remediation with Russell Thorsen of Pasa Sustainable Agriculture 
  • Partnerships and Goals with Chris Link of Southern Appalachians Highland Conservancy
  • The Agricultural Justice Project's Farmer Tool-kit with Elizabeth (Liz) Henderson of NOFA
  • Exploring the Impact and Challenges of a Demonstration Farm within a Farm Business Incubator with Albert Fraide of ALBA
  • What is AgroInnova doing to Increase it Food Security with Ana G. Rodriguez of AgroInnova of Puerto Rice
  • Farmland Access through Agrovoltaics with KaZoua Berry of Big River Farms