Farmer Aaron

Farm School's first class is Training of Trainers. My first impression was, "Ok, a pedagogy class, been there done that," but after going through the course I realized that it isn't just a class about teaching. Actually it isn't about teaching in the most common understanding of teaching. Instead the course is more tied to being a community leader or a facilitator. The theory is that we as facilitators are activating people around us, empowering them with what they already know and seeking knowledge from each other instead of one person. It comes from Popular Education . We also read and discussed group dynamics as well as the spiral model of questioning. My group's metaphor for the stages of group dynamics An example of using the spiral model for facilitating a workshop These theories are good in isolation but when put to the test can be challenging. After being front loaded with theory we were asked to work in a group of 6 people to develop a...

Farm school is radical. More radical than I am used to. Within the first hour, people were sharing how they joined farm school to learn how to disrupt the capitalist system. Although I consider myself a Marxist, I am hesitant to share my economic/ political views because it'll sow distrust and incredulous laughs. This is not surprising to me since the world has successfully demonized communism and made capitalism seem like the saving grace that the world has to choice but to use. Such behavior is predictable, it was the same thinking during the agrarian societies - where vassals owned the land and serfs worked the land. During that economic system, serfs could not envision a world where they were not being controlled and actually justified the vassals' cruel behavior. However, in Farm School, such communist rhetoric is met with snaps of affirmation. I'm starting to feel at home.

I was accepted to the Farm School NYC . I'll be completing their Urban Agriculture Farm Intensive Certificate over the course of two years. I'm excited, it's part trade school, part theory. I feel as if all of my choices in life lead to this point.