The Overlooked Infrastructure of Farming
The sturdy steel toe boots that protect your feet. The reliable truck that gets you from your fields to your markets. The tools and structures that help you grow, process, and share food with your community. This is the overlooked infrastructure of farming. And yet, for so many small and beginning farmers, even these basics are hard to come by when considering everything else you need to keep a farm running.
Access to resources isn’t just about getting the job done; it’s a form of self-care. It’s what keeps farmers safe, efficient, and able to keep going.
For Jasmine of Locs and Heritage Farm in Georgia, quality gear makes all the difference. “The best thing you can do is protect your body while working,” she says. That means sturdy button-downs, thick hiking pants, high socks, real boots, a wide sunhat, and an insulated water bottle. It’s simple stuff, but it helps her feel physically capable and confident in her work.
If you're not well, you can't work."
And yes, bubble baths count, too! “I’m a farmer, yes, but a woman as well… Just because I work outside doesn’t mean I don’t want to pamper myself.” Her self-care kit includes Epsom salt, bubble bath, incense, and a good scrub.
For Olivia of Pohaha I Kalani in Hawaii, what she needs is something with four wheels.
Her work clearing invasives, planting trees, and harvesting in rhythm with the moon requires access to steep land. “I’ve been trying to save to afford a 4WD truck so I can harvest more and clear further up the mountain,” she says. Without it, large parts of the land go untended. And the isolation makes it hard to stay connected to her wider community.
“Not having transportation makes it difficult,” she says. “It affects everything.”
A truck might sound simple, but for Olivia, it means autonomy, connection, and the ability to care for the land more fully.
For Maŭnda of Nonchalant Farms, also in Georgia, it’s about protecting her body and preserving her energy. She’s been navigating new health challenges, which have forced her to slow down and shift how she farms.
“Since these new occurrences were undiagnosed, I limited my physical exertion,” she explains.
Until she can get proper treatment, she’s focusing on what helps: resoling worn-out boots, visiting a sensory deprivation float spa, and taking short, cathartic road trips to get the care and equipment she needs.
And for Cory of Timu Tele Farm, self-care starts in the kitchen. Her farm is also her family’s pantry, and some of her favorite rituals involve setting aside the most beautiful tomato for them instead of selling it and drinking her homegrown Mamaki tea instead of packaging it for market.
But to fully live in that care, she needs a few things: kitchen tools. “I’m investing in kitchenware to make medicine with the herbs I grow and the honey I harvest,” she says. “This helps with my physical and mental well-being.”
The right tools, no matter how small, let her extend the care she gives her crops back to herself and the people around her.
Resources Shouldn’t Be Out of Reach
What these farmers show us is that care and capacity are deeply intertwined. Farming is a constant negotiation between what’s needed and what can be afforded, and no amount of passion can make up for missing basics.
Programs like Real Farmer Care are here to meet these moments. Extra Gas money. Kitchen gear. A good pair of boots. A day off. And, most importantly, making it feel okay to ask for help. As levels of burnout continue to increase in farmers, especially those with marginalized identities, initiatives that financially support farmers in taking time to recharge can be a lifeline.
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