I had the pleasure of visiting Living Roots farm in late October. The land was abundant with food and life. I especially enjoyed cooking in the outdoor kitchen and eating under the expansive sky of stars!
It is truth, not negativity and I hope it will prevent future harm.
My husband and I really appreciate the quality of produce from Living Roots Farm. What a great selection of items without all of the chemicals that you get at the store. We especially love the heirloom tomatoes and greens.
While the dynamic that I have refered to was the main issue for me, and many similar experiences have been shared with me privately, there were also concerns about how the farm was run and how it was being advertised.
Harvesting shiitake mushrooms from logs in the forest and adding them to the stir fry of veggies and meat(all from the farm) was a special treat, indeed.
I left living roots before the end of the two month term I was meant to work there, as did more than half of the apprentices I started with.
Sorry it's taken me this long.
I'm sure I'm not alone in my concern for how the owner responded to the negative review and experience of this apprentice.... To completely discount this by saying "others didn't experience what you are describing" is definitely not addressing the situation. It's worrying. If a leader was certain that nothing like this occurred, they would reach out to understand what happened, not deflect and direct the attention to all the positive reviews... They would ask questions, even if the accusations are baseless...
Now that I am moving away from the area, at least for the time being, I feel less afraid of being discredited or retaliated against by the owner (which has been a genuine fear). I want to give fair warning to others who might be considering working there. Ultimately I hope living roots is successful and these issues are addressed, but in the meantime I worry for the well being of people passing through. And I wish I could have read a review like this before applying for an apprenticeship there.
Many good experiences do not negate bad experiences. I did not work at Living Roots, but I believe you Molly S. because #MeToo. No one was brave enough for me. Thank you for speaking your truth.
Since leaving living roots I have wondered why no one had written anything about it online yet. One person left an anonymous comment last month, but it was quickly attacked by the owner and has since been deleted. Of the people I met at living roots, almost all had negative experiences and left. I have come to assume that they were or are afraid as I have been. I hope leaving this review will also make others feel more comfortable writing honestly about their experience, if they feel inclined to do so.
I am still enjoying the abundance of garlic that I was sent home with along with a variety of winter squashes. I am very grateful for the labors of those who steward this beautiful land!
Since leaving I have heard similar experiences described by a number of people who had previously worked there, primarily young women.
Living Roots is a great program where I participated in a variety of skill developing and personal growth experiences. Michael Hicks, the Founder and program director, has been, and continues to be a positive mentor in my life. Michael brings an abundance of knowledge and experience of sustainable farming/ living and healing arts which is a unique and balanced quality apprentices can learn and benefit from. This program, I feel, is best suited for individuals who are flexible, team oriented, and are comfortable with a degree of physical labor that is inherent to farming and sustainable living practices. Over the past 7 years I have: worked as an apprentice, lived as a member at the community, and worked at the farm. As a result of being a part of the Living Roots project , I have become wiser, stronger and healthier. I've had opportunities to explore aspects of my self and creatively meet life challenges as they are presented and feel I am much more prepared to do so, having been at Living Roots! I am very grateful to Michael for creating this opportunity!
While I was at living roots (I lived and worked there as an apprentice for a month) I found that there were unfortunate gender and power dynamics at play that were often upsetting, sometimes frightening. I think there is the potential for them to be unsafe, if they have not been already.
Living Roots Farm And Sustainable Living Center is a US Food place based in French Lick, Indiana. Living Roots Farm And Sustainable Living Center is located at 5907 W Co Rd 375 S, French Lick, IN 47432, USA.
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