Dear Community Partners,
We are writing to share some exciting news! Land to Learn is transitioning to a shared leadership model, which we’re confident will make our organization better able to serve our communities. Throughout this process we will also be investing time and energy into improving our programming in service of our mission: to grow a movement for food justice and community wellness through garden-based education. Land to Learn deeply honors the opportunity to be part of your community, and looks forward to our continued partnership.
Staff Journeys:
This past June, three members of staff moved on to grow their careers in new directions. Hans Hageman will be founding his own nonprofit focused on farmer wellness, training for BIPOC teens interested in agriculture and food entrepreneurship, and digital marketing for BIPOC farmers and food entrepreneurs. Air Rhodes accepted a new position as Deputy Director of the Midcoast Conservancy, where they desire to “raise their voice to protect nature and play a consequential role to ensure that lands and waters and all the living beings that rely on them have long, sustainable lives.” Diana Cowdery is fully committing to their naturally-grown, specialty cut flower operation, which provides fresh seasonal bouquets to the Mid-Hudson Valley without the use of fertilizers or pesticides. You can still find Diana at the Beacon Farmers Market!
Opportunity for Shifting to Shared Leadership:
Land to Learn has been on a path toward shared leadership for several years. The significant changes among our team outlined above, along with the lingering uncertainty of COVID-19 and its impacts on our school communities, helped us to identify that the opportunity is now: to root-down and adjust our leadership structure to create a more democratic workspace that is in alignment with our practices and values.
Shared leadership--as opposed to a traditional hierarchical model--involves empowering staff members to assume leadership roles in their areas of expertise. In addition, this model cultivates personal and organizational growth while also creating more space for feedback and participation from the communities in which we work. One of the prerequisites for a successful transition to shared leadership is an up-front investment of time. We believe that this will embolden our staff and participating community members, and ultimately strengthen our services for years to come.
A New Year, A New Way:
Organizational leadership transformation takes commitment. In order to make time and space for this work, our programs will operate differently during the 2021-2022 academic year. We will continue to provide quality garden-based education by offering teacher resources, virtual connections, and some outdoor lessons. We also look forward to continuing our community partnerships while nourishing our ability to become an even more values-aligned organization.
Thank you for being in community with us! We recognize and appreciate all that you are doing to keep our shared communities engaged and safe through the pandemic.
Peace and Peas,
The LtL team