“I grew up in a small rural town, and attended elementary school in the smallest operational three room schoolhouse on the East Coast. Following that I went to the ‘big’ high school where the largest graduating class was only 50 odd people. There were the rednecks, conservatives, the baptists and then everybody else. My best friend and I were the queerest folx to ever set foot in that school, and we existed LOUDLY in spaces we were told we shouldn’t.

I did 4H from the age of 5 because my pop pop ran the gardening club. I showed bunnies and chickens and later graduated to pony club as a youngster. Throughout high school my relief was escaping to the Ag room to hang out with all the older kids. Thus began my slow initiation into FFA ( or Future Farmers of America for all you city folx). FFA saved my life and gave me something to be interested in, though many of the redneck guys were insufferably set in their conservative ways and weren’t so keen on having a liberal dyke as a member.

Queer farming in America is something that is vastly overlooked. My high school experiences made this interest of mine accessible, and it encouraged me to do the things I love despite the gate-keeping of rural and outdoorsy hobbies by a cishet male narrative. Farming is a place where many queer people struggling with not feeling good in their heads and bodies can feel the soil and feel right, feel nourished.”

Artist Info:

Instagram