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In the wake of widespread pandemic-induced burnout and a collective reassessment of priorities, Brenda Gonzalez and Chris Nickell, high school sweethearts with deep roots in community organizing, have embarked on a transformative journey, establishing Finca Seremos, a farm that aims to redefine community-supported agriculture (CSA) and foster deep societal connections. Launched in 2022, Finca Seremos is more than just a source of fresh produce; it is a burgeoning hub for mutual aid, social justice, and a pioneering vision for a more equitable and sustainable food system.
The Genesis of a Vision: From Burnout to a Blooming Farm
Brenda Gonzalez, reflecting on the farm’s origins, candidly shares, "We had always dreamed about a farm, like a sunset career thing." However, the profound societal shifts and personal exhaustion experienced during the COVID-19 lockdowns dramatically accelerated this long-held aspiration. The couple, both seasoned organizers in labor, education, tenant rights, and electoral advocacy, found themselves grappling with burnout in their respective urban fields. The intensity of the pandemic, coupled with a growing sense of urgency to contribute meaningfully to their community’s well-being, propelled them towards rural life and sustainable agriculture. "We realized during lockdown we needed to accelerate that plan pretty significantly because we were feeling really called to support our community in that way," Gonzalez explains. "We left lockdown feeling very burnt out… and needing something that could also fill our cup."
This sentiment resonated with many across the nation. Reports from organizations like the American Psychological Association indicated a significant rise in professional burnout during the pandemic, leading to a phenomenon dubbed the "Great Resignation," where individuals re-evaluated their careers and sought more purpose-driven work. For Gonzalez and Nickell, this re-evaluation manifested in a tangible shift towards Finca Seremos, a name that itself encapsulates their philosophy, translating from Spanish as "we will be" – a testament to collective future-building.
Finca Seremos’s Innovative CSA Model: More Than Just Produce
Finca Seremos distinguishes itself through its innovative market-style CSA model, a deliberate departure from traditional pre-packed boxes. This approach prioritizes choice and community engagement, allowing members to select their own produce, fostering a sense of ownership and connection to the food they consume. "We chose to do a market-style CSA, where folks are packing their own box, because this was first and foremost going to be a community building project," Gonzalez elaborates. Recognizing the diverse needs and culinary preferences of their community, which they were already deeply familiar with from their decade of organizing in New York City, building in choice was paramount.
The weekly CSA check-in transcends a mere transaction; it serves as a critical relationship-building moment. "That is the first touch point with community members, talking about what’s going on in their lives, and where we’re able to make introductions," Gonzalez highlights. These interactions have organically evolved into a powerful network of mutual support. For instance, the farm has facilitated connections between tenants struggling with landlord issues and legal professionals within the community who can offer guidance and resources for organizing collective action. This unexpected yet vital function underscores the farm’s role as a social nexus, weaving together disparate threads of community life into a stronger, more resilient fabric. The emphasis on these human connections is a direct reflection of their backgrounds in community organizing, where empowering individuals and fostering collective action are core tenets.
Fostering Collective Action Through Mutual Aid
Beyond the physical exchange of food, Finca Seremos has actively cultivated a robust mutual aid network, primarily facilitated through a WhatsApp group. Introduced last year, this digital platform was designed to empower community members to support one another autonomously. What began largely as a space for recipe sharing quickly blossomed into a self-sustaining ecosystem of reciprocal support. "It started with a lot of recipe sharing and runs itself now," Gonzalez notes, emphasizing the organic growth and intrinsic power of the network.
This mutual aid initiative mirrors a broader resurgence of such networks during the pandemic, as communities worldwide mobilized to fill gaps left by traditional support systems. For Finca Seremos, the WhatsApp group has become a dynamic forum for various forms of assistance, extending far beyond culinary tips. Chris Nickell points out its evolution into "a space for explicitly political organizing, for educational advocacy going on among parents, immigrant defense trainings and resources that have been shared. It’s really active." This active engagement demonstrates the network’s capacity to address diverse community needs, from practical assistance to advocacy and empowerment.
A tangible measure of this success is the dramatic increase in participation from SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) members. "Our SNAP member attendance skyrocketed from 40 percent to 70 percent," Gonzalez reports. This significant rise not only speaks to the farm’s accessibility and the value it provides but also highlights the effectiveness of the mutual aid network in reducing barriers to healthy food access and fostering a sense of belonging among all community members. This success is particularly noteworthy given that food insecurity remains a significant challenge in many communities, with USDA data often indicating that millions of households face limited or uncertain access to adequate food. By integrating mutual aid and a welcoming CSA structure, Finca Seremos actively works to counteract these systemic issues.
Reimagining the Food System: Nutritional Value, Ecological Respect, and Indigenous Wisdom
At the heart of Finca Seremos’s mission is a profound commitment to reinventing the food system itself. Both founders articulate a vision that transcends mere food production, aiming for a holistic approach that prioritizes both human and ecological well-being. "We have to figure out a way to reinvent the food system that gets people the food they desire with the highest nutritional value and the most respect we can offer the ecosystem that we’re a part of," Gonzalez states. This philosophy challenges the industrial food system, which often prioritizes yield and shelf life over nutritional density and environmental stewardship, leading to widespread soil degradation, water pollution, and a decline in food quality.
Nickell further emphasizes the importance of learning from ancestral knowledge in this reinvention. "To do that, we need to listen to Indigenous folks," he asserts. This acknowledges the deep wisdom embedded in Indigenous agricultural practices, which often embody regenerative principles, polyculture, and a profound respect for the land and its interconnectedness. This perspective aligns with a growing movement towards food sovereignty, advocating for communities’ rights to define their own food systems, rooted in ecological sustainability and social justice. Finca Seremos strives to be a living example of this alternative, cultivating not just food, but a paradigm shift in how humanity interacts with its environment and each other.
Building an Equitable Future: The Cooperative Dream
Looking ahead, Finca Seremos envisions a future where its operational structure embodies the same principles of equity and mutuality it champions in its community interactions. The ultimate goal is to establish a worker cooperative at Seremos. "We also want to build a cooperative at Seremos where members can make a living wage and have benefits so they can prioritize their relationship to the land that they’re working and the people they’re growing for," Gonzalez explains.
This move towards a cooperative model is a critical step in challenging conventional labor practices within agriculture, an industry often plagued by low wages, precarious employment, and a lack of benefits for farmworkers. Worker cooperatives empower employees with ownership and democratic control, ensuring that the value generated by their labor is reinvested in their well-being and the collective success of the enterprise. By offering living wages and benefits, Finca Seremos aims to create a sustainable livelihood for its workers, fostering a deeper, more respectful relationship between people, the land, and the food they produce. This model stands in stark contrast to prevailing agricultural labor trends, where migrant and seasonal workers often face exploitative conditions. By creating a cooperative, Seremos seeks to build a prototype for a more just agricultural economy.
The Power of Connection: Food as a Unifying Force
For Chris Nickell, food serves as both a fundamental necessity and a powerful catalyst for human connection. "Food is a means to an end to help bring people together in this deep way and also an end unto itself," he articulates, drawing on a personal history rooted in families of cooks and eaters, where food always held profound meaning.
The design of the CSA tent itself facilitates this connection. "People spend time in the tent at CSA. They bump into each other and strike up conversations," Nickell observes. These seemingly small interactions are foundational to community building, often expanding into new friendships and relationships that might not have otherwise formed. "It’s that exact kind of knitting of people together who wouldn’t otherwise bump shoulders that the CSA is designed to do and it does that very well," he adds. This intentional creation of spaces for informal interaction highlights the farm’s commitment to social capital—the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively.
"Seremos": A Name Rooted in Love and Collective Becoming
The farm’s evocative name, "Seremos," carries deep personal and philosophical significance for its founders. It is derived from the last line of a Pablo Neruda sonnet, which Gonzalez and Nickell incorporated into their wedding vows: "and through love I will be, you will be, we will be." This phrase encapsulates the core ethos of their project. "It is the ever forward looking and the sense of mutuality and power of the emerging we that the project is hopefully ever building," Nickell explains. The name is a constant reminder of the farm’s aspiration to foster collective growth, interdependence, and a shared future, moving beyond individualistic pursuits to embrace a vision of community and ecological harmony. It is a declaration of intent, a promise of what can be achieved when individuals come together with a shared purpose.
Broader Implications and a Model for Resilience
Finca Seremos represents more than just a local farm; it embodies a compelling model for community resilience and a blueprint for reimagining food systems in the 21st century. In an era marked by increasing social fragmentation, economic inequality, and environmental degradation, the farm offers a tangible alternative. Its integrated approach—combining sustainable agriculture, direct community engagement, mutual aid, and a commitment to worker empowerment—addresses multiple systemic challenges simultaneously.
The success of their mutual aid network, particularly the significant increase in SNAP member attendance, provides concrete evidence that intentional community building can directly translate into improved food access and social support. As urban and rural divides often grow, Finca Seremos, with its roots in New York City organizing and its branches reaching into agricultural practice, bridges these gaps, demonstrating how local food systems can become catalysts for broader social change. Their emphasis on listening to Indigenous voices for ecological wisdom also points towards a more respectful and sustainable path forward for agriculture globally, moving away from extractive practices towards regenerative ones.
Ultimately, Finca Seremos is a testament to the power of human ingenuity, compassion, and collective action. It demonstrates that by centering community, fostering mutual support, and respecting the intricate web of life, it is possible to cultivate not just nutritious food, but also stronger, more equitable, and resilient societies, proving that the future "we will be" is one built on shared purpose and interconnectedness.
