Why We Farm
Ekar is inspired by the ancient early indigenous agriculturalists, and by our shared Judaic, Christian and Islamic texts that assert an earth-based, agriculturally-centered justice system can create a just society. Our traditions tell us the earth can provide only to the extent we take care of each other - with one law for the immigrant and the citizen, communal land use to prevent multigenerational wealth accumulation, provisions for debt relief, and a society built on the commons -- everyone who is hungry eats from all fields. These ideals for creating a society that systemically delivers equity and liberation for all remain urgent and relevant in our time.
Ekar works to create a community built around food justice education, gardening programming, donations of produce, seeds, and plant starts, and acting in solidarity with the community working to uproot systems of oppression that unjustly influence agricultural, environmental, and social well-being.
While the organization’s work is supported by a small full-time staff, seasonal farm workers, and thousands of volunteers a season, its most pressing challenge is combating climate change through restorative farming. According to Hunger Free Colorado, food insecurity increased from 1 in 5 families to 3 in 5 families during the pandemic, and increased need for food assistance is estimated to persist well into the future. Ekar Farm and many other food, farming, and justice organizations in Colorado are partnering together to look for solutions on how to combat climate change while trying to grow food for thousands of people. On a local-level, Ekar is working with communities to build resilience in the face of climate change, through the food system and its relationship to the earth.