Yesterday (Tuesday, September 2nd) a friend was driving by the old Pete’s Produce AKA Fauxmer Jawn. Oodles of pumpkins were being delivered. Are they locally sourced? I mean if they were they would be from Sugartown Strawberries or something, right?
Anyway…my friend went inside and store was rather devoid of people. Here I will share some of what she wrote to me:
FJ had a shipment of pumpkins delivered and they crates are sitting in one of her “fields “. Worker was standing next to them scratching his head….As I was driving by, I saw yard signs everywhere advertising this pumpkin service. (See door tag in photo)
I went inside Fauxmer. Found this on the counter about a pumpkin service :
I should have asked the girl working except I think she is clueless although nice!!
She asked if I was looking for anything special. Told her I was first time here and just checking it out…..She said they were out of corn but would be planting more in a couple weeks ⁉️⁉️⁉️
She babbled about the peppers and some were in their refrigerator. She commented when she saw my truck pull in she thought it was Christa her boss because she has same one.
I wonder if Westtown doesn’t care if it fails and if they have plans for land since they already have solar panels sitting on part of it?
Wait, they are planting corn again now? Really? Has she magically bypassed the long season (4 to 6months?) that corn requires to grow? You know spring planting, fall harvest? And hydroponically grown is not a realistic thing for corn really is it? And if the illustrious fauxmer has corn to sell at a Philadelphia market called Point Breeze Market, why are the corn cupboards bare at her farm store???
Solar fields there at Westtown? I don’t object and sure enough I found an approval document in Westtown from October 2023, and they broke ground in January 2025:
Before the rest of my jawning questions let’s talk about Main Line Pumpkins. The guy who owns it, used to work for Jawn as “livestock manager” or something. He was interviewed after the racist graffiti story hit the media….
“Something as heinous as a swastika is not just an attack on FarmerJawn, but an attack on all of us,” declared Barfield.
In May, Barfield says their barn was hit with racist graffiti markings.
In April, they experienced vandalism and theft.
It feels deeply personal to Farmerjawn’s diverse staff.
“It felt directed towards our team, towards the owner and people who work here,” said livestock manager, Armen Caravantes who discovered the most recent vandalism last week.
“I was shocked. I was shaking,” said Caravantes. “If it’s people who actually hold these beliefs, that’s terrifying.”
(Segue time: what ever happened with that investigation? Did they put up security cmeras? )
Earlier this year Axios broke the tale of no more non-profit status for the Fauxmer. Then apparently she said she was doing non-profit on a pass through arrangement – a “fiscal sponsor” they call it. That organization is called Jubilee Gift Galaxy which has offices in Middletown, NY and Oakland, CA. I can’t really tell you much about the organization, it seems a little woo woo to me.
I will note I heard about some other staff exits this year, but what happened? Were they exited or did they leave on their own and why?
So who is the new CFO/COO of Farmer Jawn? It looks like there was a PR firm switcheroo too? Or are there now TWO PR firms? Of course I and Chester County farmers I know are still wondering how a farmer can afford PR services in the first place?
Now look, I get small and start up businesses have turnover. So don’t go there, it’s just shall we say there seems to have been quite a few exits etc since this business began as in before Westtown?
There is still Elkins Park, right? That’s 1813 Beech Avenue, Elkins Park, PA 19027. 6730 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19119 is another business currently and has been, although it still shows up on the PA Charities database as of today as the address and seriously, what does it take to change an address?
So someone today asked if she ever got the $657,000 grant from Rep. Houlahan? Ummm doesn’t appear so unless she can access the funding through the “fiscal sponsor”? Of course we all live in Trumplandia, so for that reason alone she still might not have it, right?
What prompted all these thoughts? This:
Farmerjawn Produce & Kitchen, 1225 E. Street Rd. West Chester, August 22. Pass. The facility offers prepackaged only foods. In 2024, plans were submitted for the addition of a food prep area. However, the plans were incomplete and a letter from this Department requesting additional information was sent on 10/24/24. If facility is not planning to continue with the kitchen, remove all unused equipment. If plan review is to continue, contact this Department within 30 days with the information requested in the incomplete letter. Provide thermometers to refrigerators. Food Facility Person in Charge not able to provide documentation that T.H.E. Wellness Tea is from an approved source. Product was removed from shelf. Forward source documentation to this Department. Maintain copies of supplier information on-site for Department review.
This is not the fist inspection they have had. The devil is in the details, and are they using the kitchen? Is anyone or will anyone be using the kitchen? Paperwork issues again? Kind of like the non profit status? Who is responsible for the paperwork?
Yes, I know, I know, writing about this again because I am a different race than the fauxmer will mean a new onslaught of nasty messages, comments, etc. I can’t help that my skin color is different. It is not being a racist to ask what is going on here, I would still be asking the same questions regardless of race, creed, or color. Westtown School has never said if she pays rent or what the arrangement is, have they? They don’t seem to like to talk about this, do they?
I will say for the record that is this almost 3 years later actually lived up to the hype, I would shut my mouth. But what is it besides the hype and her shameless self promotion? I know some farmers, and they aren’t this. They are hard working, without glam shots, photogs, and PR personnel. People believe in her, and that is not a criticism of those people, but I do wonder, in the end, will there be something, or will it fade away to nothing?
Is this grand plan sustainable? Time will tell because Westtown never seems to want to talk about this, but there she is on their property so why not?
Hope they move those pumpkins, because we all know deer etc love pumpkins…..
Yeah that. Talk about taking the boring out of Wednesday AKA “hump day”, right? Is this to be filed under emperor’s new clothes does a strip tease and enters burlesque phase?
Oh wait, am I being bitchy? Gosh I am sorry Allow me to share these little articles:
In 2021/2022 she got non-profit status from the IRS:
So today when I went to the IRS site to look up Farmer Jawn I found:
Ok READ IT. It says:
Organizations whose federal tax exempt status was automatically revoked for not filing a Form 990-series return or notice for three consecutive years. Important note: Just because an organization appears on this list, it does not mean the organization is currently revoked, as they may have been reinstated.
Exemption Type: 501(c)(3)
Exemption Reinstatement Date:
Revocation Date: 05-15-2024
Revocation Posting Date: 08-12-2024
Then looked up on PA Charity search thingy and the only thing on there :
You she’s in Westtown, right? Chester County, right? So why in the hell does everything still say 6730 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19119? She rented that space and there is a spa there that has zero as in ziltch to do with her, correct? Which makes one question this little nugget from today’s news:
Separately, Barfield and her company, LifeLeaf Organic Farms, owe the state more than $6,300 in unpaid sales taxes and penalties, per a lien filed against her Germantown Avenue property in March by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.
People have been noticing a whole lot of nothing at Westtown so what gives?
What about all that grant money Congresswoman Houlahan allocated last year? Where is it and how much was spent?
And whatever happened with that horrible graffiti case from last year? (Note “Police tell Axios the case hasn’t been solved.”)
So the Fauxmer has been busy giving away free eggs including in New York, which is right down 926 from Westtown, right?
Now so we are CLEAR: I applaud efforts like this to educate and reduce food insecurity. I support local and regional farmers.
But I have questioned this woman ever since she started posing on tractors at Westtown. And it was never because she replaced Pete’s Produce. Pete retired, and that dog still don’t hunt.
Every time I have questioned anything here I am abused essentially and called a racist. This has never had anything to do with race. It has been about right and wrong. Like another wrong is she always talks about URBAN farming and well, Westtown ain’t urban…but then technically she’s not fauxmering in Westtown yet, right?
I expect her publicist (because all glamour fauxmers have publicists, right?) will be putting out something soon right? Either to address it or deflect? Are both she and the land lying fallow? Inquiring minds want to know!
Whatever. I am sure I will somehow be blamed for this news although I hadn’t a clue until a little while ago. This sure makes thing interesting and wouldn’t you LOVE to be a fly on the wall with James Beard , Rodale, and Westtown School about now? Does she actually pay rent to Westtown School?
I don’t know who this person is. Her social media Facebook profile says that she’s only here to keep up with her child’s school and Facebook marketplace and likes Downingtown STEM. Yet here she is sharing the love towards me? And apparently according to her I stalk people with larger followings than mine? Really? I am not an influencer earning money on clickbait or a compensated blogger, and the whole thing about followers is pretty much always amusing to me because I don’t get it. And I will also never get that how so many people who don’t know me, have never met me, and whom I don’t care to know can take so much time to actually hate me? And while they claim I am the big old hater, it’s ok for them to hate me? Pretzel logic, my favorite kind.
This person posted the above about me because I posted about what was happening over in Westtown on the blog’s Facebook page. And I’m not going be called hypocrite or anything else by them. They need to be reminded of the following:
I shared a news item.
I did not create the news item.
I am not the architect of the crime.
I actually don’t go near the place, except to occasionally go up and down 926 which means a drive byon a public road.
I should not be an adjacent topic to the news item, and even if I have reservations about the fauxmer over at Westtown, I would never ever condone what has happened inside that historic barn. It’s wrong. It’s disgusting.
My crime as it were is I had shared the news articles about what is going on at the old Pete’s Produce, now Farmer Jawn at Westtown. My other crime is I am not a fan of what I have seen over there since the new tenant moved in.
And again, no matter how sketchy I feel in my opinion the whole successor to Pete’s Produce is, when have I ever said or thought that disgusting hate symbols, vandalism, or graffiti were ok anywhere? You can answer or not answer, as you choose. The answer is the first day of never. I’ve covered all of these topics over the years.
Of course, this woman did not unfollow my blog’s Facebook page on her own, she was removed. They all announce when they come with their criticism and their nasty thoughts that they’re going to unfollow or some actually message me and tell me to do it for them, but they never do it on their own. That is one of the funniest things about Facebook, especially. Every day, someone in some group or on someone on some page announces their departure….and then sit there and lurk.
And being outraged that anyone would do this to a historic barn on a property owned by a Quaker school makes me a hypocrite? How? That’s ridiculous.
It’s like saying you are a racist because merely as a nanny nanny boo boo retort if you say something that makes them uncomfortable in their rainbow farting unicorn bubble of a world. I find that despicable as well.
We live in this ridiculously political correctness society. All of these people expect you to listen to their perspective, chapter and verse, but if you say something that is out of the Stepford wife, category of safe topics, or if you are not a Disney mom cruise blogger, you are a baaaad person. You can even be the same political persuasion as someone but if you veer off a safe, Stepford wife topic you are a baaad person. It’s funny, except it’s also pathetic and overdone.
I am a baaaaad person here because I have questioned the authenticity of Farmer Jawn and that is my right. And that doesn’t make me a racist, either. Oh yes I am deliberately being repetitive, because the only way to get a message across with some of these essentially drooling idiots is to keep repeating yourself.
People are super accusatory just because. Not because they have anymore depth than a fruit fly or have done any research into anything. They will say someone is bad horrible nasty, pick your pejorative adjective because somebody told them that that’s what they should say. Or just because you are different from them and they can’t understand that.
Of course these are also the same people that vote every single election how someone else told them to vote, without doing any of their own research into whomever the candidate is. It’s the grand land of sheeple, and a misplaced sense of entitlement.
Like this woman today who is only on Facebook for her kid’s school and Facebook marketplace who also told me I was an embarrassment to this entire country. I just have to laugh out loud and ask who died and made her George Washington? Do they even understand that our rights as Americans is what gives us all the right to question and speak out or speak up, and more?
Now I’ve asked around in the Quaker community and people who had kids at the school who either graduated or left, and neighbors. Apparently, there are people who have been upset with the school past and present. I was reminded of the whole nastiness with turf fields, and I don’t remember how many years ago that was. Is this nasty business the work of kids who are just jackasses or adults and why? Someone in the area also told me that the school also has overnight camps during the summer? That could mean quite a bit of other than normal human activity, right?
And the hate symbols with regard to the swastikas? I have been told this symbol is used not just against people who are Jewish now like white supremacists which I had forgotten. But I am sure yet more people will surface and blame me for all of this for questioning Farmer Jawn in general, and I will REMIND them, I am not the only one who has asked questions, there have been questionable business things as in several other things seemingly failing correct? And I still think that was a big ass grant to give someone who really hasn’t demonstrated a consistent track record, and saying that has never meant that the ideas aren’t good. It’s a lot of money for someone without a proven track record. Have you ever done anything with or for a non-profit? If so you would know how hard it is to get ANY grants.
And I do have many questions about this whole thing from beginning to end. And the media reports say this happened as well in the spring and did anyone hear anything about that? Wouldn’t you have thought Westtown School would have said something? Did they not report it to the police?
If anyone knows who did this, they absolutely should come forward.
I will finish with the Inquirer article. Whatever is happening, those symbols and whatever the other racist stuff was is really disgusting and horrible. Only time will tell if this latest venture at Westtown will be a success, but were you surprised to essentially hear not much security seems to be over in that part of Westtown’s sprawling acreage? And I am not saying that is the responsibility of Farmer Jawn, Westtown’s tenant, but I am kind of thinking Westtown should have already had a lot of security in today’s world because most schools do, don’t they? I was honestly surprised.
And to the Inquirer, I feel the need to remind them that questioning this place etc., doesn’t mean all of who have are running around with paint and messing up historic barns. And people weren’t upset at the actual farm fields laying fallow in advance or organic conversion, etc., people were upset at the weeds growing all over the FRONT where the store is and THAT is an important distinction as well.
Hey grants are there to be applied for. But is this barn project that will be completed while the fields lay fallow and there is limited farming, because the place is not technically certified organic yet?
And if Farmer Jawn no longer has a business at 6730 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19119 how can the Farmer Jawn Friends and Foundation Fund have this as an address? And because Westtown technically owns the land and the structures she is leasing, should they be the ones in fact applying for these grants?
I followed the link to the list of applications on Congresswoman Houlahan’s site, and this is what I saw
So, technically Farmer Jawn is a tenant on this land. Again, Westtown School owns it. I was unable to find any information about this on Westtown’s site. Maybe I am looking in the wrong place?
I am not saying that this would be a bad idea or project AT ALL. What I AM saying is that there are a lot of questions and loose ends surrounding the Farmer Jawn of it all aren’t there? This is a lot of money and it’s taxpayer money, we are taxpayers, so when you’re dealing with someone who doesn’t seem particularly transparent about things, it makes it hard to get behind things doesn’t it? (And yes, that is an opinion and yes that is allowed.)
The Daily Local reported on this grant project, but I didn’t see that Farmer Jawn received a grant.
• $977,573 for Ann’s Heart, 35 Hall St., Phoenixville, Purchase of Campus.
The funding would be used for the acquisition of the campus that they currently lease. The project will ensure the location continues as a hub for supportive services such as housing case management, an emergency shelter, and a commercial kitchen for food preparation and distribution.
• $117,000 for Phoenixville Police Department, Law Enforcement 21st Century Policing Initiative.
One of the things people always send me are things having to do with this “Farmer Jawn.” I thought I should set the record straight and say I am still not buying what she is selling, so kindly stop asking. She loves her socials so I am not breaking any rules by sharing screenshots. Everything I have screenshot is PUBLIC.
And I think this is still like the Emperor’s New Clothes at Westtown. I think this is smoke and mirrors and I also think eventually I will be able to say I told you so.
And she can sit up there in her domicile now in West Chester or wherever she lives and call me whatever pejorative term she wishes or say whatever she likes. I am entitled to my opinion until this woman proves me wrong, my opinion stands.
Text received today
I don’t hate this person, I don’t know this person, I don’t want to know this person. This is solely my opinion on what I have seen to date and that includes going back to Philadelphia and where is the actual business there these days?
The Constitution of this country, and the First Amendment allow me to have my opinion. My opinion is not based on race.
I don’t judge farmers by race, creed, or color. I will note that farmers in Chester County PA come in all shapes, sizes, nationalities, colors, and sexes. Farmers work hard. Farmers deserve respect.
But Fauxmers are something else entirely. If this woman proves me wrong I will own it. But thus far? She’s sadly proving me right it seems?
So I have to ask is it true last year when the mowing finally got done to cut the weeds, it was actually done by some Westtown School employees in part? Is The Westtown School paying her to farm? is she paying The Westtown School rent? How is the rent calculated / covered while the land lies fallow pending the organic of it all?
Why does The Westtown School not seem to ever answer any of these questions? Is The Westtown School setting her up to fail so they can just sell the land for development down the road?
The Westtown School has a “Dean of Communications” named Anne Burns. She never answers her phone. Her email is anne.burns@westtown.edu
And yes, I’m probably stating things that people aren’t comfortable with saying out loud and asking questions that people aren’t also comfortable with. But I’m genuinely curious because I’ve been out here in Chester County for a while now and I have never met farmers with the glam photos on farm equipment, and PR wizards, have you? Is this a new Bravo show waiting to happen?
So she can pose for photos with Governor Josh Shapiro and she can say she’s going to grow 1,000,000 pounds of food. But in the end, what will actually happen and why is her nonprofit registered to an address in Philadelphia where she doesn’t seem to have a business any longer? Why is her non-profit information incomplete on the PA Bureau of Charities website?
So I have not to date changed my opinion. Again, hopefully she will prove my suspicions wrong. But realistically I don’t know if that will happen.
Clover 🍀 Market is open for their extra special totally fabulous holiday market this weekend December 2 & 3 from 10 AM – 4 PM on the campus of The Westtown School. They have the entire athletic center. There are over 100 curated vendors. It’s so much fun!
It’s free entrance and free parking and the setting is just spectacular if you have never been to the Westtown School!
We went to the preview this morning, and the place was filling up as we were leaving. And it was totally worth it going to the preview and we will totally do that again!
I hope you go and find yourself something spectacular to give us a gift for Christmas or a little something for yourself!
I will note that I did not get anything for writing this post. I am an avid Clover Market fan and was an early Clover Market supporter.
Gosh, apparently I am a racist for questioning anything about the new Farmer in The Dell for Westtown?
Guess what? I am not a racist. I reject that as a label.
Everything doesn’t add up and water always seeks it’s own level.
This chick above wants to say that if you have questions you are tearing down a black owned business. I find that assertion on her part absolutely disgusting. And deliberately incendiary and divisive.
I have been tracking the comments. I watched on Instagram where they eviscerated a woman who not only lives in Chester County but lived a farming life for several years. She was not racist or anything remotely close, but Farmer in The Dell For Westtown allowed the people commenting to tear her apart and call her a racist .
I could post loads and loads of comments. Some good, some bad, some horrible. And there is a disturbing common theme with some comments: race baiting.
That’s wrong. I don’t care what your race, creed, or color is, it is wrong. And thanks but no, I don’t suffer from white fragility or white privilege. I can’t help the color of my skin, and that doesn’t make me bad or a racist. But it’s a great deflection tool in this scenario, isn’t it?
The message is clear even if that is not actually the intent: if you aren’t with Westtown’s New Farmer in the Dell, you’re against her. So is it you can only worship, you CANNOT raise or voice concerns about how things look (you know like the mowing issues), and you can’t say anything else? If you do, is there a shade of shade of inference none too subtly that anyone who has anything other than glowing praise and accolades is a racist? Come on, really?
And you wonder why I have zero desire to check out Farmer Jawn in Westtown and give them business at this point? I am not on the immediate bandwagon, therefore I am bad. And note, I am not saying racism doesn’t exist, it does. But I am not a practitioner.
I don’t see what this woman is actually bringing to Chester County that is positive in this moment. Hopefully it changes, and if it does that would actually and truthfully be pretty cool. The irony in ALL of this is I actually believe in her mission if it is indeed her mission. Food insecurity is a real is a real live issue, just ask Chester County Food Bank or People’s Pantry, or down on the Main Line, Narberth Community Food Bank and Ardmore Food Pantry just to name a handful of organizations who care and help.
And I actually support farmers in Chester County. But they are hard working men and women, and they spend a lot less time on Instagram telling everyone how fabulous they are. (Too much? ) And urban agriculture? It’s a good thing, just like regular gardening. But she’s in Chester County now, yes? Maybe as she asks we accept her, maybe she needs to work on some acceptance herself?
So screenshot chick and others, hope you didn’t turn blue on my account. That would be distressing. I also hope that your hate doesn’t eat you up inside. I can’t control how you feel, even if I feel it’s wrong, but you don’t have the right at attempting canceling other human beings because their opinions and questions don’t match yours, or perhaps neither their race, creed, and color.
And Grace? It’s earned. right now all y’all have earned is my disdain.
I will freely admit I am a bit salty about Farmer in the Westtown Dell’s latest post. The message is clear even if that is not actually her intent: if you aren’t with her, you’re against her. So is it you can only worship, you CANNOT raise or voice concerns about how things look (you know like the mowing issues), and you can’t say anything else? If you do, is there a shade of shade of inference none too subtly that anyone who has anything other than glowing praise and accolades is a racist?
Come on, really?
See this Instagram post from 2 days ago:
From Farmer Jawn Instagram (Public Post) 3 Days ago
So yes I wrote a post about the way the place formerly known as Pete’s Produce looked. And this was after an email blast to her followers came out. And by her I am referring to Westtown’s New Farmer in the Dell, Ms. Barfield.
That email hit a bad chord in me. I felt as if those of us expressing concern were being chided for expressing valid concerns about how everything looked. Lady, it’s called communication and that is not necessarily one and the same as an Instagram post is it?
So I wrote about it and how I felt. It’s my right is it not? I was not being racist. But I had people saying I was and messages that were vile.
So let’s back up (again.) When they first announced Ms. Barfield was the new farmer, I was welcoming with a couple of basic questions – essentially concerning the Pete’s workers who had worked that farm for in some cases, years, and would she be hiring any of them. Here verbatim is what I said at the time (December 9, 2022) :
I welcome a new farmer to continue the tradition of Pete on this land. BUT with Pete, retiring, a lot of his workers are now unemployed, so I hope since so many of them worked so hard for him for so many years that this new farmer will adopt some of his workers as hers. What I am hearing Westtown School is that might not be so?
Truthfully, I thought it was kind of cool initially when she was chosen because she was a female farmer. I did not object to the switch to organic farming, but I will still repeat what I initially said because I know organic farmers: it is a BIG process. Going organic and getting organic certification is a lot of hoops, and expensive. I also noted it doesn’t happen overnight.
These are a sampling of the 250 comments on the Instagram post that I found distasteful:
BUT I have a huge problem with the way I feel those of us out here who are essentially being told we are racists because we asked what was going on over there and can anyone understand this? That is wrong. I am not a racist and I have read through all of the 277 comments (or that was how many at last count.) Just because someone is not your race and says “hey I don’t like something happening” that is not racist. People aren’t saying because she is a black farmer or even a female farmer that she is bad or can’t do the job. They are also NOT saying she shouldn’t own farm land. Out here specifically people were referring to how run down parts of the property looked because the freaking weeds weren’t cut along the sides of the road leading into the market area. Sometimes things are just about what people say. Sometime it’s not more or bad or wrong.
People did try to have a conversation about this on this Instagram post. Like one lady said and I quote:
I find what bothers me the most is that conventional farmers such as Pete and others are made to sound as if they are horrible stewards of the earth. I wish you the best but please respect all farming practices. There’s nothing unhealthy about the soil on that farm.
One of the replies this person received was horrible. She was told she had white logic essentially and what the offensive same hell does she mean? Just like the subsequent comment to someone else asking about “your species”? I am sorry was this person an alien?
And then there are the locals who feel they have to literally suck up and say that they are so sorry everyone is so negative and change doesn’t come easily and please forgive everyone for the negativity. The negativity is primarily coming from the supporters of Farmer Jawn. And yes, I agree change doesn’t come easily. But it’s all about how the change is presented.
Let’s review: when Westtown first announced the new farmer of that land people were excited. The land would stay farmed and not become a crop of cheap plastic mushroom houses. Then it was nothing really, including the weeds which didn’t get cut for months. That made people wonder and worry, myself included. I was not racist on my comments and am not a racist but yeah I am damn straight going to react to words like raggedy. And when I have never made the race or sex of this farmer (or any other farmer) an issue, why is she saying that is why people are asking questions?
Newsflash, Ms. Barfield, people asked questions and had understandable concerns considering how well tended the land had been by the last steward of the land even if he wasn’t organic. I will note he wasn’t exactly a straight Round Up farmer, either. He was just a conventional farmer, not organic. But for what it is worth conventional farmers I know do employ a lot of organic practices even if they do not have the organic official status because of the expense of becoming certified organic. This farmer could have played this straight and allayed fears people had. But she really has not in my opinion. And that is why I am finding this Instagram you did offensive to those of us who live here.
And that is the thing of it: you are the new steward of the land but you are unknown except for your social media out here in the community you are entering into. And you have kind of been putting this combative vibe out there. It’s not warranted. Life is difficult enough at times without that. Just because I am white doesn’t make me a bad person does it? So why would you assume I judged you by the color of your skin? I didn’t. And I won’t.
Ms. Barfield. I do not have a problem with either your mission or your vision. I do still wonder if the Westtown land will be too much and too expensive for you long term, but that isn’t wishing you ill or implying you can’t do it. I am not slamming you as a female farmer of any creed or color. What I have a problem with is anyone implying folks have a racial angle if they ask questions about your Westtown farming. That will not engender good will in the community you wish to be a part of.
Farming like gardening is kind of like life, especially when you are cultivating. Because lady, people require cultivation too. I was planning to show up and support you when you announced your August 18th opening. I was happy to hear this. But then came your Raggedyness post on Instagram and those comments. Now, I will get there when I get there.
My business in particular doesn’t matter a hill of beans, and I know that, but what I am saying that may resonate, is that if we had questions or reservations at all, are we really actually welcome as potential customers?
A customer wants to feel welcomed. That’s a pretty simple tenet of customer service.
Ms. Barfield, FarmerJawn, I wish you the best, but I am never one who will mince words when something strikes me as wrong or unfair.
So the email came out today from Farmer Jawn about all those acres she’s renting where Chester County’s beloved now retired Farmer Pete and Pete’s Produce used to be. I will allow the new farmer her words (this email came out today):
A Heartfelt Update from our CEO, Christa Barfield
Dear Community,
I am thrilled to share some wonderful news with you. FarmerJawn is ecstatic to announce the grand opening of the FarmerJawn Produce Market on Friday, August 18th, running through the Thanksgiving season. Get ready for a bounty of fresh, locally-grown tomatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, an array of greens, local products, and so much more.
I understand that some of you may have wondered why it took a little longer for us to open our doors. Allow me to shed some light on the process: It was essential for me to honor this Lenape land and prioritize the health of people and the planet. To achieve this, I made the conscious decision to let the foliage on our farm go through their natural life cycle, enriching the soil in the process.
Now that we have mowed it down, we are well on our way to converting our farm operation from conventional to fully organic, just as I promised.
The journey hasn’t been without its challenges. We’ve bobbed and weaved through irrigation woes, faced oppressive commentary, endured unkind visits, braved torrential downpours, and even navigated through the haze of Canadian wildfire smoke. Despite it all, I am immensely proud of what my team and our volunteer community have accomplished, and I stand firmly by my decisions thus far. I am filled with gratitude for all the farmers and environmentalists who understand the mission at hand and have stood by me as we see it through.
For those who don’t know me, I started my professional career as a healthcare professional before transitioning into farming. My dedication to “Food is Medicine” is rooted in my commitment to the wellness of our community, the Philadelphia metro area, extending to the great state of Pennsylvania and the surrounding states, but my impact is most certainly felt internationally.
I cannot express how excited I am to welcome each and every one of you to FarmerJawn at Westtown School. I named my organization FarmerJawn as a love note to my city, which also symbolizes that we all should know where our food comes from. It is truly an honor for me, my team, and our farm & food artisan partners to nourish you now and through to the 2023 holiday season and beyond. We are eager to serve you with the freshest and healthiest produce, grown with love and care.
In the coming weeks, we will continue regular communication and provide more details about our market’s hours of operation, our style of farming as it is clearly different and not understood and a warm introduction to our dedicated team members. We are committed to creating a welcoming environment, where you will find not just prized produce, but also a sense of community.
Additionally, if you happen to know anyone interested in part-time cashier/stock employment, we have openings available. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@farmerjawnphilly.com.
Thank you all for your continued support and patience. Your belief in our mission is what drives us to do better and be better every day. We can’t wait to see you at the FarmerJawn Produce Market in the coming weeks, where health, sustainability, and community come together. Westtown is one location within the FarmerJawn ecosystem and we are driving systemic change for our region that will be felt nationwide.
With heartfelt gratitude, Christa Barfield aka FarmerJawn
P.S. For those of you, who know and love the Westtown farm and patronized the market over the previous years, please take into account that it began as a small farm stand and developed and experienced growth over two decades. Also understand that Less than 2% of U.S. farmland is stewarded by Black people and just over 0% is stewarded by a Black woman and the ‘why’ is rooted in the colonization of opportunity. Please think about all these facts as you form opinions about who FarmerJawn is…FarmerJawn is a Movement!
Ok. Deep breath. As a former customer of Pete’s Produce and a resident of Chester County who used to drive to Westtown to go to Pete’s BEFORE I lived in Chester County, I am actually trying to NOT be offended by this woman’s message.
For starters does she think none of us have seen farm fields go fallow to rest the land and rejuvenate? I certainly have and I know (for example) that Pete did not abuse the land and milk it without nourishment like the now former farmer at Immaculata did. When Immaculata switched tenant farmers, those farm fields literally breathed a sigh of relief. The new farmer tilled and added bone meal and manure and more. No more Round Up and his first season he planted a cover crop of soy that he just let grow to enrich the soil. I watched that guy care for the fields. And not one field was left to look like a hot weed filled mess. He respected the land and the neighbors and the school he is leasing the fields from. And today the fields have never looked better.
I also have known and do know other farmers who also will rotate their fields so sometimes some fields sit. When a field lies fallow, it doesn’t look like much is happening. But it is. It is resting and the land is rejuvenating. But when fields are laying fallow, other parts of a property can actually be maintained a bit. You know like the entrance to the old market etc.? Pete didn’t plant crops to the edge of the road.
And yes, I do know it takes a couple of years to be able to get land being farmed back to straight organic. And the process to get an organic certification is detailed and somewhat arduous to get established.
However, right or wrong, I feel like you are either WITH this farmer or AGAINST this farmer, and up until this point I was NEITHER, but like many many many other people I was wondering what the hell was going on.
Why? Simple, when I drove by July 17th and this was the view:
Sorry not sorry, it looked like shit. That was a beautiful property and when it wasn’t in season, umm the basics were done….like the mowing.
When I posted about this on my blog’s Facebook page oh the oh so uglies came out to the point that I had to remove most comments because people were not being civil to each other or to me for expressing MY opinion that the property looks like crap.
I said after I was forced to remove comments:
Please note that I have removed the majority of the comments. Not because all of them were objectionable or because I didn’t agree but because I’m sick and tired.
I am sick and tired of being judged because I expressed my opinion.
I’m sick and tired of people saying it entirely stupid things like, why don’t I personally ask the farmer what’s going on or why don’t I show the farmer some grace.And then there were the dancing thinly veiled comments that I found utterly reprehensible that basically to say what once was beautiful land looks like crap right now is borderline racist. That is not what I’m saying at all that is not what anyone else is saying AT ALL.
And I’m also sick and tired of people, saying I am raising hysteria by what I wrote. What I said is the property looks sad. What I said is it looks really sad to drive by and not even see a farm stand. I went on further to say that I think the property kind of looks like crap because they’re not even cutting the weeds.
I am fully cognizant of how hard farming is, and I also know how hard organic farming is, but I am wondering, as are many other people if the new farmer has bitten off more than she can chew. And I don’t wish that on her because it would be great if she could succeed, but while she is hyper focused on her other properties in her other areas, she seems less concerned about all of us out here and she’s our new neighbor. Maybe smart marketing should include putting the minds of the new community she is joining at ease?
That is not a hysterical opinion or bad.
Some of you need to get over yourselves.
Above you see a photo I took I think sometime in October of 2017. It shows the beauty of this place. Even when not organically farmed. It was beautiful because Pete took care of the land and so did his crews. He loved it, you could feel that. When you reward the land it rewards you back.
So this email sent to people today. Personally I felt alienated, like it was an email shaming for those of us who expressed concern as to the tumble down state of the place. And the paragraph with too much usage of the word professional in the same paragraph was just annoying. She isn’t the only professional woman on the planet, is she?
Someone said to me recently:
I think Farmer Jawn is a great content creator and branding extraordinaire but a terrible farmer. Because it’s a lot of work. 100% organically dope is her tagline…which really means 100% not profitable. There is a reason the average age of US farmers is almost 60 years old….
I agree with that sentiment sadly. Her not really taking the time out here until a random act of email now and some long overdue mowing leaves a bad taste. Whose community is she referring to in her email? All of us equally? I hope so.
I will also point out that we had a sense of community until Westtown School decided to go a different direction. We all knew Pete was approaching retirement age but people still wonder what role Westtown School had to play in last year being his last season don’t they? Pete also employed a steady roster of dedicated employees and farm workers I was told, so when he retired and Farmer Jawn came on the scene, they were part of out with the old, weren’t they? Farmer Jawn is looking for workers, did she reach out to any of Pete’s former employees, I wonder? Or will she?
So Farmer Jawn has a national mission? Will she actually have time for us little folk in Chester County? That remains to be seen. I mean she already in her own email thinks us rubes who can’t possibly grasp the concept of organic farmer or other styles of farming. Lady, I know other organic farmers and with respect kindly don’t patronize the people you need to cultivate.
That email was patronizing. We all know that Pete’s started small. I also am going to say personally, that I respect farmers in general. They race, nationality, gender, etc. does not make me respect any farmer any less. Although I do have a soft spot for female run farms. Which is why initially I was excited a female farmer was coming to Westtown. For me it’s pretty simple: it’s not the hype of social media marketing, it’s what they actually do with the land.
I am going to point out some Chester County history now. Brackbill Farm Markets. Started by an East Whiteland farmer once upon a time in a land far, far away. Mr. Leasa as far as I can see is the reason there ended up being what evolved into what we know today as the Ardmore Farmers Market.
So truly, I do not intend to be unkind here. But I will reserve further judgement until I see an actual anything happening off of social media. I don’t disagree with what she is trying to do at all. So I hope people have the comprehension abilities to understand that. But this is our part of the world and every day we see farms disappear. We don’t want this farmland to disappear. Honestly, the other issue is I am not trusting of Westtown School so that is part of my overall reservations. I know people who live around the school who have been fighting turf fields and nasty lights, which in order to be paid for are always constantly rented out. They also aren’t exactly organic.
Westtown is a lovely school, I had many friends who went there and then sent kids there, but do they really want this new farmer to succeed? Or do they ultimately want the land for something else or to sell it off some day? THAT is what people WORRY about. They want a successful farming operation and farming to stay.
Yes this new farmer has taken to social media and podcasts and what not, but seriously? She needs to make some time for the people out here she wants to support her and whom she needs to support her.
I understand Rome wasn’t built in a day and no farm was ever built in a day, but please be real with us, right? And I miss sunflowers in the farmhouse front field.
For us to support her movement, we might actually need to see some movement, eh? That means, not left feeling chided and talked down to or patronized in an email sent out to an email list. I am not a social media influencer, don’t have any desire to be, just want to know when the farm is going to stop looking haunted and start looking like a farm where I can patronize a local business and buy my produce etc. once again.
I don’t need partnerships with wineries and cider makers and posts from State Rep. Madeleine Dean, who is probably gearing up for her next re-election campaign or something.
I don’t need chef collaborations, I am a rather good cook on my own. I want to see life again in this part of Westtown. I want to feel as a potential customer that I will be welcomed. Will we all be welcomed equally? I hope so because I honestly want to support this business because I like it and I want to.
I am sure there will be many who think I have some nerve stating my opinion. Take a ticket and stand in line, that’s like every day with whatever I write. This is how I feel about all of this and I look forward to hopefully all of my doubts and questions being put to rest.
I will close with my post saying good bye to Pete’s last fall:
“I have been coming here for 30 years” said the nice man yesterday who was taking photos of the farmhouse and remaining sunflowers like me. I think Pete Flynn AKA the Pete of Pete’s has been doing his thing for about 35 years. People tell me before he was a farmer with his namesake store, he was a truck farmer.
Yup. We all have been. Now granted for me, when I first discovered Pete’s I was a Main Liner, so I didn’t get out there often, but when I did, it was magical.
Going to Pete’s has always been magical. Decent prices, friendly people, plants, tradition….community.
But the magic is ending, and the auction signs have gone up and I am just sad.
Pete Flynn has been a beacon of hope in an area being swallowed up by development and pipelines. He deserves to retire, he has worked hard. What is sad is there is no one to take up the mantle after him. Now there will be no farm attached to Westtown School, just like there is no farm attached to Church Farm School. I hope the land is not eventually developed, but I don’t hold out much hope. No one wants to farm much any longer, and those who do have had land prices and taxes driven up by wanton development. That and government doesn’t adequately support farmers on any level.
I do not know how long his website will remain, so I am sharing it now. I hope he keeps it up. I really wish this wonderful place wasn’t leaving us. Farms and farmers deserve a better deal.
Thanks for the memories and great produce, Pete. Thanks for doing something that matters.
