Movement, in what direction?
- August Kind
- Jul 9
- 2 min read
As of late, I have had the incredible privilege of introducing my work and the incredible ecosystems at the Skyfarm to the media of Houston. I have been the Lead Skyfarmer there for the last year and a half and was a Junior Farmer for a year before stepping into this role. The transformative power that caring for this land in the sky has had on my life cannot be understated. My job is not easy by any means and I always aim to improve my work, but I am endlessly grateful to the public and the land for allowing me to honor them every season. The ethics that I conduct my work at the farm through also guides me in my personal life and aspirations.
Recently, I was asked to write an op-ed for the Houston Chronicle and the article was published alongside photos taken by a photographer from the paper. I had felt confident in the original version of the op-ed as it felt true to the narrative I wanted to express about the Skyfarm and all that spaces like this could mean to our communities. Sadly, with the edits made by the Chronicle, it felt as though it was a completely different article. I considered asking them to not publish, purely because attaching my name to something I did not write wholly felt wrong. In the end, I decided to make some edits here and there to their version and promised myself I would take the opportunity to share the original alongside the published version for transparency in my own space.
Part of what makes the Skyfarm so important has largely to do with land use and ecosystem creation/destruction. Being able to work in a manmade space and allow the native flora and fauna to return has been a big shift for the farm that prior to my leadership grew exclusively cultivated plants. Seeing the Land for all that she is and valuing the gifts her bounty offers is what guides me in my work as the Lead Skyfarmer. The politics of land and land use cannot be ignored when talking about growing food in Texas and the edited version of my article felt sterile and lackluster. It is my hopes in sharing both versions of the article here that I can honor my words and work as well as the wholeness of the ecosystem the farm has become.
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