Breaking Down Barriers: A Future Farmer changes course
to focus on creating his own farm.
“I attended Virginia Tech for a year,” shared Ahmed, the American son of Sudanese immigrants. “My first year at college, I didn’t do as well as I wanted to so I took some time off.”
After looking for ways to learn hands-on and connect with people, Ahmed found WWOOF. He researched farms and connected with a host farmer in Puerto Rico.
“WWOOFing was life changing. It was really impactful. It solidified my purpose in life and my path – to be more connected with nature. I decided I want to make my own permaculture farm.”
Inspired by the people in Puerto Rico’s agriculture community, Ahmed returned home with a new passion for education to fulfill his future dream.
“I knew then that I really wanted to study agriculture and permaculture. I will be graduating with a horticulture degree this month and am looking to continue my education in a four year program in the field of agriculture, horticulture, forestry and soil science.”
After he was awarded a Future Farmer Grant, Ahmed was able to WWOOF for a third time and further his education on a dairy in Oregon.
With the average age of a US farmer nearing 60, WWOOF is committed to providing accessible and inclusive educational opportunities and helping to build the next generation of farmers.
Your donation will directly fund the 2023 Future Farmer Program. The Future Farmers Grant awards grants to individuals like Ahmed who have faced barriers to entry into farming and are committed to learning how to farm organically.
