Photo: EarthDance apprentices and staff ahead of a food delivery, from left, apprentices Brady Struckhoff, Marlan Davis, Dani Fuhrman, Sarah Staab, Sharda (Sy) Oliver, staff member Alisha Harris, apprentice Mia Phutrakul, staff members Margaret Gerker, Jo Phillips, and Will Delacey.
EarthDance Organic Farm School, a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture in Ferguson, is celebrating its 16th year of teaching eco-friendly farming practices and promoting access to healthy, local food. Founded as a non-profit teaching farm, EarthDance has educated hundreds of individuals in the art and science of organic farming, while continuously refining their methods and deepening their impact within the community.
In 2024, the teaching farm is seeing unprecedented growth, particularly in its revised Apprenticeship Program. Director of Impact Tiffany Brewer noted that the program underwent significant changes over the past few years to become more inclusive and equitable. “For 12 seasons, we hosted a tuition-based apprenticeship program that was months long and wasn’t really reaching people where they were,” Brewer said. Recognizing the need for change, the EarthDance team secured funding first through AmeriCorps, then through more traditional fundraising, to transition the program into a paid apprenticeship. This adjustment has allowed the farm to host fewer participants who engage even more deeply in the work while earning a living wage.
This year’s cohort included four paid apprentices—two full-season and two summer participants—alongside three volunteer apprentices. With their hard work, the EarthDance farm team has grown produce yields by 40% so far this year. The apprentices have shown unwavering commitment to the farm’s mission of sustainable farming and community nourishment, helping to provide fresh, organic produce to the community on a pay-what-you-can basis.
Full Season Apprentice Dani Fuhrman emphasized the importance of EarthDance’s organic, regenerative practices. “We keep so much energy in our soil by using no-till methods, by using ground cover, by allowing organic matter to stay—those nutrients and biology get transferred into the plants, and then those plants fruit, and those fruits get transferred to our bodies,” Fuhrman said.
The produce grown at EarthDance reaches the community through various channels, including the on-farm Pay What You Can Farm Stand, the Ferguson Farmers Market, and a network of food distribution partners throughout St. Louis. Summer Apprentice and Ferguson resident Marlan Davis highlighted the farm’s impact on local residents, noting that EarthDance offers an accessible way to eat healthy while enjoying food grown with care and love. “There’s not anything better to eat than something that has that, you know,” he said.
To learn more about EarthDance’s work or to support their mission, the community is invited to visit the farm, explore their website, or sign up for their newsletter. EarthDance will also host its annual Farmers Formal, the farm’s largest fundraising event, on Friday, September 13, 2024, at the World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park.