Farm aims to foster appreciation of ‘roots’

Gillingham launches community facility

By Angie Hund | Manor Ink

Livingston Manor, NY – Gael Roots Community Farm is an educational nonprofit farm located on Cattail Road in this hamlet. This organization is collaboratively run and founded by Iris Gillingham, a former Manor Ink editor-in-chief.

Gael Roots’ focus is geared toward skill sharing and working with the local community nutritionally and educationally. In the fall of 2022, Gael Roots received help in purchasing the 150 acres the farm currently stands on. It includes 40 acres of fields for growing vegetables, raising animals and making hay; the remaining area is varying woodlands.

The development of the farm is a community effort, with over a dozen contributors. “We have a lot of really cool community members who are just jumping in to contribute different elements to the farm,” said Gillingham.

Gael Roots Community Farm is named after the Gaels, the people of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Mann, and the values of balance within that community and land. These values are instilled in the foundation of the Gael Roots community. The term “roots’’ refers to plants and vegetables, but also to life in nature. Understanding those roots is an integral part of growth.

Raised a farm girl

Born and raised in the Catskill countryside, Gillingham grew up on her parents’ property, Wild Roots Farm. Her mom and dad homeschooled her and taught her about organic farming, ethical consumption and the value of community. Learning from their communal values, Iris committed herself to continuing their vision by opening her own farm. She refers to Gael Roots as a “multi-generational dream,” meaning it’s built from decades of knowledge and technique, while still incorporating inclusivity and diversity.

Inspired by her parents’ contributions to Sullivan County for over 30 years, Gillingham sought the opportunity to have a similar direct connection to her community. “My parents used to grow organic vegetables for the local community, and I wanted to continue some of that,” she said. “But I also add new elements of social justice and food security and intergenerational knowledge sharing. This farm has the capacity, because it’s right on the road and more accessible, to share more with the community.”

The creation of a community farm allows for proper product distribution and food donations. It also educates people on the value of food and how to access it. Gael Roots aims to educate the community and future generations about local agriculture. Whether it’s teaching agricultural or land conservation skills, or advocating for the preservation of agricultural history, Gael Roots encourages the understanding of the complex relationship between humans and nature, and the importance of building that connection.

“When kids come, we teach them tree identification, we teach them about plants that you can eat right in your back yard, and we teach them about the health benefits,” Gillingham said.

Goals for the farm’s future

As the collaborative farm grows, Gael Roots intends to work with Livingston Manor Central School and the hamlet’s library by providing services such as internships, workshops and farming programs. In the future, the farm plans to supply the LMCS kitchen with fresh produce. Gillingham expressed an eagerness to strengthen kids’ relationship to homegrown foods, the power of gardening and vegetables.

“We want kids to be able to see vegetables in the field before they are served at school,” she said. “If kids don’t have a relationship with vegetables, how can they know how vegetables are grown or where they come from?”

The farm has already introduced itself to the community. Currently, the nonprofit organization is collaborating with Catskill Art Space in fiber art workshops using wool from Gael Roots sheep.

Iris Gillingham’s goals for the future of Gael Roots Community Farm include creating a healthy ecosystem and conveying the value of soil health. “I would hope that in five years, some of the folks who have come to Gael Roots to experience being on a farm, to participate in its programs, pick wild blueberries, meet the sheep – that the farm cellularly changes their experience of the world,” she concluded. “I hope that in five years we’ll have a lot of people who have come here and this place will have impacted them, making them want to come back and want to foster a relationship with local agriculture and ecology in the Catskills.”

To learn more about Gael Roots Community Farm and the programs it offers, visit gaelrootsfarm.org.