My name is Sammy Tookey, I am a young, experienced farmer hoping to begin my own sustainable farm. Any funds received will go to the seeds, equipment, rent, and infrastructure I need to start planting this spring at a chosen site in Sonoma County, California.  

I grew up around small-scale, sustainable, and organic agriculture where I learned the importance of quality, local food. In college, I studied all aspects of food and farming, earning a B.S. in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems from UC Davis, while also applying the lecture halls' theories in the real-world experience of working on the student farm.  I have since worked on farms ranging from one to thirty acres, taken on management positions, and have learned many lessons around running a farm business. 
 
I have been lucky to work on some beautiful farms, but have always wanted to start one of my own. I yearn to create a farming system that is rooted in the collective knowledge of my many brilliant mentors while also creating something unique, novel, and reflective of my personal motives and perspectives. I envision a truly sustainable farm that nourishes its community with a bounty of healthy food while paying its employees a living wage, focuses on soil health and carbon sequestration, and is efficient with materials and machinery in order to remain economically viable for years to come. 

While I hold many intersecting privilages and have the support of a farming family, several years of fieldwork wages and student loan payments leave me unable to begin a farm business without outside funding. If you are in the position to contribute anything to help me achieve my dreams I cannot express how grateful I would be.