Support Stubborn Ewe Farm

My name is Kenze Burkhart, and I am a 23 year old farmer who recently moved back to my hometown in rural Western Pennsylvania.


The area I grew up in has historically been defined by conventional corn, soy, and dairy production, as well as the removal of nonrenewable resources. These sights are normalized for the children that grow up in my area. I learned to recognize acid mine drainage from coal mining in elementary school. We no longer react to the warning sound for a blast at the local strip mines removing glacial sand and gravel, and once the trucks and hundreds of workers leave, we quickly learn to ignore the scars on our landscape that are huge concrete natural gas well pads.  

We lose historic farmland to this industry as farmers that have struggled for generations sell their mineral and gas rights, finally able to live comfortably without working constantly.  Even without this loss of farmland, our agricultural products are not entering our community, and those that are mostly contribute to feeding livestock- not our people.

By federal standards Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania is considered a food desert.  The USDA defines a food desert as “part of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas”. In the borough of Slippery Rock, 42.6% of the population lives below the poverty line.

My town struggles with obesity across all demographic lines. We lose our youth to drugs, suicide, and drunk driving. We have an issue with stagnancy.

Part of the rhetoric we learn as young people in this area is to get out, and for this reason after high school I left.


I went to Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA where I studied Archaeology and Anthropology. It was in Central PA where I fell in love with farming, and I stayed there farming full time for a year and a half after I graduated college. Becoming a farmer completely changed my perspective of my state, my hometown, and of our national food system. When it was time for me to decide what came next, I knew I only wanted to farm. I knew I couldn’t bring myself to leave PA, and I couldn’t get my hometown off of my mind.


I am young, but please don’t mistake me for naïve. I understand the challenges of farming. I know first-hand the long days, how it feels to lose an animal or watch a crop fail, and I know the struggle of making a dollar. I do not expect it to be easy, and even with your gracious support it will be a battle. I am however, hopeful, and like any other small scale farmer, I am not in it to strike it rich.

I returned to my hometown because I want to do what I love. I want to contribute to the community that whether I previously accepted it or not, is a part of why I am the person I am today. I believe that everyone deserves access to healthy and affordable food free of pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones. I believe in preserving farmland and leaving it viable for the next generation. I believe that good food provides community, spreads love, stimulates involvement, and that in turn helps raise spirits and health.


So I am asking for you to help me help my community. This is going to be an expensive start-up for me, and from seeds to a mobile woodfired oven, I have a lot of investments ahead of me. Many of the grants that I was hoping to recieve in the coming years are being threatened by our new administration. I will be incredibly grateful for any contributions I receive. If you want to know more about my operation and dreams please visit my website  and contact me with any questions.

Thank You!