1. PLACE PHOTO HERE,
OTHERWISE DELETE BOX
PLACE PHOTO HERE,
OTHERWISE DELETE BOX
PLACE PHOTO HERE,
OTHERWISE DELETE BOX
Youth Farm Project
2014 Annual Report

2. 2
Youth Farm Project Annual Report 2014
Youth Farm Project
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
To Friends and Supporters of the Youth Farm Project:
Early winter finds us planting garlic, mulching, pulling in irrigation, and in general putting the farm to bed. The
organizers meet weekly, reviewing the summer season, visioning for the future, working on securing funding,
and distributing all the produce we’ve grown.
The produce our summer crews worked so hard to grow is now finding its way into the lunch program of the
Ithaca City School District, as well as the New Roots Charter School, and restaurants in town. We regularly
donate food to the Friendship Donation Network, helping to provide direct access to fresh, wholesome food
to families with limited resources. In addition to having our produce at the Congo Square Market, and the
Triphammer and Cornell markets, we have begun holding pop-up farmers’ markets at area schools.
Our weekly off-farm development sessions this summer included presentations on structural poverty in
Tompkins County, the factors around childhood obesity, and volunteering at Loaves and Fishes. We
increased our visits to other farms this season, providing valuable opportunities for learning and perspective.
Chefs came to the farm to teach us to make raw vegetable snacks, in addition to our weekly cooking classes.
The chefs and the teens love working together, and it’s wonderful to watch palettes expand, and concepts
around nutrition start to feel real.
From service work, to entrepreneurship, to understanding the social structures of race and economy, working
and learning positive communication skills with peers from other schools and backgrounds, to plain old
organic farming, your support has made it possible for the Youth Farm Project to build on its mission: To
empower local youth as integral participants in building equitable local food systems and healthy
communities. We are blessed to spend the year with young people, all engaged in meaningful work and
paradigm-shifting conversations.
As an experiential educational program for high school students, providing healthy produce to underserved
families in our community, the Youth Farm Project is built on community support. Your contribution will help
us to continue, and to grow!
In gratitude,
Farmer Ann, Farmer Joseph, Katie, Dan and the entire YFP crew
November 15, 2014

3. 3
Youth Farm Project Annual Report 2014
Youth Farm Project
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
“This is my second summer at the Youth Farm and my first year as a crew leader. The year seems to be flying
by and we’re already three weeks in! People are becoming closer and building stronger bonds; it’s great. And
there is so much smiling. Everyone has blessed me with hilarious conversations and so much laughter.
This week was a particularly great week at the farm; good weather (not too hot or cold), in-depth
conversations and lots of laughing. Everyone on the farm did a lot of hard, fulfilling work this week and through
it, we were smiling and getting very dirty. Just my crew alone seeded over twenty flats of basil, zucchini, and
lettuce in one morning. Then as a whole group, we discussed the meaning of sustainable farming.
Wednesday was our weekly development session at LACS. We had two local leaders in the community. Kirby
Edmonds and Jemila Sequira, come to speak to us. Kirby Edmonds, Dorothy Cotton Institute Fellow and
Coordinator of Training for Change, led an informative discussion about structural poverty in Tompkins
County. Kirby shared that the local employment/education/prison system gives children in poverty very few
options for escaping poverty. Simply put, youth in poverty can end up with two options for employment: 2-3
minimum wage jobs or illegal activity such as selling drugs. Also, the public education system doesn’t prepare
youth to break out of this poverty cycle. This, on top of the fact that poverty can restrict access to capital to
pursue higher education or to start a business. Kirby didn’t stop his talk at the hard to break cycle of poverty,
but showed that public education, workforce training, and other types of social justice organizations have so
much untapped potential to help us all attain ownership in the way we provide for ourselves, family, and
community through living wage jobs, access to capital. Next, Jemila, Whole Community Project coordinator,
shared how she became a leader in the local food justice movement and shared projects from the community.
The chef for this week was Shimels Damtew, owner of Shimel’s Ethiopian Cuisine, a pop-up food stand, came
and cooked some delicious beef tips, bean/carrot sauté, and greens with us. I wish I knew how to describe
this with more detail, but I do know that the food was
amazing!
Thursday and Friday, we planted potatoes for four
hours. It was a lot of potato planting but my crew had a
lot of help from other crews so we got three rows done
and after that, we stood and marveled at how quickly
and efficiently something can get done if you have ten
kids all setting their minds to it.”
PLACE PHOTO HERE,
OTHERWISE DELETE BOX
Meet Vicky
Vicky, a student at Lehman Alternative Learning School
(LACS) has been working on the farm for the past two
years, hoping to return this coming summer. Vicky loves
YFP and believes that the work the teenagers do on the
farm is not only rewarding, but educational in terms of food
system and agricultural information. Below is an
enlightening piece Vicky contributed to the YFP blog about
one of her weeks spent working on the farm. Vicky makes it
clear that the summer program provides her with the
opportunity to expand her knowledge about social and food
justice issues.

4. 4
Youth Farm Project Annual Report 2014
Youth Farm Project
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
It is always great to hear from YFP alumni and what they are up to. Many youth who have been a part of our
program go on to study subjects revolved around food justice and sustainable agriculture. Emily Belle is one
such alum. Emily is currently majoring in Environmental Studies, with a concentration in Community Food
Sovereignty, as well as majoring in Comparative American Studies at Oberlin College in
Ohio. She works as a tutor and mentor at a local
after-school program, and she spent this past summer
completing a Community-Engaged Research Fellowship about
options for food justice education. Additionally, she
co-facilitated a “Food Systems and Social Justice”
mini-course for college students in the fall. Emily
writes, “the experiences that I gained through YFP
have been foundational for establishing my interest in
all of these projects, and continue to inform my work
and studies.”
Zoë has been working with Youth Farm Project for the past two summers, beginning her journey with the
program in 2013. Zoë discovered YFP through Ithaca’s Youth Employment Services (YES). After applying for
the summer position, she was hired as a crew member for her first summer, and then was provided with the
opportunity to be a crew leader the following summer. As a crew leader,
Zoë was responsible for monitoring a group of three to five of YFP’s
summer workers. She ensured that everyone in her “crew” knew exactly
what they were doing and how to complete a task safely. Additionally,
she evaluated the effectiveness of her crew working together, fostering
the safety and comfort Youth Farm Project encourages. Based on what
Zoë has said about the summer program, it is clear that YFP has left a
great impression on her. Zoë claims that she loves the farm and believes
YFP’s mission and vision are great steps towards a sustainable future, a
future where everyone has access to healthy food. She explained that
YFP “has positively influenced a great majority of the teens that have
worked there over the summer...this above most other things is
important as it is the children of a community that make the difference
that the community needs.”
Although Zoë has fallen in love with Youth Farm Project and everything it strives for, she is unsure about her
plans for this coming summer as she prepares for
college after graduating from New Roots Charter
School. She does not believe she will pursue a career
in the agriculture field, but she knows that she “will
always have a love and respect for what the Youth
Farm means and a greater appreciation for organic
food.” As she prepares for what the future holds, Zoë
cannot help but to hope for a forthcoming world with a
greater number of programs in the community similar
to YFP. As always, it will be sad to see another YFP
member come and go, but we are proud of the person
Zoë has become and we look forward to hearing about
her life after high school.
________________________________________________________________________________________
PLACE PHOTO HERE,
OTHERWISE DELETE
BOX
PLACE PHOTO HERE,
OTHERWISE DELETE BOX
Food Justice for the Future

5. 5
Youth Farm Project Annual Report 2014
Youth Farm Project
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
“It is wonderful to see how food can foster connectionnot only
between people, but also between people and the environment. I am so
grateful to be a part of the Youth Farm community.”
“I feel great about the physical aspect of work. It
makes me feel motivated and strong. It is beautiful to
utilize your body in producing the food that nourishes
it.”
“It is a great job to improve confidence, do
something with your community involving food,
and work with the earth positively.”
“I think it is extremely important to expand your
community and develop symbiotic relationships with other
members to build a stronger community.”
“The act of cooking and sharing meals together brings the work we
do full circle and brings a greater level of appreciationand
community to the program.”
“The work I have done here has changed the way I view myself and my
place in the world.”

6. 6
Youth Farm Project Annual Report 2014
Youth Farm Project
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
The Food We Grow:
who eats it & where does it go?
As part of our commitment to building a stronger, healthier, and more sustainable local food system, we have
continued to strive to sell our produce consistently and affordably to local school lunch programs. In this way,
the Ithaca City School District Child Nutrition Program has served as one of the primary avenues through
which we aim to provide children of underrepresented groups with the nutritious food needed for a healthy life.
This year, over one TON of the Youth Farm’s produce was served in Ithaca City Schools – over twice as
much (and over 1,000 pounds more) than in 2012! We sell this produce at a price the district can afford, which
is a mere one-half to one-third of the typical organic wholesale price.; Youth reached with this food include all
of the children served by the Ithaca City School District’s Child Nutrition Program, Ithaca High School, New
Roots, and LACS.
Additionally, YFP provides the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program at Beverly J. Martin Elementary
School with 70 percent of their produce this fall. Through this program, 250 children ate healthy snacks each
day, made with fresh fruits and vegetables which many of them would have never tried otherwise. Other
avenues through which we sell and donate produce in efforts to improve community food security is to the
Market Boxes Program, providing low cost CSA-type shares to low income families, Loaves and Fishes, the
Ithaca Health Alliance, the Friendship Donations Network, the Congo Square Market/Southside Community
Center. In 2013, YFP donated an estimated $2,000-worth of produce to these organizations and to local
families as well as volunteers and the Youth Farmers themselves.
Vegetables provided
to local schoolsfrom
the Youth Farm
include:
green beans, kale, onions,
potatoes, tomatoes, bell
peppers, zucchini, garlic,
broccoli, leeks, daikon
radishes, cutting celery,
hakurei turnips, collards,
field greens, carrots, and
more!

7. 7
Youth Farm Project Annual Report 2014
Youth Farm Project
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
PLACE PHOTO HERE,
OTHERWISE DELETE BOX
PLACE PHOTO HERE,
PLACE PHOTO HERE,
OTHERWISE DELETE BOX
YFP in the Community
Youth Farm Project is dedicated to providing youth with
valuable, life-changing experiences. This would not be
possible without help from and exposure to the local
community.
Sharing Chefs
As part of Youth Farm Project’s year-round program, we
invite local chefs to share their healthy cooking
expertise with us in the Lehman Alternative Community
School kitchen. Here is what Emma Frisch from Frisch
Kitchen had to say about working with YFP members:
“One of my favorite parts of cooking with the kids at
YFP was their varied experience in the kitchen. I was
sharing my own recipes with them but, they were also
helping each other learn each step: how to chop an
onion, how to tear herbs with your fingers to preserve
the flavor.”
We are thrilled to say that over the summer we
received a visit from D.W. Nutt, a writer from the
Ithaca Journal. We are thankful for the
opportunity Ithaca Journal gave us to share what
our program is about with the community. Here
are just a few quotes from the article from our
Assistant Farmer Joseph Amsili:
“Some kids come with a lot of gardening
experience from home, but for a lot of kids it’s
completely new to them. So we teach kids how
to learn to work hard and use their bodies. We
show them they can be powerful and create
something pretty meaningful.”
“One big part of our program is that we depend
on having five or six kids returning from previous
years that can be role models and leaders for
the people who have just arrived on the farm.”
To read the entire article and find out what some
of the youth had to say about their experience
working for YFP, visit the Ithaca Journal website
at http://www.ithacajournal.com or our blog
page at http://www.youthfarmproject.org/blog.
Farm Fame

8. 8
Youth Farm Project Annual Report 2014
Youth Farm Project
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
PLACE PHOTO
HERE,
OTHERWISE
DELETE BOX
PLACE PHOTO
HERE,
OTHERWISE
DELETE BOX
PLACE PHOTO HERE,
OTHERWISE DELETE BOX
PLACE PHOTO HERE,
OTHERWISE DELETE BOX
Over the past few years, we have been working
hard to sell our value-added products for retail in
local markets and restaurants. We were fortunate
enough to be approved to sell our very own
raspberry currant jalapeño jam. We are happy to
say that many of the youth in our program have
helped in the production of this delicious jam.
YFP in the Community
Join our Jam Sessions Sending Love to Loaves and
Fishes
Volunteering at Loaves and Fishes has become a
tradition for the Youth Farm Project. Due to our
success as farmers, we are not only able to sell to
local restaurants but also donate food to various food
pantries, and organizations like Loaves and Fishes.
While working alongside their dedicated staff, and
other volunteers, the youth famers can make powerful
connections not only to our produce but to our
community as well. While growing food has all
different kinds of positive learning aspects, what to do
with all the food we grow is as equally as important.
Learning to cook, prepare, and help serve food, to
people the youth farmers have never met creates a
bond. Besides, what is a better way to get to know
someone than to share a meal with them?
The various farmers’ markets are occasions for youth
farmers to experience the entrepreneurial side of the
farm. Not only are the youth responsible for
harvesting for the various farmers’ markets that we
are part of, they are encouraged to work the stand.
Farmers’ markets allow the youth to meet other
farmers and individuals who are just as passionate
about sustaining a healthy community and talking
about social justice issues. Besides, what is more
powerful than having teenagers show and talk about
their accomplishments? Having adults see teenagers
empowered by selling our value-added products such
as raspberry jalapeno jam, salsa verde, as well as
offering organic vegetables, is a beautiful thing.
Lastly, the youth get to see their physical hard work
pay off—literally.
Fun at Farmers Markets
__________________________________________

9. 9
Youth Farm Project Annual Report 2014
Youth Farm Project
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
General,
Overhead,
Professional
Fees, Insurance,
etc.
$49,548
32%
Donated In Kind
$40,360
Farm Supplies
and Equipment
$26,828
17%
Donated In Kind
$4,860
Program
Managment
$80,630
51%
Donated In Kind
$29,480
Expenses 2014
Cash
$51,150
Cash
$9,188
Cash
$21,968
Grants
$17,750
27%
Donations from
Individuals
$26,675
40%
Donations from
Family
Foundations
and Businesses
$11,700
18%
Sales of Food
$10,325
15%
Revenue 2014
Financial Summary
As the years go by, we continue to see an abundance of
financial support. Youth Farm Project is dedicated to
ensuring the money received is allocated properly as to make
positive impacts on the youth and community. We greatly
appreciate all individual donations to YFP.

10. 10
Youth Farm Project Annual Report 2014
Youth Farm Project
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Month Day Year Vol. 1 Issue 1Month Day Year Vol. 1 Issue 1
Individual Donors $1,000 or
more:
Anonymous
Dylan Lippencott
Individual Donors $100-$999:
Anonymous
Alexandra Moore
Amy Garbincus
Andrew Yale
Barbara Mingle
Benjamin Furnas
Bill Bassett
Bob Nape
Bruce Thompson
Carla Golden & Diane Carruthers
Carol Chernikoff
Carolyn Belle
Carrie Koplinka-Loehr
Carrie Stearns
Cathy Byrd
Celia Clement
Cherie Wendelken
Christopher Lowe
David Hessler
David Lehman
David Schwartz
David Warhaft
Donna Fleming & Rick
Kaufman
E Saltonstall
Elise Skalwold & James
Edwards
Gerald Friedman
Grace Gooding
Jaqueline Thompson
Jane Marie Law
Jeffrey Gilmore
John Claus
John Suter
Joseph Nolan
Joseph Yayitt & Susan Merkel
Judith Paskin
Karl Madeo
Karla Vargas
Kate Madden
Katherine Anderson
Keith Harrington
Kavin Carruthers
Kristen Landi
Laurie Deflaun & John Grady
Louis Derry & Alexandra Moore
Lynn Rathbun
Marc Keane
Mareike Kuypers
Marisa Kelly
Mark Darling
Mary Alyce & Jonathan Comstock
Matt Yarrow
Michael Orestes
Miranda Phillips & Robert Kleinberg
Mitchell Bobrow & Kathleen Rogers
Naeem Inayatullah & Sorayya Khan
Naham Warhaft
Patrick Slaney
Paul Piombino
Phyllis & William Joyce
Richard Furnas
Samuel Koplinka-Loehr
Saoirse McClory
Sara Schaffzin & Tommy Blecher
Sarah Grigorov
Seth Zenz
Sharif Younes
Shelley Semmeler
Steven Kellerman
Susan Compton
Susan Merkel
Susan R. Tarrow
Tammo Steenhuis
Tim & Christi Saltonstall
Timothy DeVoogd
Volker Vogt
Wendy Wolfe
Will & Beth Saltonstall
Donations
As an experiential educational program for high school students,
providing healthy produce to local disenfranchised members of our
community, the Youth Farm Project is built on community support.
While we purposefully include an entrepreneurial component in our
program, our work simply would not be possible without the financial
support of many generous individuals, foundations, and businesses.
Here, we would like to name and extend our greatest thanks to
those who have contributed gifts in support of our mission.
Although this publication cannot fit the names of each individual
supporter, each contribution of any size truly makes a difference in
our program and in our community.

11. 11
Youth Farm Project Annual Report 2014
Youth Farm Project
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
PLACE PHOTO HERE,
OTHERWISE DELETE
BOX
Foundations, Businesses,
and Other Institutional
Donors $100-$999:
Alternatives Federal Credit Union
Comey-Fitzgerald Family
Foundation
The Kathy Yoleson Fierce
Determination Fund
Home Green Home Inc.
Pinax
Robert G. and Jane V. Engel
Foundation, Inc.
Taitem Engineering
First Unitarian Society of Ithaca
Foundations, Businesses,
and Other Institutional
Donors $1,000 or more:
Anonymous
Ithaca Bakery
Community Partners
We would be unsuccessful in
achieving our goals if it were not
for the support of in-kind
donations in the form of
professional, legal, fundraised,
and non-profit assistance. We
thank and appreciate those who
make our work possible.
Art Circus Ithaca
Community Foundation
Congo Square Market
Cornell Cooperative Ext.
Crooked Carrot CSK
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack
Program (FFVSP)
Friendship Donation Network
Gardens for Humanity
GIAC
Groundswell Center
Ithaca Bakery
Ithaca City School District
Ithaca College
Ithaca Waldorf School
Lehman Alternative Community
School
Loaves and Fishes
New Roots Charter School
Park Foundation
Paul Stearns, CPA
Regional Access
Southside Community Center
Sujata Gibson, Attorney at Law
The Sustainability Center
TCAT
Treleaven Winery
The Piggery
Tompkins County Workforce NY
Town of Danby Youth
Employment
Town of Ithaca Employment
Services
West Hill Graphics
Youth Employment Services of
Tompkins County (YES)
South Hill Cider
Peter Moore, Stones and More
Chefs
Rachel Ostlund, Iron Owl Kitchen
Frank Purazzi, Northsat Public House
Andre Jaquet, Agava
Shimels Damtew, Shimels
Ethiopian Cuisine
Emma Frish, Frish Kitchen
Damon Brangman and Jackie
Richardson, Fruits and Roots Juice
Silas Conroy, Crooked Carrot
Farms
Kestrel Perch Farm
Rocky Acres Farm
Oeschner Farms
The Full Plate Farm Collective
The Good Life Farm
Main Street Farms

12. 12
Youth Farm Project Annual Report 2014
Youth Farm Project
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
PLACE PHOTO HERE,
OTHERWISE DELETE BOX
Looking Ahead:
Plans for 2015
As we begin the new year and say good bye to 2014, we cannot forget the memories from the past year
that show how Youth Farm Project continues to provide both youth and the greater community with
worthwhile experiences and services.
In hopes of achieving our goals and our mission, our objective for 2015 is to expand our produce sales to
bigger farmers markets and local restaurants. We intend to sell more of our value-added products for
retail, with an emphasis on how the development process of these products allows youth to not only learn
about how to produce healthy and tasty food, but in the meantime learn about themselves. Additionally,
we hope to increase the number of youth participating in the year-round program, such that an opportunity
for participation in planning, organizing, and leading arises.
We will continue to improve upon the diversity of the organization, from the food we grow to the youth and
staff we hire. In order to see a new generation of successful farmers and members of the food system, we
will continue to teach team building and leadership skills as well as teach about food and social justice
issues. To expand upon our reach throughout the community, we will continue to build relationships
through internship opportunities for regional colleges and universities. Each of these improvements will
allow Youth Farm Project to strengthen its year-round program in order to further our commitment to
provide youth with educational and valuable experiences.

13. 13
Youth Farm Project Annual Report 2014
Youth Farm Project
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
PLACE PHOTO HERE,
OTHERWISE DELETE BOX
Beginning a new year always holds a sense of transition, in our personal lives and in the work that
each of us pours into the Youth Farm. This year in particular I am feeling both fear and excitement for this
upcoming change and movement forward, an upheaval that I have never experienced before. It is my senior
year of high school, and as I lean into this time of decision making and planning for my future, the years I have
spent at the Youth Farm are holding me up, much like the way we lovingly wrap our tomato plants with twine,
gently reminding them to keep growing upwards. I couldn’t be more excited, as I plan a gap year of traveling
with some of my favorite people on this planet, and make a decision about where I will attend college. My
future is filled with some amazing opportunities, and not surprisingly many of them are inspired by my work at
the Youth Farm Project. But this excitement is also incredibly bitter sweet, as I begin to think about moving
forward, ultimately parting ways with family, friends and this beautiful farm, at least for a little while.
Winter on the farm seems to mirror this same transition, as all of us at the farm reflect on the past year
and look towards the future. The past five years at the Youth Farm Project have been full of excitement,
energy and positive movement forward. Now in this time of beautiful quiet and peace on the farm, we gather
with a sense of potential and purpose, to envision how we can continue our supported evolution, expansion
and growth upwards.
It is with joy that I can share with you plans for the construction of our very own mobile farmers market!
The designing and building of this project will be the way in which I demonstrate my readiness to graduate
from the Lehman Alternative Community School, where I have attended school since 6th grade. The farm has
inspired me to think deeply about my place in the world, what space I want to fill and how my passions and
aspirations intersect. This planet is a complex place on which to grow, and I am constantly realizing the ways
in which my interest in agriculture, sustainability and social justice connect. It feels fitting to me to embark on
this project, which may seem simple at first glance, but actually represents something complex, that contains
layers of growth for myself and for the farm.
Right now I am in the beginning stages of designing a mobile market stand that will be built using a
flatbed trailer, which can be hitched to a car or truck. As the Youth Farm gets older, we have begun to think
more about marketing strategies, by creating value added products, and attending various farmers markets.
Having a mobile market stand will allow us to travel more freely around the community, and give youth working
at the farm more opportunity to gain experience interacting with consumers. In addition, it will offer us the
potential to address needs in our community, by reaching areas that have less access to affordable, local,
organic produce.
Food justice is a concept that was introduced to me during my first summer of work at the Youth Farm.
To me the concept represents a complex intersection of issues, which leads to unequal opportunity in the
ability to afford healthy food. Because it is a complex issue, solutions are also complex, and I feel clear th at
simply bringing food into a community that “needs it” is not a sufficient solution. That is a solution that ignores
complexity, and takes us away from the root cause of such injustice. Having this mobile market may allow the
Youth Farm to
On the Move: Future Mobile Market
Youth Farm to eventually expand our work towards food justice,
through conversation, and connection with community leaders.
Creating change takes time, which is why we continue to reflect
and move forward.
This mobile market will be under construction this summer
by a team of young women, led by Maria Klemperer-Johnson at
Hammerstone Carpentry School for Women. The goal of working
with Hammerstone is to empower myself and other young women,
a demographic that is not often found in carpentry or construction.
In the mean time, I am busy creating designs, writing grants, and
planning fundraisers.
I am filled with gratitude and hope. Times of transition are
challenging for us all, but it is my wish that by reading this you will
feel the same energy and excitement that I feel. Stay tuned, things
are moving in wildly positive directions.
Crew Leader Rayna Joyce