This week, the “Cultivating Care” conversations we are planning felt like they have shifted from “it is an idea” to “we are going to do this thing!”
Cultivating Care is taking shape. We already have a few people lined up to join me in the garden for conversations, and that alone has added a real spark to the start of this year. These won’t be polished interviews or scripted soundbites. The goal is something simpler and more honest: make space for leaders who carry the daily weight of care to talk about what they’re seeing, what’s getting harder, what’s getting better, and what they’re proud of that most people never notice.
Building the space to hold the conversation
We made tangible progress on a feature that will change everything about the garden: our high tunnel.
It’s a 48-foot growing house designed to help us grow vegetables all year long. Today we got all the grounding posts in place and started building out the hoops.
If you’ve ever built something like this, you know the truth: nothing “big” looks big at first. It starts with a tape measure, a plan, and the unglamorous work of getting the posts straight and pounded in with a sledgehammer. Only after that can you build the structure that actually holds.
A new tool, and a new perspective
We also did some filming this week to test out new equipment, and I’m especially excited about one piece: our 360-degree camera.
There’s something powerful about capturing a conversation from every angle. It mirrors what I’ve learned about care work and leadership. When you can see the whole environment, the context, the people, the constraints, the workarounds, you stop oversimplifying the story. You start noticing what’s actually shaping outcomes.
That’s what I hope Cultivating Care does. Not “hot takes,” but deeper perspective. Not only what leaders decide, but what their teams live with day to day.
Why this matters to me
The more I think about Cultivating Care, the more excited I get. Not just for the content, but for the relationships.
This is a chance to reconnect with leaders I respect, and to build new relationships with people doing meaningful work across Human Services. It also gives me a way to bring my two worlds together:
- Care in the garden (growing food that nourishes a community)
- Care for humans (supporting organizations serving people with chronic conditions and complex needs)
Both require patience. Both require good systems. Both require humility, because the work is bigger than any one person.
A simple ask that makes a big difference
If you know leaders in the Human Services ecosystem, home care, disability services, behavioral health, or any organization doing care work, I’d love to meet them.
Referrals are the best way to build trust quickly, because they begin with relationship. If someone comes to the garden because you connected us, we start with shared credibility. That accelerates everything.
If you have someone in mind, reply to this and I’ll send a short intro note you can forward.
And one more thing… Stay safe
If you’re in the path of the ice storm that may be starting at any moment, I’m hoping you stay safe and warm.
This post first appeared on January 24, 2026 in Sowing Success, my weekly LinkedIn newsletter on leadership and organic farming. Read the original on LinkedIn.
