Founding Story
In January 2019, Dawn and Gaby started to dream about Yara Farm. They sat one day and went over all the things they wanted, and they dreamed about a farm and land to steward. Together they created this dream list.
In Spring 2021, Gaby was helping Cristina (the previous owner) to find a farmer to lease or to buy Kikiriwiki Farm. The night after one of the visits Gaby dreamt of Carlos (Cristina’s late husband who Gaby knew since 2019). In the dream, Carlos was telling Gaby what fields were ‘chevere’ and his overall recommendations to steward and farm the space. The next day, Gaby told Dawn about this land, and if she would like to visit it and see if this is the land of their dreams.
Dawn felt the good energy there and Gaby was already in love with the Land. We approached Cristina as the possible next stewards.
The rest of the story is in the making…
Our Mission
At YARA Farm, we cultivate and respect the land, and we illuminate the richness of diversity. Our mission is to bring the rich flavors of América Latina and the Caribbean to your table while celebrating diversity and sustainable farming practices.
We respect the balance between the people and the soil-plant-sky. We are dedicated to sustainable land stewardship and farming organically and pesticide-free.
We rotate our annual crops, use cover crops to help the soil to recover nutrients and avoid erosion, and choose an array of native plants that give habitat to insects, birds, snakes, turtles, birds, and other animals.
Farm Familia
Get to know us a little!
Farmer Dawn
Co-funder / Farm Storyteller/ Bird Lover
Dawn is a farmer in training; her favorite crop to sow is garlic. She loves mornings at the farm when all the birds are tweeting and welcoming a new day.
Trujillo Family
Co-Stewards of the Land
/ The knowledge holders
Veronica, Bernardo, Miguel, Cristo, Jennifer, Diana, and Analia own Two Brothers Farm. They lease 10 acres of land at Yara, support Dawn and Gaby with tractor work and day-to-day operations, and patiently teach everyone who visits the land about seeds and best-growing practices. Veronica and Bernardo have more than two decades of US agriculture experience.
Farmer Gaby
Co-Funder/ Farm Manager / Ají dulce lover
Dr. Gaby has a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences and studied agro-ecosystems for fun on four continents. Now as a farmer in the Hudson Valley, she tries to understand the agro-ecosystem of the Black Dirt in the Hudson Valley
Ramona Hernandez
Ají dulce seed breeder / The knowledge holders
Ramona and Gaby met about 22 years ago in Venezuela. Ramona is a kitchen magician. Her food, recipes, and ancestral knowledge fed Gaby’s soul and body in the early 2000s. They re-engaged a few years ago, and Ramona offered her knowledge and Ají Dulce seeds from Guarico, Venezuela to Gaby to start the first seed bank in New York.
Toro
Farm Dog/
Loves to take naps on the fields
Originally from Long Island, we adopted him in July 2021. Toro spends his retirement and golden years walking the fields and surveying the land at Yara and taking naps near the corridors with wildflowers. He is very curious about the hens, groundhogs, and deer, but he never gets too close!
Chismosa
Farm Cat/ Loves to be around Gaby
Gaby is very allergic to cats, and Chismosa knows it, so she spends her days trying to get Gaby’s attention. She goes to the fields to chase mice when she feels like it.
Join us...
Interested in learning how to be a farmer? Email us to coordinate a volunteer day at the farm during the growing season. Gaby, Bernardo, and Veronica are there to answer any questions about farms, farming, tractors, seeds, farm business, etc.
We also recommend following our QT*BIPOC sibling farms: Rock Steady Farm, Ayni Farm Herbs, and Rise & Roots in the Hudson Valley for volunteering days and learning opportunities.