Episode Title: Cultivating Connections: Vera Simon-Nobes and the Farm-Based Education Network
Guest: Vera Simon-Nobes, Coordinator of the Farm-Based Education Network

In this rich and inspiring conversation, host Christa Hein sits down with Vera Simon-Nobes, a lifelong educator and community connector, to explore the many branches of farm-based education. Vera shares her incredible journey from attending her first NOFA-VT potluck conference as a college student, to co-founding tiny farm startups, to helping launch nationally significant networks that uplift farm educators across the country.

You’ll hear about:
• The Farm-Based Education Network (FBEN) and how it supports over 4,600 members through peer learning, workshops, and resource sharing
• Vera’s work at Shelburne Farms, where she splits her time between teaching, farming, and organizing national programming
• Her early work in food access through Cooking Matters in San Francisco and how that shaped her equity-centered lens
• The beauty and purpose behind her micro-business, Rhubarb Leather, which turns local hides into hand-stitched art
• Her growing interest in language, justice, and kinship with nature, inspired by the writing of Robin Wall Kimmerer
• A powerful vision for reparative justice and her hopes to support BIPOC-led land trusts and education initiatives Vera’s story is one of creativity, purpose, and deep care for people and the planet.

Whether you’re new to farm education or looking to deepen your practice, you’ll find wisdom, inspiration, and joy in this episode.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:
• Farm-Based Education Network – free to join!
• Shelburne Farms
• Cultivating Joy and Wonder – Shelburne Farms early childhood resource
• My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem
• Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust
• Cooking Matters
• La Cocina

📬 Connect with Vera and the FBEN:
Website: farmbasededucation.org
Instagram & Facebook: @farmbasededucation

🔗 Stay Connected with the Farm Educator's Roadmap
🌿 Website: www.farmeducatorsroadmap.com
📸 Instagram: @farm_educators_roadmap
📘 Facebook Page: facebook.com/farmeducatorsroadmap
👥 Join the Private Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/farmeducatorsroadmap
📥 Download the Free Guide: www.farmeducatorsroadmap.com/5simplesteps

Host: Christa Hein | The Farm Educator’s Roadmap Podcast

In this very first episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my 30-year journey in farm education—from an unexpected start as a summer camp Nature Director (who didn’t even know how to identify poison ivy!) to founding Bring the Farm to You, a mobile farm education business that now serves over 70,000 people a year.

This isn’t an interview—those are coming soon!—but a story. My story. It’s about how I stumbled into this work, fell in love with it, and built something meaningful, joyful, and ever-growing from scratch.

Whether you're just starting to dream about teaching others through farm experiences or already knee-deep in growing your programs, I hope this episode inspires you to keep going—and shows you that it’s absolutely possible to build a farm education life you love.

🌱 In this episode, I share:
• How a random mix of college classes (including folk dance!) launched my path into nature education, and then farm education
• What it was like working at a science center, building a children's garden, and starting a farm camp
• Why I left my dream job to start a business—with no clients and just a vision
• How Bring the Farm to You began with baby goats, a Craigslist shed, and a trailer pulled by a minivan
• What I learned from 30 years of program creation, and what finally pushed me to launch this podcast

💡 You’ll also hear:
• Why farm education is needed now more than ever
• How I’ve built a team and scaled to serve schools, parks, libraries, and more
• Why I’m passionate about supporting you on your farm education journey

📌 Resources & Links:
🌾 Download my free guide 5 Simple Steps to Growing an In-Demand Farm Education Program
👉 www.farmeducatorsroadmap.com/5simplesteps

📲 Follow along for behind-the-scenes + upcoming guests:
Instagram & Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/farmeducatorsroadmap
https://www.instagram.com/farm_educators_roadmap/

👥 Join our private Farm Educator's Roadmap Facebook group
Connect with other farm educators, ask questions, and get support: https://www.facebook.com/groups/farmeducatorsroadmap

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Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow farm educator.

Let’s grow this movement together!