Dear Friends of Crabtree Farms, 

It has been an honor to have worked with Crabtree Farms in one capacity or another for the past four and a half years. Originally hired as a market farmer in 2020, I am now stepping into the role of Interim Executive Director. I came to Crabtree Farms because I wanted more hands-on experience with farming and gardening. While earning my degree in Public Health, I became convinced that access to nourishment (of the mind, body and spirit), cooperative communities, and connection to the land were the answer to many of our public ills. The more I learn about these things, the more I still believe that. 

I think on a level, I relate a lot to Crabtree Farms. I like to try new things and reinvent myself often. I try to learn from everyone. I’ve gotten to do a lot of enriching and meaningful work on a shoestring budget and as my Nonna says, “I absolutely insist on having an interesting life.” Moving to a new city in the middle of the pandemic and getting started in a new field showed me even more that organizations like Crabtree Farms are crucially important. I saw this as a space where folks can safely gather—a place where anyone is welcome to come and learn, no matter their background or previous experiences. I see this as a place of opportunity, grace, and healing. 

Those who have been in the local food scene of Chattanooga have probably witnessed the procession of ideas, programs, projects, initiatives, partnerships, classes, and functions that have flowed through Crabtree Farms over the last 26 years. There are many times I have heard, ”what exactly does Crabtree Farms do?” As I think about the whole history of this place and of all the many stories that intersect here, I would say, “a lot.” 

Crabtree Farms is an important part of this city, and I know we have helped shape the local and regional food system of this area (as one of the founding members of the Main Street Farmer’s Market and being at the tables of countless agricultural, social, and environmental coalitions and committees). We have been supportive of—or indeed the foundation of—many other organizations, ventures, and movements in this city. Even with our limited resources, we continue to try to honor and exemplify what it means to be a part of a community. Crabtree continues to open its gates wider as a place to gather, to share, and to learn. With each new person who comes here and interacts with us, Crabtree Farms continues to evolve. We are an urban farm and we sure do grow food, but we also exist to foster community connections and provide education in sustainable urban agriculture. 

I hope that in my time here as the Interim Executive Director, I too will continue to evolve. I am assuming leadership as a new mom and during a time when the organization is working through a deep transformation in an attempt to root out and heal some of the issues that have stood in the way of it’s effectiveness over the years. I have to continually remind myself that change, even good change, is hard.

I step into this position humbly and am committed to honoring this truly special place by helping to ensure that it remains a valuable community asset for years to come. I am grateful to all of the hands who have shaped this land, have been held by this land, and continue to support Crabtree Farms. I am grateful to be given the opportunity to grow, learn, and connect with all of you. 

Lena Banks

Interim Executive Director, Crabtree Farms