We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chloe Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chloe below.

Alright, Chloe thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Starting and building 490 Farmers, a community garden and urban farming non-profit, has been the most meaningful project I have worked on. When I was 25 I was feeling something was really missing in my life, and wanted to pursue my passion for growing community. I had the idea for 490 Farmers from walking by the vacant lot on a daily basis. I wondered why it was vacant and if it could become a community garden. That year, November 2017, I got in contact with the NYS DOT who owns the land and made a proposal for its use as a garden, brought it to the Neighborhood Association, and 490 Farmers got off the ground the next spring. We are in our 6th season now, and are always doing more and more ; from piloting a free CSA program and farmers market to regularly hosting volunteer days, workshops, school groups, and community gatherings. We began as a small group of neighbors and friends building plots and a garden shed, and has now grown into a non-profit organization with goals to expand urban farming and food insecurity work in Rochester. It has been meaningful to devote my time to this project because I have gotten to see a vacant piece of land become a thriving community hub that is stewarded by so many, and has been the birthplace of many beautiful relationships. This work has given me a strong sense of purpose and hope for the future.

Chloe, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I grew up in Scottsville NY, attended RIT for a BFA in Illustration, and now I work as a freelance artist and substitute art teacher. This work allows me to have a flexible schedule so that I can pursue volunteer work including 490 Farmers and other creative community projects. I have painted murals for other community gardens and spaces around Rochester and I have a deep interest in growing gardens, forming connections, and creating beauty around me. I got into urban gardening and permaculture through my experiences doing work exchanges at farms and environmental projects while traveling around the UK in 2013-14. One experience in particular staying at Cerenety Eco Campsite in Bude, UK gave me the initial inspiration to start 490 Farmers.

I am most proud of the fact that I pursued this work even though I had very little experience or knowledge of starting a community organization. Lots of people the first year didn’t think 490 Farmers would turn into anything. People said “it’s a nice idea but people wont respect it.” And we did deal with theft, trash and many other frustrations of course. We had no money, just lots of recycled stuff that kept breaking. But it was really fun and exciting right from the beginning, and once it had momentum it got easier. It has been a total build-the-plane-as-you-fly-it type of project, and we are all learning as we go. I think that’s what makes it so special for folks who get involved, because it allows people to feel like they can have an impact, it requires constant community input to keep going, and is always changing based on who is involved. It also shows that you don’t need to be an expert to pursue a dream you have, you don’t have to have 30 years of experience and you don’t need to plan every little thing, If you have the passion and the willingness to try, you can succeed.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The US needs to move away from a capitalist society and start encouraging and funding community based solutions that address health, food access, sustainability and environmental restoration. So many folks in the US are living in poverty, unhealthy and unsafe situations, and there is no excuse for it, when as a country we have all the money and resources for everyone to have what they need, and then some. I strongly believe in taxing corporations and the richest 5% of Americans to provide a budget for funding renewable energy infrastructure, reparations for slavery, and a universal basic income so folks do not have to struggle at meaningless capitalist jobs just to feed themselves. With guaranteed income, folks could have the freedom to pursue meaningful projects, solve their own problems, and afford healthier lifestyles.

As a society we need to rethink our value system to stop prioritizing monetary gain, social status, and accumulation of property. Instead we need to think of success as having clean air, healthy bodies and minds, and robust communities with rich cultural traditions where everyone receives equal opportunity, respect and care. We need to rethink everything we do on a daily basis, and who we look to for solutions. We need to demand this thinking of our governments and leaders. Humanity will not survive unless we can mobilize to create a new society based on respect for the land and others, and infrastructure for healing that is based on small scale natural solutions, mutual aid, and compassion for all life.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I have tried to work many different “typical jobs” over the years, but nothing ever felt right to me. I always kept coming back to wanting to build and create things that i care about. It is so rewarding to be able to decide what I do each day, feel free to explore different ideas and projects, and build a life I feel passionate to live.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.490farmers.com/
• Instagram: @490farmers @chloesmithillustration
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/490farmers
• Other: My artist portfolio website is https://www.chloesmithillustration.com/