Endings
Dakota and the determinate tomatoes, Fireworks, Native Sun, Midnight Sun, Roma, and Saucey.
Our Transitional Youth Employment Program revolves around two seasons: Saturday Crew during the school year and Summer Crew once classes let out.
Last Saturday marked the final Saturday Crew of the season. Next week, we’ll welcome mostly new faces for Summer Crew, where they’ll spend the next several weeks learning new skills, earning a paycheck, and growing together. Many of them will continue in the fall for our 2026–27 Saturday Crew.
Because we receive far more applications than we have positions, youth can participate for a maximum of two years and one summer season. While this allows us to serve more young people each year, it also means saying bittersweet goodbyes at the end of every cycle.
Last Saturday, we celebrated one of those goodbyes.
Our enthusiastic UFO enthusiast and Star Wars connoisseur, Dakota, is wrapping up his time as an employee. Thankfully, he and his family will always remain part of the Working Theory Farm community.
As we walked back from the field one last time, we asked him what the farm had meant to him.
“When my probation officer, Troy, first told me about this opportunity, I wasn’t interested. I didn’t like the heat, I didn’t really enjoy being outside back then, I didn’t want to meet new people or make new friends.
But I tried it out.
I got a working interview, and I loved it. I met new people. I felt like I belonged. I made friends and built meaningful relationships. I’m really glad I came here.
People should know this place is really about community. It’s about working together, finding connection — not just with other people, but with nature itself — and learning that working hard is a good thing.
We are helping other people. We’re helping feed families. The farm is peaceful. It’s very peaceful working outside, and the people here are very kind.
I would definitely work here for the rest of my life if I could. I would.”
We’ll miss you, Dakota. Your kindness has become part of this place, and your impact will continue to be felt long after your last day in the field.
Thank you for everything you’ve brought to WTF — this will always be your farm.
Some of the youth at the end of our last Saturday Crew of the season alongside Capers. We were also joined by young volunteers —siblings and cousins— who jumped right in and lent a hand for the day.