Heart & Soil Makes Healthy Food Accessible To All

Send us Fan MailKristen Tool and I have something very important in common….we want to connect ALL people to real, healthy, nutritious food….sometimes that food is harvested right from the farm and other times it is made into nutritious soups.  Caring for and stewarding land has been a lifelong dream of Kristen’s. She and her husband Chris have been working to restore Olsen Farm, her husband’s family farm in Lanesborough, MA where they raise chickens, keep honeybees, and grow fruit, veggies and herbs.  Kristen worked as an Early Education Studio Art Teacher, website designer and writer for Mother Earth News Blog. Kristen has her BFA in Textile Design and you will also find her creating art using natural, found and recycled materials.However, during COVID an expanded farm mission unfolded for Kristen. When COVID-19 struck in spring 2020, people were having trouble locating fresh food and experiencing heightened health risks.. Kristen ran a pilot project through her own farm to provide local food to seniors.Out of that pilot,  Heart & Soil Collective was born with a mission to connect people to the land where their food grows, making healthy food and hands-on nature experiences accessible to all.This Collective now collaborates with several other farms in the area to supply and deliver healthy food,  and prepare and deliver soups for seniors. Kristen has worked diligently  to develop a unique business model to support her farmers and her community.  As a non profit, Kristen faces the demands of always needing to create innovative ways to generate funds to retain and expand her much needed food programs.  Learn more about Kristen’s inspirational mission and about how you can directly help her to continue her mission.Enjoy my conversation with Kristen Toole. Contribute to the  'Locally Grown To Local Homes' Crowdfunding CampaignHeart & Soil WebsiteThank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.  Agri-Tourist.comHeartBeet FarmsInstagramAbout Jen Ross, The Agri-Tourist Podcast HostGlobal Agritourism Network