Our Story
This was a glimmer of an idea in 2017. We left our jobs in higher education and moved to Viet Nam. There, we worked with farmers, held educational workshops, and just slowed down. It gave us a glimpse of how life could be full, but not busy.
We were still seeking something more and landed in the Pocono Mountains of PA in a delightful retreat center where continue to gain even more experience facilitating our own workshops, growing food for our local community, and gathering in nature.
COVID-19 sparked something for us (like many others). We know people need more experiences on the land—it’s good for the body, mind, and soul. We have learned that time and time again when we hike while we camp or dig our hands in to soil as we garden.
We’re still looking for an on-the-land place that can be nurtured collectively, and so, we are starting on-line space for now.
justine johnson (she/her) is most alive when she is gathering with others in the kitchen or in the woods foraging. She loves bringing people together to do, discuss, and dream about a more just world. She’s spent most of her professional life seeking a way to create spaces for the intersection of nature and social justice.
Specifically, she’s worked in higher education, gender equity & inclusion advocacy, and most recently in a retreat center. All of these experiences have helped her personal discernment and investment in creating the Familiar Farm.
Joe Germick (he/him) is a man of many talents. On his own search for a full life where his personal and professional life meld, he found his passion was teaching and farming.
He received his Master’s in Community Counseling in 2013, which helps guide his work in empowerment models, which strengthens his work in the community. Currently, he teaches Spanish to high school students across Pennsylvania, works at a bio-dynamic farm, and is an innkeeper.
What they provide together offers a holistic approach to being on the land, caring for each other, and creating space for paying attention to oneself.
