Welcome to the Ithaca Crop Mob!

We are a group of farmers and community members who love our local farms. Once a month, we assemble and "mob" a local farm, putting our hands to work to accomplish a goal. Afterwards, we share a meal. All are welcome!

To join, email us at ithacacropmob@gmail.com. See you on a farm!

Rachel, Kate, and Sam

Farmer Information

Katie Church serves as the Farmer Crop Mob Coordinator. Please email her at info@fullplatefarms.org with any questions or to set up a crop mob at your farm.

Hello Farmers!
My name is Katie Church, and I coordinate the Full Plate Collective, a CSA collective in the Ithaca area.

I am not writing with that hat on, however, but with the hat of "interested in starting a crop mobbing crew in the area".

I first heard about Crop Mobbing in an article in the New York Times magazine a few weeks back. Turns out, other people have heard of fit too, and I met recently with a small group of people who would like to get the idea rolling in our area.

In a nutshell: a crop mob is a group of community volunteers who are interested in farming, or just want to get their hands dirty now and then, and who value small farms in their community. They willingly attend - or mob - a farm for a few hours once a month to do low-skill labor that could benefit by many hands. Each work time is about 4 hours. No money is exchanged. At the end of the work session a meal is shared, and the mobbers move on to a new farm the following month.

Crop Mobbing FAQ

What is crop mobbing?

Crop mob is an event held once a month at a different farm each month. Members of the "crop mob"- which includes community members and other farmers- receive a time, date and location in advance, and on that day, they show up prepared to lend a hand to the host farm for a morning or afternoon (generally about 4 hours). At the end, a meal is provided by the host farm, and farmers and mobbers eat together.

Who are crop mobbers?

Anyone and everyone. Crop mobs are composed of farmers, gardeners, families, college students, school clubs, volunteer groups, CSA members, farmers-market-goers, outdoor enthusiasts, innovative exercisers, food lovers, aspiring agrarians, and the simply ag-curious, along with their friends, neighbors, siblings, parents, grandparents, and kids. There is no age limit or skill set required. We are just people helping people.

What kinds of tasks do crop mobbers do?

It depends on the farm. A task list will be announced along with the date, time, and location of a crop mob. Possible tasks include but are not limited to: weeding, rock picking, "gleaning" (harvesting crops that would otherwise go unharvested), tree or transplant planting, putting up fencing, setting up a hoop house, etc. Some crop mobbers may volunteer to help with meal preparation for the mob. There is always a task for everyone, regardless of age or skill set.