A farm entrepreneur is using her knowledge, experience, and harvest for the well-being of herself and her customers.
Clarenda “Farmer Cee” Stanley came to organic farming after establishing a career as a highly successful fundraiser and nonprofit executive. In 2018, she brought her personal experiences and leadership skills to launching Green Heffa Farms, a 14-acre herb operation in North Carolina, with the goals of supporting economic empowerment, equity, environmental protection, and consumer education. The farm’s products include medicinal herbs, herbal tea blends, and hemp-based remedies. Her farm is the first owned by a Black woman to become a Certified B Corp (bcorporation.net), which recognizes her brand as one that actively benefits people, communities, and the planet. Farmer Cee is also the winner of the 2025 Rodale Institute and Davines Group Good Farmer Award US. We checked in with her on her journey to becoming an organic farmer, her challenges, and goals.
RODALE INSTITUTE JOURNAL: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A REGENERATIVE ORGANIC FARMER?
FARMER CEE: I had a successful career in fundraising, culminating in becoming the first Black senior fundraiser at the world’s largest environmental nonprofit. Being in this role came at a cost: I was often the only Black woman in the room, and that room didn’t always want me there. I was deeply committed to the planet, but I reached a point where I had to confront a hard truth: Those in power didn’t truly care about all of us. That disillusionment took a toll. The racism, the resistance to equity, and the performative allyship wore me down. I started having anxiety attacks and was eventually diagnosed with an anxiety condition. I wasn’t just tired of racism; it was literally making me sick.
Herbs became part of my healing. And growing healing herbs both regeneratively and organically allowed me to reclaim my wellness, my voice, and my purpose. Creating a values-based business gave me the opportunity to lead in a way I rarely saw in those rooms where philanthropy was being discussed. I became the kind of leader I once needed.
RIJ: WHAT ARE YOUR SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM GOALS FOR GREEN HEFFA FARMS?
FC: For the short term, our goal is to meet the demand for high-quality herbs. Every year we grow more, and every year we still sell out. That tells me two things: 1. People are craving high-quality, transparently grown herbs. 2. We’re doing something right with connecting to our target market. L ong term, it’s about growing our impact but not just for us. I want to work with other farmers, especially those historically excluded from supply networks, so they can become part of our sourcing ecosystem. I also want to help open more doors within the herb industry, focusing on farmers who’ve been left out, underappreciated, or overlooked. We focus on cooperative economics, not extractive expansion. That’s how we grow with intention and protect the integrity of everything we cultivate.
RIJ: WHAT HAVE BEEN THE KEYS TO YOUR SUCCESS?
FC: I grow slow so I don’t owe. And by owing I mean much more than financially. Green Heffa Farms is not indebted environmentally, ethically, or spiritually. I’ve resisted the pressure to scale fast or take on investors who don’t align with our values. I’d rather grow roots than build scaffolding that can’t hold. And I build the brand to protect the land. All of our products, tea blends, and social media posts circle back to the land and collective healing. Our story is rooted in the soil, and the brand is how I educate, advocate, and uplift. Green Heffa Farms isn’t just a business. It’s a movement.
RIJ: WHAT CHANGES TO POLICIES, CULTURE, OR INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR WOULD BE HELPFUL TO YOU AS A BLACK WOMAN FARMER?
FC: Policywise, we need equitable access to funding, land, and markets without the double standards. Too often, those of us who’ve historically been denied resources are expected to jump through endless hoops, only to be told no. Culturally, we need to stop romanticizing farming while ignoring real challenges small farmers face. Individually, I encourage people to look at where their dollars go. Are you supporting farms and brands that reflect your values? Are you showing up for those of us who’ve had to fight harder to even be allowed to care for the land the way it deserves? In 2025, inclusion shouldn’t be an option. It should be the standard.
Ask Yourself:
How can you make a difference as a consumer? Farmer Cee urges you to consider these questions.
• Do the PRODUCTS in your pantry and fridge align with your beliefs?
• Who are you following and uplifting on SOCIAL MEDIA?
• Whose NAMES do you speak in rooms of opportunity? Do you show support for people who have not been included?
• Are you holding COMPANIES accountable for their sourcing and their partnerships?