[dropcap]G[/dropcap]rowing up in a family of ranchers in the Manchaca area, Tymothy Bryce always had the agriculture life coursing through his veins.
He knew how dangerous the farming profession could be, and how an injury sustained by a local farmer could affect an entire family.
By turning a Niederwald-area farm into a concert venue, Bryce, along with his wife, Talia, hope to provide a helping hand to injured farmers in need.
Farmgrass, an Austin area 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, will hold its third annual festival May 12-13.
(photo courtesy of Emma Chase)
The organization, according to its website, promotes the well-being of local, independent farmers in the Austin area. That includes fundraising to assist farmers who have suffered injuries while at work.
Over the past three years, organizers have raised more than $34,000 to assist six farmers in the area.
“Our goal is to show the community loves farmers,” Talia Bryce said. “We want to see them do well and to thrive and help them, so they can keep going on and pass along (farming) to the next generation.”
Origins of the festival began three years ago when Talia and Tymothy conceptualized the idea, which was to create a festival for a good cause.
They also sought to start an emergency medical fund for farming, which Talia Bryce said is a “super dangerous profession.”
According to 2014 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics information, farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers were within the top ten most dangerous jobs in the United States. The profession had the sixth-highest rate of fatalities, 26 per 100,000 workers.
For local farmers, who are usually “small mom and pop operations” that operate on fixed incomes, suffering an injury on the job can be catastrophic.
Other issues that may arise could be illnesses suffered by the farmers themselves or their families.
Talia Bryce referred to one farmer who was diagnosed with cancer and had to sell many of his cattle to afford $12,000 chemotherapy shots.
More locally, the organization helped a San Marcos area farmer who had emergency surgery for a gallbladder issue, and a Lockhart farmer who had suffered severe back injuries.
“They’re a small business and if (farmers) get hurt, it impacts their ability to farm,” Talia Bryce said. “It affects their livelihoods and their families.”
The Bryce family put its idea in motion and began to search for a location for the festival. They received assistance through the Simmons Family in Niederwald, which hosts seasonal events on their farm.
Talia Bryce then sought out acts for the event and used her background as a performer in a Bluegrass band in the Austin area.
While the event focused on Bluegrass music in the beginning, Talia Bryce said the genre shifted to Americana.
During the first year, Farmgrass raised roughly $5,000 for its cause. They also garnered interest from those who were “surprised” there was a festival going on in Niederwald, Talia Bryce said.
“Everyone who came had an amazing time,” Talia Bryce said. “There was good music and the food was great.”
In 2015, the event’s second year, Farmgrass doubled attendance and tripled the amount raised, she said.
Ever since then, the festival has continued to grow, both in attendance and interest. Big name acts, such as Grammy award winning artist Shiny Ribs, now perform at the event.
All of it is done with a staff that includes two full-time, two part-time employes and 30 volunteers.
The ability to raise awareness for not only farmers, but also the industry itself is also an important point for the Bryce family. Talia Bryce said farming isn’t a flourishing industry and there’s a disconnect between farming and the younger generation.
“It’s all about education and they’re not educated about good, local, healthy food,” Talia Bryce said. “There’s a lot of marketing and education for people to understand that supporting local farms is supporting a sustainable local food system.”
