Community Blog

“Even while I relapsed and was in jail, the light of the candle lit my path home. Today, I am the Events Manager for the newly reopened, renovated cafe. It’s a challenging position. I have an entirely new skill set and have learned to work on a unified team."

My name is Tammy, and I am a 2016 graduate of the Magdalene Residential Program. Today, I have almost four years clean. I speak as one voice for many women who experience the lies of addiction. I like helping another survivor come off the streets. I like to see people I know from the streets that got clean. Everybody deserves a second chance.

Who are you? I'm many things to many people, having a multitude of titles and roles. The most obvious one is father of a daughter in recovery from addiction. I'm also in recovery from co-dependence and learning how to appreciate...

Community partners are vital to Thistle Farms. One of our good friends, Songs Against Slavery, has just announced a unique way to raise funds for Thistle Farms....walk for freedom with Step Into Their Shoes!

On Monday morning, Kim opened the Shop at Thistle Farms for the first time as Manager. Today, she is thankful for her fellow survivor leaders for pushing her into a position where she could grow into the woman she wanted to be.

Whole Foods has awarded Thistle Farms the 2016 Supplier Award for responsible sourcing. This award is a reflection of our philosophy that love heals, empowers & employs. Today we're sitting down with Ebony, our Whole Foods Account Manager, and Gwen, our Manufacturing Director, to talk about our special relationship with Whole Foods.

If you’ve visited Thistle Farms for Community Meditation then odds are good that you’ve received a hug from Linda. Linda graduated the two-year residential program in 2016 and now works full-time in the logistics department at the Home & Body social enterprise. Even if you’ve never physically visited Thistle Farms, Linda’s warmth and love for Thistle Farmers has reached you through the events she prepares and packs all over the country. 

Brenda celebrates her four-year sobriety anniversary this month. Today, she reflects on life’s greatest blessings and how her time at Thistle Farms has impacted her life and her relationships with her children.

“I’m a country girl at heart. I grew up in the countryside of Huntsville, Alabama. As a child, I remember running through the fields chasing butterflies, picking berries, and climbing trees to gather apples, peaches, and pears. For me, there was no place like home. The country was a safe place for me.

Even if you’ve mentally settled back into your weekday routine after the long holiday weekend (good for you!), your sun-stressed skin is likely struggling to get back to its happy and healthy self.

Benton Chapel on Vanderbilt University's campus was a packed with cheering family, friends, and farmers in early June as Thistle Farms gathered to celebrate 7 remarkable graduates who completed the intensive 2-year Magdalene program. Rachel, reflecting on the day, commented, “I’ve been trying to do this for about 20 years and I’m finally here. I’ve done it and I’m so proud of myself!”

Deanna has been a resident at Thistle Farms for 17 months. Deanna works in manufacturing and creates the beautiful and healing new products released this month. While the production process and products have evolved, she has changed alongside them since arriving at Magdalene, the residential program.

Magdalene on the Inside is a program of Thistle Farms that supports incarcerated women through informed care, encouragement towards healing, and a structured place to live after their release. Magdalene on the Inside began in December 2013 at Tennessee Women’s Prison under the leadership of Sheila McClain, a Thistle Farms graduate and survivor-leader.

Love heals women, one day at a time; and, love heals family relationships, one day at a time.Thistle Farms​ ​is the miracle that​ ​my daughter​ ​Rachel needed coming out of prison having lost everything in her life. The miracle she needed provided a safe place for recovery from almost 20 years of substance abuse and addiction​ ​-- years of treatment, recovery and relapse.