A Real-World Classroom

A Letter from CEO, Tasha Kennard 

At Thistle Farms, we often talk about healing, belonging, and community. But there is another layer to our work that is just as essential—and that is learning. 

Not learning in the traditional sense of a classroom with desks and textbooks, but something more dynamic, more personal, and deeply rooted in real life. 

I call it a real-world classroom, our Job Readiness program.  

This program is a central part of the experience at Thistle Farms. It is where women develop tangible skills, gain confidence, and prepare for sustainable employment. But it is also where something deeper happens. It is where women begin to see themselves differently—as capable, as valuable, as contributors to something meaningful. 

We don’t just teach job skills. We cultivate a learning culture. In this space, learning is not one-directional. It is not something done to or for someone. It is something we do with one another. Because the truth is, the most powerful lessons don’t always come from a curriculum, they come from lived experience. 

Amalia, 2023 Graduate and Job Readiness Lead Coach now supports cohort members through the same program she graduated from.   

"Job Readiness is a program designed to support Thistle Farmers as they transition back into the workforce here at Thistle Farms and otherwise. Sometimes our past work experiences haven't been so pleasant. At Thistle Farms we want employment to be a fun, meaningful, and a good experiences. Job Readiness is meant to ease the landing and create a little bit of a cushion back into part-time and (eventually) full-time work,” she shared.  

“After I took Job Readiness, I started working part-time in Manufacturing and now I am a full-time staff member and help run the JR Program. For me, working at Thistle isn't just a job; it's a lifestyle. I've never felt like it was just a place to be employed. Not ever. It's just what I do and I love it." 

The women who walk through our doors bring with them a depth of wisdom that cannot be replicated in any training manual. They understand resilience in ways that are both profound and practical. They understand what it means to navigate systems, to rebuild trust, and to start again. 

And when we honor that lived experience—when we listen, when we learn, when we create space for those voices to shape our work—we become better. 

Better as a community. 
Better as an organization. 
Better as human beings. 

Lora shared that the milestone was bigger than completing a class.  

“Finishing Job Readiness has been one of my biggest accomplishments. I have learned so much – from speaking affirmations over myself, to having more confidence, to having a resume that I am proud of. Today, I am worthy of success.”  

We believe that when you combine structured opportunity with lived experience wisdom, something powerful happens. 

You create not just a workforce—but a community. 

And at the heart of it all is love. Because love, at Thistle Farms, is not abstract. It is intentional. It is practical. It shows up in how we teach, how we listen, how we correct, how we support, and how we celebrate. 

For Job Readiness Cohort Graduate, Samantha, love was at the heart of what she learned.  

“The Job Readiness Program has taught me so many things. For starters, it has taught me to love myself and that I deserve to be treated with love and respect.”  

Love is what allows us to create a learning environment where people feel safe enough to grow. Where mistakes are part of the process. Where curiosity is encouraged. And where every person is treated with dignity. 

In this real-world classroom, we are learning how to do something that is both simple and profound: 

To be human together. 

To learn from one another. 
To honor one another’s journeys. 
To create space for growth. 
And to believe that every person has something valuable to offer.