Episode# 16 ; Farming Hope: Karen’s New Model for Disability Inclusion

Written By Chrystal Dawn

Karen Gross

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The Quiet Revolution Happening on a Regenerative Farm

🎙️ with Karen Gross

In this uplifting episode of Her Brave Story, Karen Gross shares the deeply personal journey behind The Paddock Project — a regenerative community farm nestled in the Northern Rivers of NSW, creating real employment, purpose, and connection for people living with disability.

From her beginnings as a special education teacher and art therapist to her years navigating the NDIS system, Karen saw firsthand the invisible barriers many young people face. She didn’t set out to start a farm — but a quiet knowing kept nudging her forward. That nudge became a calling… and that calling became a movement.

The Paddock Project is more than soil and seedlings — it’s a living ecosystem of inclusion, care, and belonging. It’s where syntropic farming meets social impact. A space where nature, nurture, and bold heart-led vision grow side by side. And where a giant LOVE sign, hand-built from recycled materials, welcomes every person exactly as they are.

In this conversation, we explore:

  • The courage it takes to follow a dream before the path is clear

  • How creativity, visibility, and inclusion nourish wellbeing

  • The connection between regenerative farming and healing community

  • What happens when we say yes to a brave idea — even without all the answers

  • Why Karen believes we can all do something, no matter how small

If you’ve ever felt the quiet urge to start something meaningful, to make a difference in your own way — this episode will touch your heart and remind you that you’re not alone.

✨ Please share, subscribe, and leave a review — because women’s stories matter. And every time you do, you help amplify the voices of women rising.

⏱ Timestamps:

00:00 – Opening and Karen’s brave leap
05:18 – The beginnings of The Paddock Project
10:36 – Creating inclusive spaces for people living with disability
15:54 – What regenerative farming really means to Karen
21:12 – Lessons from art therapy and education
26:31 – The power of showing up and starting small
31:49 – Connection, community, and cultivating belonging
37:07 – Navigating challenges and trusting the process
42:25 – That giant LOVE sign and what it really stands for
47:43 – Karen’s advice to anyone ready to make a change


BIO:
Karen is the passionate force behind The Paddock, a vibrant community farm in Mullumbimby focused on paddock-to-plate food, inclusive programs, and regenerative practices. She brings heart, creativity, and hands-on leadership to everything from growing seedlings to mentoring young people. Karen is the passionate force behind The Paddock, a vibrant community farm in Mullumbimby focused on paddock-to-plate food, inclusive programs, and regenerative practices. She brings heart, creativity, and hands-on leadership to everything from growing seedlings to mentoring young people.

 
Chrystal Dawn
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Episode# 14 ; From Recruitment to Ritual: Nele’s Journey From Head-Hunting to Holding Circles