AYNI farm support

Ayni: An ancient Andean promise of mutual aid. "Today for you, tomorrow for me". We weave a network of real relationships and support to ensure no NWA farmer grows alone.

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OUR MISSION

A close-up shot of a rustic wooden crate filled with freshly harvested local heirloom tomatoes, leafy green kale, and vibrant carrots, sitting on a weathered farm table in Northwest Arkansas. Warm golden hour sunlight accents the rich textures of the vegetables and the earthy brown wood.
A close-up shot of a rustic wooden crate filled with freshly harvested local heirloom tomatoes, leafy green kale, and vibrant carrots, sitting on a weathered farm table in Northwest Arkansas. Warm golden hour sunlight accents the rich textures of the vegetables and the earthy brown wood.
Two pairs of hands, one younger and one weathered with experience, working together to plant a delicate green seedling into rich, dark soil in a Northwest Arkansas greenhouse. Supportive community atmosphere, clean composition, soft ambient natural lighting.
Two pairs of hands, one younger and one weathered with experience, working together to plant a delicate green seedling into rich, dark soil in a Northwest Arkansas greenhouse. Supportive community atmosphere, clean composition, soft ambient natural lighting.
An inviting long wooden community table set up outdoors at a farm in Northwest Arkansas, decorated with wildflowers and plates of fresh farm food. People are gathered around, laughing and sharing a meal under a soft cream canopy, captured in warm, natural documentary-style photography.
An inviting long wooden community table set up outdoors at a farm in Northwest Arkansas, decorated with wildflowers and plates of fresh farm food. People are gathered around, laughing and sharing a meal under a soft cream canopy, captured in warm, natural documentary-style photography.

LOCAL

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Ayni Farm Support strengthens Northwest Arkansas's local foodshed by cultivating relationships rooted in reciprocity, trust, and belonging. Through welcoming gatherings, shared stories, and mutual support, we connect farmers, food system workers, and community members so that no one carries the work of feeding our communities alone.

WHAT WE BELIEVE IN

Healthy food systems are built on healthy relationships.

Ayni Farm Support is a community initiative rooted in the ancient Quechua principle of ayni—"today for you, tomorrow for me." We believe that when people know one another, trust one another, and show up for one another, entire communities become stronger.

Across Northwest Arkansas, we bring together farmers, food system workers, and neighbors through Coffee & Conversation gatherings held on farms, in gardens, parks, coffee shops, and other welcoming community spaces. These gatherings are simple by design. We share food, stories, ideas, challenges, and encouragement, creating the conditions for genuine relationships to grow.

As those relationships deepen, they become the foundation for practical support: neighbors helping neighbors, knowledge shared across generations, farm help exchanges, farm sitting networks, and collaborative efforts that strengthen our regional foodshed.

We also celebrate the people who make our local food system possible by documenting and sharing their stories through articles, videos, podcasts, and children's books, helping preserve the history, knowledge, and spirit of our farming community.

Whether you grow food, support local agriculture, or simply care about building a stronger community, there is a place for you in Ayni.

Because when relationships grow, communities flourish.


A beautiful custom hospitality trailer parked next to an active vegetable farm in Northwest Arkansas. The trailer is set up with open fold-out wooden tables, a pop-up shade shelter, and a welcome sign. Crisp morning light illuminates the welcoming mutual aid hub.
A beautiful custom hospitality trailer parked next to an active vegetable farm in Northwest Arkansas. The trailer is set up with open fold-out wooden tables, a pop-up shade shelter, and a welcome sign. Crisp morning light illuminates the welcoming mutual aid hub.

MOBILE NETWORK & HUB

Our custom hospitality trailer brings folding tables, pop-up shelters, PA systems, and AI-translation earbuds directly to rotating rural and urban farm sites. By bridging linguistic and geographic gaps, we weave deep connections, offering farm-sitting assistance and educational workshops to growers across Northwest Arkansas.

CALENDAR

Ayni Farm Support is proud to be recognized as a 2026 Northwest Arkansas Weaver Award recipient.

Founded by Rodrigo Menocal and Kerry Carpenter, RN, Ayni was selected for its commitment to strengthening the region's foodshed through the practice of weaving—building meaningful relationships that create the conditions for trust, reciprocity, and community resilience to grow.

The Weaver Award supports our vision of connecting farmers, food system workers, and community members through relationship-centered initiatives that reduce isolation, strengthen mutual support, and cultivate a more resilient local food system.

This recognition affirms what we believe is essential to a thriving foodshed: when people know one another, trust one another, and show up for one another, everyone benefits. We are grateful to Weaving NWA for investing in community-led solutions and for recognizing the power of relationships to create lasting change.

2026 Northwest Arkansas Weave Awards Recipient

AYNI IN ACTION

A group of volunteers laughing while setting up temporary wooden frames and high-tunnel plastics during a cooperative work day on a Northwest Arkansas farm. Earthy soil tones, vibrant greens, energetic community vibe.
A group of volunteers laughing while setting up temporary wooden frames and high-tunnel plastics during a cooperative work day on a Northwest Arkansas farm. Earthy soil tones, vibrant greens, energetic community vibe.
An outdoor workshop table with various wild and cultivated mushrooms, hand-written signs, and enthusiastic community members learning about cultivation under a green tree canopy in Northwest Arkansas.
An outdoor workshop table with various wild and cultivated mushrooms, hand-written signs, and enthusiastic community members learning about cultivation under a green tree canopy in Northwest Arkansas.
Community members happily exchanging handmade seed packets and sharing wooden garden tools in a sunny farmyard in Northwest Arkansas. Gentle, warm afternoon lighting with high-contrast organic textures.
Community members happily exchanging handmade seed packets and sharing wooden garden tools in a sunny farmyard in Northwest Arkansas. Gentle, warm afternoon lighting with high-contrast organic textures.
SHARE STORIES

Meet the Co-Founders

Rodrigo is a trained farmer, a graduate of the Rodale Institute Farmer Training Program, and the Garden Manager at Treehouse Pantry in Springdale, AR. His work focuses on regenerative agriculture, food security, and building healthier communities through the land.

Before joining Treehouse Pantry, Rodrigo co-founded Blooming Hope Mushrooms, teaching community members how to grow nutritious food at home through hands-on workshops. Today, he manages the Treehouse Pantry Garden with a focus on healthy soil, abundant harvests, and increasing access to fresh food for Northwest Arkansas families.

Working alongside local farmers has shown him that the greatest challenges in agriculture are not only economic—they are also relational. Ayni Farm Support grew from his belief that farmers deserve communities that care for them as faithfully as they care for the land.


Rodrigo Menocal

Kerry Carpenter

Kerry Carpenter is a registered nurse, educator, and FoodCorps member whose work has always centered on helping people feel seen, supported, and connected. Her background spans public health, school health, education, and community wellness, where she witnessed firsthand how trust and relationships shape health, resilience, and opportunity.

Drawn by a long-held commitment to food justice and equity, Kerry relocated to Northwest Arkansas to serve with FoodCorps, where she met Rodrigo through Treehouse Pantry. Their shared belief that healthy food systems depend on healthy relationships became the foundation for Ayni Farm Support.

Kerry brings a relationship-centered approach to community building, creating spaces where people feel welcomed, valued, and inspired to support one another. She believes that lasting change begins with connection and that caring for the people who grow our food is essential to building a thriving local foodshed.

Why We Founded Ayni Farm Support

We come from different professional backgrounds, but our experiences led us to the same conclusion: healthy food systems depend on healthy relationships. Together, we founded Ayni Farm Support to strengthen Northwest Arkansas's foodshed by bringing together farmers, food system workers, and neighbors through reciprocity, trust, and mutual support. We believe that when people know one another, they begin to show up for one another—and that is how stronger, more resilient communities grow.

JOIN US

Sign up to join our monthly taco and pizza nights, offer help, or request community farm-sitting cover.