Sabbatical Recipient Spotlight: Farmer Cee of Green Heffa Farms

How a Surprise Sabbatical Grant Helped Cultivate a Black Woman-Centered Herbal Tea Business

Photo courtesy of Farmer Cee/ Green Heffa Farms

"Black women showing up for Black women."

This powerful philosophy guides everything that Clarenda "Farmer Cee" Stanley does at Green Heffa Farms, her herb farm and wellness brand based in Liberty, North Carolina. As one of the Vaycarious Sabbatical Fund recipients, Farmer Cee's story offers a unique perspective on what happens when Black women invest in each other's rest and restoration.

From Corporate Fundraiser to Herb Farmer

Before becoming "Farmer Cee," Clarenda spent over two decades in marketing and fundraising, rising to prestigious positions including vice president of a university and principal gifts fundraiser. She traveled the world, engaged with wealthy donors, and moved in elite circles. Yet throughout her corporate career, she found herself increasingly unable to code-switch or water down her authentic self.

"I got to just in general in my life where being authentic was critical to my mental health," Farmer Cee shared in our recent interview. "I don't necessarily like walking on eggshells when I'm having a conversation, worrying about if I split an infinitive or if I use a double negative."

This commitment to authenticity eventually led her to a crossroads. When experiencing uneasiness amidst professional pressures and personal challenges, Farmer Cee began using herbs to support her well-being. Simultaneously, she had access to farmland through inheritance—a twenty-acre tree farm from her mother—and acquired hemp growing licenses through a technicality.

"The way my mind works, who wants to be a Black farmer today and be working for somebody else? So she bought land and established Green Heffa Farms, focusing on growing high-quality herbs specifically for Black women.