About

My name is Amber Hockman, and I am the owner and operator of The Porch Swing Collective. I’d like to share the story of how this dream came to life.

In 2018, I was widowed when my husband, a soldier in the United States Army, lost his battle with PTSD and depression. My life turned upside down, and for a long time I struggled to function at all. Somewhere deep inside, though, my body and spirit knew what I needed — to grow. I started a small garden in a few pots and filled my home with houseplants. Feeling the sun on my skin and watching new life unfold helped me begin to heal.

Then, in 2020, the pandemic hit. Like so many others, I watched the shelves empty and realized how fragile our supply chains truly are. I expanded my little garden, and growing my own food became a source of both hope and purpose. Each tomato, each handful of greens, reminded me that we are capable of resilience.

That same year, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After surgery and twenty rounds of radiation, my awareness of what I ate and where it came from deepened even more. My garden grew again — this time to nine raised beds — and I began studying organic gardening and homesteading practices with renewed passion.

During my recovery, I enrolled in the Sustainable Food & Farming program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Every class — from organic farming and food preservation to soil science and community resilience — fueled my belief that knowledge should be shared, not hoarded. I learned that the average grocery store item travels about 1,500 miles to reach our plates, and that resilient communities are those that grow, share, and care together.

That realization became my purpose.

The Porch Swing Collective was born from a desire to share hope, healing, and practical skills — to help others reconnect with the land, their food, and each other. Through workshops, educational tools, and community connections, I aim to empower people to cultivate self-reliance, joy, and resilience.

I’m so excited to connect with you and share my passion. Together, we can build something strong, hopeful, and deeply rooted.