Woch nan dlo pa konnen mizè woch nan soley.
The rock in water does not understand the suffering of the rock in the sun.
~ Haitian Proverb
Beloved Community,
Our hearts are full after completing our Soul FIRE (Farming in Relationship to the Earth) Farming Immersion season! For 4 weeks this summer, a total of 65 Black Indigenous and other People of Color, from 4 to 64 years old and from Georgia to Puerto Rico, came together to learn Afro-Indigenous farming skills, cook nourishing foods, connect deeply with the land, create ritual and heal with one another.
It has been a time teeming with care for the land, crops, animals and humans who grow here.
It’s also a time of reckoning with the very real impacts of climate catastrophe, that has our lands saturated with unprecedented rains while those in other regions cry out for water amidst unyielding drought. Our beloved comrades in Haiti are reeling in the aftermath of an earth-shattering quake rendering tens of thousands homeless in the face of tropical storms.
Keep reading for ways to support grassroots community-driven relief efforts in Haiti, as well as Soul Fire’s August highlights, and announcements about what to look forward to in September.
May we partner with the land and each other to do everything in our power to heal the climate and our singular sacred Earth.
With love & solidarity,
Azuré, Brooke, Cheryl, Dayo, Ife, Jonah, Kiani, Leah and Naima
Neshima Vitale-Penniman – Farm & Operations Assistant
Soul Fire, birthed of my parents love, is my cherished sibling who I have grown and learned beside for much of my life. As I prepare to venture to university, I give thanks for the potent love and connection to spirit, ancestors, community, family, earth, and my Ori that I feel on this sacred mountainside.
Dayo Marsh – Network Coordinator
Feeling so loved, held and energized from my time on the land this past month with FIRE folks and farmily. It felt good to revel in the small moments of foot falls mingling with soil that I so often take for granted as a city dweller. The romance of my heart speeding up and slowing down in time with my feet as they traversed mossy trailways by the light of the moon. Brother earthworm weaving between my fingertips as I readied a bed for some allium siblings. Deep sighs of gratitude to my body and community for holding me. What a treat it can be sometimes when you can stop to smell the onions.
Leah Penniman – Co-Director & Farm Manager
Summer requires long and focused days in the fields, and so I relish the rare opportunities to participate in virtual mobilization work, such as the recent Maroon University panel with brilliant comrades – Colette Pichon Battle and Naomi Klein. We discussed the connections between climate injustice and disaster capitalism and shared strategies for resistance
When we first met this Land in 2006, her soils were unyielding. A metal spade could enter just a couple of inches, before clanking stubbornly on hardpan clay. The county agricultural agent took a walk on the mountainside slopes and declared the soils “marginal, unsuitable.”
(to the right is a photo of Emet, Leah and Jonah’s youngest child now 16 y.o, helping to form beds for growing in 2008!)
This summer, farmer and soil scientist Tiffany LaShae returned to Soul Fire Farm as a guest facilitator and led a workshop on soil profiles.
She plunged her auger into our crop fields and pulled out a soil core, expertly pointing out evidence of ancient glaciation and forest fires. And then she measured 10 inches of beautiful, dark, fragrant topsoil, proclaiming, “This was built in the last 10 years. You all helped create this soil.”
Our hearts sang!
Indeed, we have witnessed the soil return to pre-colonial levels of organic matter, teeming with biodiverse organisms.
Our people are no strangers to “marginal, unsuitable” soils, having been pushed by colonialism and redlining to areas where we contend with lead, erosion, slopes, and bedrock. We steadily apply our composts, mulches, no-till beds, animal grazing, and sacred offerings and the soil heals over time. These are generational investments for generational returns.
“Put your faith in the two inches of humus that will build under the trees every thousand years.” ~Wendell Berry, The Mad Farmer Liberation Front
The wild amounts of rain in July gave us the opportunity to witness our drainage infrastructure at work. Watching the creeks rush and rise and seeing the heavy rainfall stream down the roads and the mountainsides reminded us of the power of extreme weather events. It reminded us too of the importance of building for climate resilience now, and going forward. The land did experience some minimal erosion, but our culverts, ditches, drainage tile, pond overflow, and contoured landscaping got us through the rains with our farm beds intact and no flooding damage to our buildings.
We’ve continued wrapping up the finishing details of the classroom such as the interior trim, cabinetry and HVAC, as well as cupola details. We also completed the design and installation of the landscape infrastructure around the building.
We are so grateful to our friend Keith Zaltzberg of Regenerative Design Group for support with planning pathways, garden spaces, and plant friends that will help integrate the building into its surroundings.
One of the highlights of the past month was teaching our day-long carpentry workshop. Along with our farmer workshops, this is part of our survival skills trainings. Neshima, Kai and Jonah of Soul Fire were joined by our friend Sean Desiree to co-facilitate the day. We welcomed a wonderful group of eager learners to gain hands-on skills in carpentry and practice applying those skills. It was invigorating to dive into core carpentry concepts while witnessing people get more comfortable using power tools and measuring tapes; walking away with confidence and inspiration to create their own structures and shelters. We believe that the resilience of our community strengthens as our ability to grow food and build our shelters grows. Looking forward to building with you all!
Soul FIRE Farming Immersion
We did it, family!!! Our Soul FIRE (Farming in Relationship to the Earth) Farming Immersions were profoundly meaningful and magical. For 4 weeks this summer, a total of 65 Black Indigienous and other People of Color, from 4 to 64 years old and from Georgia to Puerto Rico, came together to learn Afro-Indigenous farming skills, cook nourishing foods, connect deeply with the land, create ritual and heal with one another. We harvested berries and made jam, gathered calendula and made salves, had agroforestry scavenger hunts, cared for the goats, befriended plants, pounded drums at dawn, walked through the forest at night, shared stories of the lands and ancestors who have shaped us, and planted seeds in the earth and in our hearts.
Check out theFacilitator and Trainer Bios & Photo Gallery and learn a bit about the beautiful team that held the container for the FIRE Immersions this summer.
Work + Learn Days
Our Work and Learn Days this month have been intergenerational and glorious! We sprinkled copious amounts of love on that land and accomplished an immense amount of work with our collective effort: mulching, weeding, harvesting peaches, cleaning garlic, garbling herbs and moving the goats onto fresh pasture.
Our next Work and Learn Days are August 10 & 31 if you want to get your hands on the land with us! Registration required. Learn more here
Soul Fire in the City
Chickens can be part of an abundant backyard ecosystem, consuming food scraps and insects, and producing eggs and fertilizer. They are also relatively easy to raise and great fun to observe! Leah Penniman and Azuré Keahi will share their knowledge on raising chickens as a part of a robust backyard ecosystem Thurs, September 30, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM EDT at Azuré’s house in Troy. In this workshop, we will learn the basics of raising chickens in the city, including housing, feed, equipment, regulations, and health. Register here
Ask a Sista Farmer
Fireworks and meteors!!!! Leah has now hosted 30 episodes of “Ask a Sista Farmer”! This free online show supports people who want to grow their own food and medicine for self-reliance and community resilience. Each show features experienced Black womxn farmers dropping their knowledge about gardening, livestock, agroforestry, plant medicine, and food preservation.
On August 6th we were joined by the brilliant and devoted Karen Washington (Mama K), farmer at Rise & Root Farm and co-founder of Black Urban Growers (BUGS). Mama K has over 30 years of growing experience and will speak to lessons learned, the transition from urban to rural farming, and advice for the next generation of Black and Brown farmers.
You can watch that episode (#30!) on Soul Fire’s IGTV here.
Check out other past episodes here (FB) and here (IGTV) & catch the next episode September 3rd (4:00-4:40 ET) with Gail Meyers on instagram live @soulfirefarm
Hands-On Introduction to Carpentry
We hosted a “Hands-On Introduction to Carpentry” workshop on July 29 to equip and inspire changemakers, community builders, farmers and food fighters to “level up” our hard skills in building and construction. Folks came to the farm to learn tool use and have practice time on a carpentry project, like a growing trellis and compost bin. The workshop was guided by the brilliance of Sean Desiree, Kai Thomas, Neshima Wolff-Vitale Penniman & Jonah Vitale-Wolff. If you are interested in learning check out these virtual resources from Sean and Kai: Carpentry 3D Virtual Skill Share – Zoom Recording, Liberation on Land Videos – How to build a Cold Frame & Planter, Carpentry Resources
Farm Tours
Our tours have been full of whole-hearted stories and meaningful connections! We have two more coming up this growing season: September 10 and October 8 (3:30-4:30 PM ET) so that you, our beloved community can experience some of the plants, animals and humans that grow here. We will guide you through the growing fields and agroforestry gardens, take you up close to the building projects, share, and answer your questions. 18 people can join us in person, and 500 virtually per tour. Register Here
FEEDBACK, REAL TALK, AND GROWTH (AUGUST)
We believe that honest feedback is essential for accountability and growth, and have several systems in place to encourage those conversations. Our team uses a peer-to-peer “real talk” process to give one another direct feedback on a monthly basis. When conflict arises, we use a Courageous Conversation protocol, which we learn and practice during our annual staff orientation. A witness or mediator is present if desired by anyone involved in the conflict. Our team creates and upholds safe space agreements that call for nonviolence and a trauma-informed response to harm. We are committed to transformative justice, and have a professional facilitator available for meditation and healing as needs arise. We are inspired by the work of adrienne maree brown “we will not cancel us” and are committed to giving and receiving constructive feedback in ways that uphold our precious comrades, collective work, and institutions. We also welcome community members to offer us feedback at any time using this form. Having these systems in place does not mean that transforming conflict is easy – it’s work that can test us to our core. How do your organizations and communities handle feedback and growth? Please share your ideas so we can grow together.
Soul Fire Farm’s new Praxis series reflects on how our community can best put our values into action, sharing resources, ideas, and practice toward collective liberation. These will be shared each month in Love Notes and also on social media.
Ancestor Voices Spiritual Bath
A spiritual bath to tune the heart to the ancestors, containing sage, marigold, mugwort, yarrow, and prayer. The herbs are grown at Soul Fire Farm following Certified Naturally Grown standards and Afro-Indigenous heritage practices. Each container has enough herbs for one spiritual bath.
Instructions for use:
- Combine herbal mixture with approximately 1 gallon of cool or room temperature water in a wide container.
- Vigorously crush the herbs in the water while saying your prayers to your ancestors.
- Pour the bath mixture over your body, head to toe while continuing to pray in words, songs, or silence.
- Do not wash off the herbs or the bath for the rest of the day.
- Wrap yourself in a white cloth and rest for the remainder of the day or at least for several hours.
- This bath was prepared and activated by a Manye (Queen Mother) in the Vodun tradition of West Africa. Any person of any faith or ethnicity may use this bath to connect with their own ancestors.
Purchases from this store support the food justice work of Soul Fire Farm. Thank you for helping us free the people and the land!
Seeding Hope, Sharing Resilience: Alumni Spotlight
Chef Fresh
Whether prepping warm meals for community members each week, tenderly replenishing the only Love Fridges in Chicago’s Southside, or growing food and relationships to stock Fresher Together Harvest Bags in support of local BIPOC stewards, Chef Fresh has been a force to be reckoned with and an exemplar of how love and light can feed our movements.
Located in South Chicago, Chef Fresh runs a collaborative food and farming project called Fresher Together which acts as a space for healing, economic
development, training and retreat. From soil to humans, Chef Fresh strives to create nourishing food and spaces that are restorative and support well-being.
Their incubator farm grows culinary and medicinal herbs and mushrooms as well as what they call the “flava foods”consisting of alliums (onions, leeks, shallots, garlic), celery, carrots, peppers, beans, and small grain for small batch value added production, and community, restoration, and healing. “We like to think of our farm as the farm community built and offer consistent opportunities for community members to access being on the land and time with hands in the soil” says Chef Fresh of how the farm is shaping and shaped by community.
Chef Fresh was recently recognized by Crain’s as one of 50 Notable 2021 LGBTQ Executives.
- Chapter in The Organic Farming Revolution: Past, Present, and Futureby Leah Penniman
September 9th
10:00 AM – 1:30 PM EST
FORUM2021 is a call to all spiritual and religious leaders and activists for a return to local, biodiverse organic food systems which regenerate soil, water and biodiversity while providing healthy sustenance for all.
September 11th – 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM EST
This year’s conference will focus on the economic impacts and the power of the cooperative business model with an emphasis on the power of growing
your own food, from seed saving to community gardening, and celebrating the contributions of our black and underrepresented food and farming community.Keynote speakers include: Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard, Leah Penniman, Malik Yakini and Ira Wallace. Listen to Leah’s keynote address from 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM.
On August 14th, 2021 the people of Ayiti/Haiti experienced another devastating earthquake that has left more than 1,200 dead and hundreds of thousands injured. The people of Ayiti deserve not only our prayers and love, but our solidarity.
Here is a list of trusted comrades and organizations either based in Ayiti or connected with Ayiti with deep roots and integrity compiled by Movement 4 Black Lives.
FOKAL is also able to receive donations to channel funds to smallholder farmers associations, grassroots women’s organizations and small local ethical enterprises that are the true first responders on the ground as well as the best agents to strengthen grassroots network, self-care communities, local advocacy and economic recovery.
Soul Fire Farm has nurtured an ongoing relationship with farmers in Haiti, and through friendships have also learned about a community-driven effort in Maniche, South Haiti. While they don’t have an online donation platform, you can transfer money directly into the HELP account to be used to buy materials for repairing houses, tents and food for those who most need it in Maniche.
Wire to: Banque Nationale de Credit, P.O. Box 1320, Port Au Prince, Haiti
SWIFT code: BNCHHTPP Acct # 941000182
Intermediary Bank: Bank of New York ABA 02100018
Account Name: Haiti Episcopal Learning Programs (HELP), 86 Rue Rigaud, Petionville
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUR SIBLINGS IN AYITI!
Oppression underwrites our food system, and a tangible action to address food sovereignty in our communities is taking reparations into our own hands through the creation of the Reparations Map for Black-Indigenous Farmers. We recognize that the food system was built on the stolen land and stolen labor of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and other people of color. We also know that we cannot wait for the government to acknowledge that stolen wealth and land must be returned. Some farmers have already received funding through this project, and we want to provide that opportunity to other Black and Brown farmers. If you have resources you want to share contact a farmer directly to share them, or if you have a project you want to include on the map contact Northeast Farmers of Color!