February ’24 Love Notes

On this land, there’s what’s worth living for.

Mahmoud Darwish

Blessings Cherished Community,

As we look out over rolling pastures of resting land, dusted with fresh, white snow, we smile at the thought of all the dancing, singing, and rejoicing this soil has seen. We are dreaming of the warm spring days to come when we can embrace you here on the land again.

In preparation for the sweetness of those moments, we have been busy with winter tasks on the farm such as pruning fruit trees, forwarding construction on the new Program Center, and planning a robust calendar of events for the year.

Applications are live for the FIRE Immersion, Farm To Table Immersion, Youth Immersion, and Soul Fire in the City! Applications are also open for the Braiding Seeds Fellowship providing beginning farmers with resources, professional development, and mentorship.

Read on to learn more about current happenings and upcoming opportunities. You’ll even find a poetic reflection from our treasured Site Coordinator, O’den Robertson, to close out this Love Note.

May your breath be your anchor.

With love and solidarity,

Briana, Brooke, Cheryl, Christina, Clara, Crysta, Danielle, Hana’, Hillary, Jonah, Leah, Maya, Naima, O’den, Ria, Shay, and Susuyu

The heaving of freeze and thaw loosens the soil, reduces sheltering pest populations, and allows the soil biome to rest. During plant dormancy, the farmers also have a chance to prune the woody perennials. This month, we pruned over 120 apple, pear, and peach trees to increase airflow and light penetration. The youngest trees in our orchard, now in their 4th season, received their foundational “shaping” prune to establish the central leader or vase shape that will guide their future growth. To learn more, check out our educational reel on pruning fruit trees.

The human habitat also made strides this month. Site team finished the timber frame awning and porch on the new program center, raising this massive sturdy structure in the biting February winds. To accommodate the power needs of the full campus, an expansion of the utilities infrastructure is underway with the construction of the central structure and underground lines. We are in the homestretch of finish-details on both the Program Center and Abode and are hoping for a grand opening at this year’s SOULstice gathering. Thank you for your love and support during the long years of constructing a beautiful, dignified, and sustainable campus for our cherished rising generation farmers.

This year we are facilitating 3 immersion programs! In addition to our beloved farmer training (FIRE), we are reprising our Youth Immersion and offering the Farm to Table Immersion. 

L.O.L. (Liberation on Land) is an immersive 3-day program for B.I.P.O.C. youth, ages 14-16 that harvests the power of land as a tool for personal and collective liberation. Together, we will engage in creative and healing arts, regenerative farming, whole foods cooking, mindfulness practices, and physical activities, both as skill-building exercises and as a means for emotional-spiritual growth. There will be abundant time in nature, observing, playing, making music, and listening to the languages of the Earth. Participants will receive mentorship in trusting their inner guidance, naming their needs, identifying their super powers, pushing their limits, self-acceptance, collaboration, interdependence, empathy and compassionate communication. The young people will also learn some of the revolutionary history of their ancestors’ struggles for liberation and how they can shape movements for justice in their own communities nowadays. 

Local youth from the 518/Capital Region and regional youth living within 60 miles from Soul Fire Farm will be strongly prioritized. 

The Soul FIRE Immersion (Farming In Relationship to Earth) is designed for aspiring, beginning, and intermediate growers of Black, Indigenous, and Latine heritage to gain basic skills in regenerative farming in a culturally relevant, supportive, and joyful environment. By the end of the program you will have the knowledge to grow and prepare your own food, and the tools to begin a comprehensive commercial farm training if you choose that path. It is our hope that you will also deepen your connection to land, heal from inherited trauma rooted in oppression on land, and take steps toward your personal food sovereignty. 

Read the full program description before applying, and spread the word!

This 5-day program is designed for aspiring, beginning, and intermediate cooks and food justice workers of Black, Indigenous, and Latine heritage to gain skills in culturally-rooted, whole-foods cooking and preservation. By the end of the program, you will have the knowledge to harvest seasonal ingredients, plan menus, create value-added products, and prepare your own dishes inspired by your heritages, as well as the tools to align a professional kitchen with a more sustainable food system. As with all our programs, it is our hope that you will also deepen your connection to land and take steps toward your personal food sovereignty.

Read the full program description before applying, and spread the word!

Soul Fire in the City provides raised bed gardens to community members and groups in the 518 (Albany, Schenectady, and Troy areas). Soul Fire Farm offers materials, seedlings, soil, labor, and ongoing guidance at no-cost to support folks to grow their own food and medicine towards self-reliance and community resilience.

The forest is a superorganism composed of trees and plants that “talk” to one another using the internet of fungal mycelium. They quite literally send warning messages, share carbon and minerals, and take turns helping each other out when environmental conditions are rough. Not only is the cooperation of the forest a profound guide for how we need to exist in the human community, it’s also a practical survival strategy. 

In this hands-on workshop, together we will learn how to mimic the forest ecosystem in our orchards, agroforestry, and perennial systems; Afro-Indigenous agroforestry practices; the orchardist’s calendar for the year – pruning, care, harvesting; how to site your orchard and select tree varieties; and more! 

Learn more and register here!

Upcoming 3D Skill Shares:

Beekeeping 3D with Hana’ Maaiah of Soul Fire Farm & Olka Forster // In Person at Soul Fire Farm – June 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. Details and registration coming soon!

3D workshops are designed to be culturally relevant and safe spaces that center Black, Indigenous and People of Color (read why here).

Their application will be open from MARCH 1st – MAY 1st! The program is for beginning BIPOC farmers and land stewards in the northeast or southeast of the US. This includes the following states: ME, NH, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, DE, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, DC, MS, AL, LA, PA, WV, VT. The fellowship is great for beekeepers, herbalists, pastoralists, seed keepers, food forest growers, traditional produce farmers, and much more.  $50,000 stipends will be awarded to 10 accepted fellows as well as mini stipends to runner-up applicants! Please help us spread the word across your respective networks.

More information on eligibility can be found on our website.

I recently asked Naomi Jaffe, a beloved local movement elder what her most important advice is for the rising generation of activists. She said, “You have to work internationally. These are global, imperial problems that cannot be solved within borders.” Of course, she is right, and now more than ever. Faced with climate change, corporate land grabbing, militarized violence, unbridled resource extraction, and ecosystem destruction – the only way forward is together. 

Soul Fire Farm (via US Food Sovereignty Alliance) participates in Via Campesina, the international peasants voice, and founders of the global food sovereignty movement. We understand that those closest to the earth, whose hands are literally in the soil and whose hearts are committed to nourishing communities, are the ones with the solutions and rightful authority to guide a just and sustainable food system. 

Strengthening relationships between peasant farmers across borders is important to us. Before the pandemic, we organized annual brigades to our “sister farms” in Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Ghana. While on pause for a few years, we are excited to have just completed a solidarity visit to La Colmena Cimarrona in Vieques, where we facilitated workshops on land trusts and farm business planning. We encourage you to DONATE to the amazing work of La Colmena and Via Campesina! “Globalize the struggle! Globalize hope!” ~via campesina 

The Praxis series is our political education initiative where we discuss community values, share resources and ideas, and explore strategies toward collective liberation. These will be shared each month in Love Notes and also on social media. 

Topics include archeological findings at the Papscanee Island and Stockbridge MA historical sites, as well as Mohican basketry designs. Recordings are available for past webinars.

Information and registration can be found here. 

Hello, Farmily! It feels like a lifetime ago since I was last on the farm. Back when I was in farm camp, I was living in Brooklyn, NY, married to my husband of 15 years and deeply immersed in the culinary world, teaching cooking classes and leading a vibrant team of community chefs. Fast-forward through a whirlwind of life events- separation from the husband, 3 zipcode changes, 4 trips to Cuba and a tryst with a muchacho- I co-launched Beautifully Fed Food, a culinary nutrition education worker-owned coop with some dear friends and support from Riseboro’s Worker Co-op Development Team. And when the world shifted beneath our feet with Covid, our in-person cooking classes went virtual. The pivot offered an unexpected silver lining – the chance to reconnect with my dad in Florida. What was meant to be a brief visit unraveled into moving here.

Now, settled and officially divorced in Hollywood, Florida, I’ve embraced the freedom to rediscover myself and my passions as a single woman. The journey led me to an ADHD diagnosis, no wonder entrepreneurship calls to me, and why I’m eager to do ALL the things, at once: expanding beyond culinary nutrition education into Zumba instruction and health & wellness writing.

My current work teaching cooking classes for the Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C. and my role on Health Meets Food’s Culinary Medicine Specialist Advisory Board are the beginning of merging my passions with my professional pursuits. I also became certified in Intuitive Eating and Diabetes Prevention. As a coach I navigate the delicate balance between public health and a compassionate approach to nutrition and wellness. Life in Florida has been a blend of sun therapy, dating, and seizing every moment to dance and inspire others to find joy in movement. I recently joined a Bachata dance team and performed on stage for the first time EVER! Terrifying and so very thrilling! This exploration is part of my broader mission to redefine the narrative around food, fitness, health, and body positivity.

I’m eager for opportunities to collaborate with you. Whether through grant-supported projects where I can share my writing, culinary skills, love for zumba, or creating health and wellness programming for adults and the elderly, I’m all in. Let’s reconnect and explore how we can support each other in our current endeavors and dream up new ones. Find me on LinkedIn, or shoot me an email at  karen@beautifullyfed.com. 

Kisses,
karen

Are you located in the Troy or Albany area and interested in a no-cost food share? Soul Fire Farm provides no cost doorstep delivery of vegetables, fruits, medicine, eggs, and value-add products to people living under food apartheid in the Albany-Troy area.

Fort Orange Garden Club Centennial Endowed Scholarship: For students enrolled as third- or fourth-year undergraduate students or current graduate students committed to a major in any of the plant sciences, conservation, environmental sciences, or landscape architecture. The applicant must demonstrate financial need and reside in one of the following counties: Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Warren, Washington, Greene, Columbia, or Schoharie.

Scholarship Opportunities – The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region (cfgcr.org)

Corbin Hill Food Project, in partnership with Black Farmer Ecosystem, Food for the Spirit, and with support from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE), is seeking New York-based Black farmers & food actors* to join us in mapping out a pathway to create a Black Farmer Commons! By participating in at least one virtual 60-min interview, and up to three virtual 90-min focus groups over a 10-month period, we will highlight our community’s strengths and needs so we can continue to root new food systems that better support Black farmers.

A $2,500 stipend is available for your participation!

Our research project aims to understand how an ecosystem of organizations led by Black and Indigenous people of color that provide educational, financial, social, and operational support can uplift new ownership and economic pathways for Black farmers’ collective success. Our intended outcomes include: a progress report on the Ecosystem’s efforts & learning, a comprehensive asset map of resources available within the ecosystem, as well as an exploration of models of Black Farmer Commons.

*Black farmers & food actors may be folks who identify as food aggregators, gardeners and land stewards, herbalists, cultivators, and all who grow various crops.

We are looking for Black farmers & food actors who:
Cultivate in New York State
Have any level of farming experience
Work in Urban and/or Rural environments
May have engaged with one of the following organizations: Food for the Spirit and Black Farmer Ecosystem partners Black Farmer Fund, Soul Fire Farm Institute, Farm School NYC, Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust, Corbin Hill Food Project, or Black Farmers United – NYS

We need your voice! If you or anyone you know meets the above criteria
please fill out this Interest Form 

SFF + RAFI-USA: Climate + Equity Policy Re-grant still accepting responses!

You are invited to apply for Climate and Equity Policy Re-grant, for funds to support your policy advocacy endeavors.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until funds have been exhausted. Grant awards will range from $500-$2,500.

You can learn more by viewing the Re-grant announcement and application details + form linked here: https://rb.gy/jnfefh

“Good Eats” Panel @ MOFAD (with Leah Penniman)  March 5, 2024  7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Virtual  Find more information on the event here! MOFAD is excited to host a virtual panel on “Good Eats and Eating Ethically” featuring co-editors Jennifer Cognard-Black and Melissa A. Goldthwaite, nutrition and food studies pioneer Marion Nestle, and author and founding co-ED and Farm Director of Soul Fire Farm in Grafton, New York, Leah Penniman.  Purchase tickets for the “Good Eats and Eating Ethically” panel here!

Farming While Black Instagram Live   March 14, 2024  4:00 pm – 4:45 pm with Konda Mason/Jubilee Justice | March 21, 2024  4:00 pm – 4:45 pm with Black Farmers United Instagram Handle @SoulFireFarm

All Things Food Summit at SXSW (with Leah Penniman)  March 14, 2024  6:45 pm – 7:15 pm Barr Mansion, Ballroom, and Farmstead, 10463 Sprinkle Rd, Austin, TX 78754, USA We have an incredible 500+ person venue at Barr Mansion in Austin and will be running multiple stages featuring 40+ speakers, delicious food, film viewings, live performance, tasting areas, and so much more. Register for the “All Things Food Summit” here!

Uprooting Racism in the Food System  March 12, 2024  1:00 pm – 4:00 pm | March 13, 2024 1:30pm – 4:30pm | March 20, 2024 1pm – 4pm The Uprooting Racism training is a theory and action workshop for environmental and food justice leaders to uproot systemic Eventbrite registration is required: Registration Link

Farming While Black Screening and Panel w/ Leah Penniman  March 29, 2024  6:30 pm – 9:00 pm Smithsonian Museum of Natural History 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560 RSVP Here! 2024 DCEFF OFFICIAL SELECTION – Farming While Black – March 29th @ 7PM (Doors Open: 6:30 PM)

The food system was built on the stolen land and stolen labor of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and people of color. Our ecosystem partners, Northeast Farmers of Color Network and National Black Food and Justice Alliance are claiming our sovereignty and calling for reparations of land and resources so that we can grow nourishing food and distribute it in our communities. The specific projects and resource needs of BIPOC land-based projects are listed on Northeast Farmers of Color Network and National Black Food and Justice Alliance’s respective maps linked above. We are so excited about these powerful opportunities for people to people solidarity.

Whispers in the wind brings a vision of the world
Traveling aimlessly to find the truth
Stitched up through the seam of unknown parallels
We find hope in the future
The same hope that embodies the warmth of the sun
The same warmth of a parents love

~ O’den Robertson, Site Coordinator