March ’24 Love Notes

Radical simply means grasping things at the root.

Angela Davis

Blessings and Blissful Spring Beloveds,

Our hearts are overflowing with joy to see the vibrant purple crocuses and bright green garlic pushing their way up through the soil with the promise of spring. The land is waking from its restful slumber and waiting to welcome you back to rejoice, strategize, and grow in community.

Read on for invitations to join us for the launch of several 2024 programs including the rebirth of our L.O.L Youth Immersion.

At the end of this Love Note, you’ll even find a special offering of a book recommendation and an original poem from members of our cherished team. We hope these gifts flood your heartspace with deep gratitude and expansive inspiration. 

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

It shapes behavior, priorities, and belonging. During our spring staff retreat, the team got to experience the nearly-complete Program Center for the first time. We felt the intentionality of the design throughout – from the playful children’s hideout under the stairs, to the visual connection between the farm fields and the kitchen, to the dry/wet 2-chamber root cellar to keep our community nourished throughout the winter. Every detail, from wood species selection to the countertop height, speaks to our values around accessibility, ecological care, and BIPOC dignity. We wait with patient enthusiasm for you all to get to immerse in a completed campus with a design that honors your worth.

On the farm, a prematurely warm spring delights our senses but worries our sensibilities. We hope that even with climate instability, the winter was enough to knock back the pests and recharge the aquifers. Our seedlings are emerging in the greenhouse, garlic bursting forth from the straw mulch in the fields, and cover crops blanketing the high tunnels. Newly installed drainage in the east field promises to liberate the soggy part of our orchard from hypoxia. Our furry co-workers, Jax and Abe, delight in the increased bustle of farmers returning to the land.

To learn more about cover cropping, check out our educational reel here.

April 9
April 23
May 7

It’s with a joyful heart that we welcome you back to the land for the Community Work and Learn season. Join us for a day-long on-farm volunteer opportunity to learn more about our growing practices. We’re hosting 17 Work & Learns including some group registration days.

Check out our website for more information. Click on the dates below to register.

We’re excited to kick off our revamped Building Skills series with a Hands on Introduction to Carpentry Workshop on Friday, May 10th.

This daylong deep dive will be an opportunity to learn safe hand and power tool use, layout, measuring, fastening, and some of the basics of working with wood through a beginner building project.

Learn more and register here!

Are you ready to get free?! This summer a team of professional chefs, farmers, musicians, artists, activists and healers are welcoming 15 youth to Soul Fire Farm to create art, grow food, make music, learn cooking skills, explore nature, and build relationships of trust, respect and joy. 

Liberation on Land Youth Immersion is for BIPOC youth (Black, indigenous, and other people of color) who are 14-16 years old. Local youth from the 518/Capital Region and regional youth living within 60 miles from Soul Fire Farm will be strongly prioritized. 

Learn more and apply 
Rolling Admission until slots are full

Bees are our ancestors, pre-dating human existence on the Earth by tens of millions of years. When we tend to bees on land, they teach us about living in reciprocal communities, building resiliency through creative response, and how to dance and make sweet treats. This hands-on workshop will cover the basics of managing a backyard hive.

Learn more and register here!

Upcoming 3D Skill Shares:

Orcharding 3D with Leah Penniman and Jonah Vitale-Wolff
In person at Soul Fire Farm
April 30, 9:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET
Learn more and register here!
50% of proceeds from the Orcharding 3D will go toward planting trees in Palestine

Growing Color 3D: How to Plan a Dye Garden 
with Sarah Gotowka of Luna Fiber Studio
Virtual
May 16, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET
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).

We invite you to check out our newest skill share video release on Sheep Care. In this video Nicole Scott, Farm Director (Livestock Operation and Farm Outreach) at Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming, demonstrates a 5-point check. The 5-point health check is a tool in your system of care for small ruminants and in this video Nicole applies this system to sheep. This skill allows for you to do an exam on your animals and collect important health information that will help you manage your overall flock health. Thank you to Nicole for presenting this important skill and to Analise Sesay of Common Healing Production Company for filming. 

Every month, experienced Black farmers and food systems experts share their knowledge about agriculture, land tenure, markets, food policy, coops, cultural foods, and more. At the end of the show we have a GIVEAWAY to the person who wins our quiz. To free ourselves we must feed ourselves!

Your hosts are Leah Penniman and Clara AgborTabi of Soul Fire Farm. 

Upcoming:

Thursday, April 4 @ 4 PM ET
Carmen Mouzon/Taylor Pauls  Blacklove Collective Trust

Thursday, April 18 @ 4 PM ET 
Black Church Food Security Network / Rev Heber Brown

Find our live on instagram @soulfirefarm

In March, we facilitated 3 training sessions to inspire action plans and solidarity strategies to uproot racism in the food system. Thank you to everyone who joined in, and special shout out to Clara who facilitated for the first time!

Stay tuned for more sessions in the fall. In the meantime you can check out our Action Steps or screen our virtual keynote Uprooting Racism, Seeding Sovereignty. 

“Filled with photos and the whimsical art of Madison Safer, this eclectic and colorful compilation volume features easy-to-follow projects that engage all five senses. There are activities for different ages and interests, including how to make a pressed flower and herb collage, tie-dye fabric with turmeric, make elderberry syrup, plant a pollinator garden, make wild berry crumble, craft an herbal wreath or a flower bracelet, write a nature haiku, make lemon balm lip balm, and more.” Ayo will also be leading an intro to indigo class in April. 

If interested in learning more about either,
check out Wild Ginger Herbal Center’s link-tree.

We believe that honest feedback and generative conflict are essential for growth, and have several systems in place to encourage transformative dialogue. Our team just completed our annual refresher training on “Courageous Conversations” – a trauma-informed and decolonial adaptation of nonviolent communication. 

In addition to courageous conversations, our team engages in monthly “real talk” to give one another direct feedback, co-creates and upholds safe space agreements, engages in shared political education, and has processes to welcome our participants and the public to give us feedback. 

We are inspired and informed by the work of Adrienne Maree Brown in we will not cancel us, Maurice Mitchell in Building Resilient Organizations, Kazu Haga in Healing Resistance, and Meenadchi in Decolonizing Nonviolent Communication. 

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. 

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. 

Mohican friends, you are welcome and encouraged to apply for the FIRE immersion, 3D skillshares, Soul Fire in the City, and other programs. Please indicate your tribal affiliation on your application. 

Soul Fire Farm is located on unceded territory of the Mohican Nation. We remain committed to working in solidarity with the Mohican people and other Indigenous communities in our region. 

Mariah (she/they) continues to sow seeds of solidarity at the intersection of food equity and criminal justice. Through being in deep connection with allied communities and building power for BIPOC liberation, Mariah acts as a relationship architect; directing resources to community-based groups resisting the harms of racialized capitalism within our legal, economic and social structures. 

More currently, they are joining forces with the Drug Policy Alliance and BIPOC-led food justice orgs (like Soul Fire!) to remove the ban on SNAP benefits for people who use drugs via advocating for the RESTORE ACT. Their ultimate hope is to secure a more equitable Farm Bill in the latest reauthorization cycle.

Golden Goddess Healing Salve
Soul Fire Farm solar infused Golden Goddess Healing Salve containing olive oil, St John’s Wort, Calendula, Marigold, Chamomile, Comfrey and organic beeswax—all herbs were infused in olive oil under the sunlight for 6 months. This salve eases skin conditions like eczema, diaper rash, dryness, and itching. It moisturizes the skin and soothes irritation.

Evergreen Magnesium Bath Salt
A blend of dried white pine and magnesium sulfate epsom salt. Evergreen bath salt is unscented: the aroma of conifers in this bath is naturally derived from the antimicrobial nature of white pine needles for a relaxing bath to rejuvenate the skin and mind. The herbs were harvested in December in the forest around Soul Fire Farm, Each bag contains 8.8 oz of herbal epsom salt. The mix is about ⅔  herbs and ⅓ epsom salt.

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Site & Facilities Administrator!
The Site & Facilities Administrator is responsible for clerical tasks, maintenance administration and new construction administration. This is a contract position.

Property Maintenance Contractor Request for Proposals and Referrals
Soul Fire Farm is also seeking an experienced property maintenance company or sole proprietor to assume the following scope, in whole or in part. Total scope is estimated at 1000-1500 people-hours per year based on how much time it has taken us to complete this work in-house to date.

Due to large email volumes, kindly do not send us application materials by email. We will reach out to schedule your interview. Applications submitted by April 5th will be prioritized.

Clara and Susuyu were thrilled to gather with the National Black Food and Justice Alliance farm-ily in St. Helena Island, SC for the Annual Member Gathering at the historic Penn Center. During this joyful and generative gathering, we were welcomed and held gently by the beautiful lowcountry while learning about the history of the alliance.

Grant Overview:
This funding opportunity comes through RAFI-USA in an effort to move grant funding in equitable ways to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color led organizations engaging in climate policy advocacy, especially as the omnibus Farm Bill is up for reauthorization. Soul Fire Farm plans to re-grant this funding to community members engaging in policy advocacy work including: providing input into local, state, and/or federal legislation, informing constituencies about legislation moving in their communities, and providing input into legislative processes. (Please see list below for more examples of policy advocacy work). $25,000 will be available in total in this funding pool. Grant awards will range from $500-$2,500.

Ideal recipients for this funding are SFF FIRE Immersion Alumni, which consists of individuals who have participated in and completed one of our week-long FIRE immersion programs, but all who meet the criteria are invited to apply.

Applications will be reviewed by the Alumni & Partnerships Team, who will make final decisions on final grant awards and amounts. The grant cycle will open March 1, 2023. Awards will be made on a rolling basis until funds have been exhausted. 

Eligibility:
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color led organization or project that focuses on policy advocacy in the broadest sense.

More Info Can be Found Here 

Farming While Black Instagram Live with Carmen Mouzon and Taylor Pauls of Blacklove Collective Trust April 4, 2024  4:00 pm – 4:45 pm  Farming While Black Instagram Live with Black Church Food Security Network / Rev Heber Brown April 18, 2024  4:00 pm – 4:45 pm Tune in via Instagram @soulfirefarm  Every month, experienced Black farmers and food systems experts share their knowledge about agriculture, land tenure, markets, food policy, coops, cultural foods, and more.

Community Work & Learn April 9, 2024  10:00 am – 3:30 pm | Soul Fire Farm, 1972 NY-2, Petersburgh, NY 12138, USA Registration is required. Registration Link   Community Work & Learn April 23, 2024  10:00 am – 3:30 pm | Soul Fire Farm, 1972 NY-2, Petersburgh, NY 12138, USA Registration is required. Registration Link  Volunteer at Soul Fire Farm to learn about some of our farming practices while supporting our work and getting your hands on the land.

Black Agrarian Climate Solutions Keynote w/ Leah Penniman @ Climate Reality Leadership Training April 13, 2024  9:30 am – 10:30 am Apply Here! (Application Deadline: March 24th)  Join former Vice President Al Gore and The Climate Reality Project for an inspiring leadership training focused on building a better future powered by clean energy.

WBUR Earth Week: An evening with Leah April 26, 2024  6:30 pm – 7:30 pm WBUR CitySpace, 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA Purchase your tickets here!  Kathleen Masterson of WBUR moderates a conversation with Leah Penniman

Orcharding 3D Skill Share with Leah Penniman & Jonah Vitale-Wolff (in person) April 30, 2024  10:00 am – 3:00 pm Soul Fire Farm, 1972 NY-2, Petersburgh, NY 12138, USA Registration required. Register here!  In this hands-on workshop, you will learn how to mimic the forest ecosystem in our orchards, agroforestry, and perennial systems.

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.

Book Recommendation by Leah: In this time of global calamity, we need to be skilled up in nonviolent social change theory and practice. I highly recommend this practical text that explains how we work toward liberation without replicating harm ~ Healing Resistance by Kazu Haga. 

An Ode to Paper

Do you write love letters to the trees that are now the keepers of your secrets, desires, and dreams?

I often wonder, when I put ink to paper… Who were you before you were bound? Did we ever meet? Who embraced you; sunk their face into your crevasses , inhaled your aroma, got your sticky sap on their fingers or in their hair?

Were someone’s ode to love once carved into your bark, will you keep their secrets or will the muse of you spill them from my pen to your new form for all to read.

We could only be so blessed.
This, my ode to paper and the trees that gave themselves so others can be seen.

– C.Mpilo (Sr. Managing Director)