My mother was born under an olive tree on a soil they say is no longer mine but I will cross their barriers.
Rafeef Ziadah
Blessings beloveds,
Today is Giving Tuesday and people all over the world will come together and harness the power of human connection to change our world! This Giving Tuesday we hope to raise funds for Soul Fire Farm’s international solidarity work.
Since our founding, we have collaborated with farmers in Haiti, Mexico, Ghana, Benin, Guatemala, and Vieques to advance food and land sovereignty. We also established a solidarity fund to support local BIPOC farmers’ advocacy for human rights protection in Palestine-Israel. While the pandemic paused our winter volunteer delegations to support sibling farmers abroad, we have continued to channel resources and share ideas with our comrades, in the spirit of “intercambio.” In the coming year, we plan to strengthen our international solidarity work with your support.
Click the link here to donate to this fund. Indicate “solidarity” in the memo. Thank you for your continued support, beloved community. We could not do this work without you!
May your breath be your anchor.
With love and solidarity,
Briana, Brooke, Cheryl, Clara, Crysta, Danielle, Hana’, Hillary, Ife, Jonah, Kai, Leah, Maya, Naima, O’den, Ria, Shay, and Susuyu
After two and a half years of working with and contributing to the organization, our teammate and kin, Ife Kilimanjaro, will leave Soul Fire Farm. She offers these brief words:
Dear Beloved Soul Fire Farm community,
In early 2021, I joined this incredible team to share, learn, and from behind the scenes, contribute to the aim of uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system. There were many things that I valued about Soul Fire Farm at that time, but what really stood out to me was an ideological orientation and set of practices that held answers, solutions to the climate crisis: being in relationship with and listening to the land, engaging in AfroIndigenous farming practices, minimizing waste and human footprint, composting, and much more. I knew I was in the right place at that time.
Since then, we’ve worked together to strengthen and clarify systems that support healthy internal culture, strong team dynamics and humane human resources management. I was entrusted to represent Soul Fire Farm in our partnerships and coalitions, alongside my teammate Susuyu Lassa. How beautiful to be in thought partnership and practice with such necessary organizations as the National Black Food and Justice Alliance, HEAL Food Alliance, the New York State Ecosystem, Black Farmers United, Ujamaa Seeds, and Liberating Investment for the Food & Farm Ecosystem.
As I prepare to depart in mid-January, I offer not a goodbye, but blessings, well wishes and see you soon. I am grateful for joining this community as an employee and look forward to continuing as a program participant, alongside many of you.
Love and blessings,
Ife
With this season change, farmers often get asked
“So what do y’all do in the winter time?!”
The answer is: a lot! With the natural slow down of the fields, our remaining work is in re-homing our chickens, recording inventory of our barn, kitchen, orchard and soil amendments to inform ordering for next year, cleaning out high tunnels and greenhouses, repairing tools, and planning out our crop map for the next growing season… just to name a few things. It’s also a wonderful time to have a Braiding Seeds Fellows reunion to do one final hands-on-the-land! Thank you Farmers!
As we finish tucking garlic into the soil, complete the final passes of tractor and rakes for bed prep, and cover the farm in a golden blanket of straw, looking out onto the land can be emotional at this time of year. All the Corn and Amaranth have cycled and we think “was it really just this year?!” when we remember the wild-fire smoke, spontaneous hail, flooding and pest outbreaks that joined us throughout the season. Farmers and Earth remember, in our bones and soil alike. We also remember all the berries picked, meals cooked, veggies bunched, and hugs shared in this truly beautiful work of land stewardship. We are so grateful to have this relationship with this land, as tumultuous, inspiring, and captivating as it is.
As the weather gets cold, the fields aren’t the only thing that need to get put to bed.
There are a host of winterizing tasks that the site team has been doing to prepare for the season of hibernation. Most prep has to do with dodging the destructive power of frozen water and heavy snow. The bathhouse gets closed down for the season: all lines drained and any standing water mixed with antifreeze. Same with the barn kitchen, and any hoses that have been in use for the season. The tents that serve essential shelter for programming and tools during the warm months are taken down and stored, and our outdoor patio furniture is rearranged and stacked to avoid getting smushed by the occasional avalanches off the roofs. Fuel stabilizer goes into our small engines, snow chains and winter tires go onto vehicles, and we break out the sand/salt, plows, and shovels. Winter is much more enjoyable when you’re ready for it!
Uprooting Racism in the Food System Workshop (URFS)
We all have a significant and intrinsic role to play in uprooting racism in the food system, and the good news is that there are many right answers to the questions, “What can I do to help?” We’ve been deep diving into this question and sharing solidarity strategies far and wide.
We held two powerful Uprooting Racism workshops this month. True to Soul Fire Farm’s values and culture, this work was rooted in fierce love, courageous self-reflection, and healing connection to land.
We wrapped up our 3D skill share season this month! Thank you to everyone who joined us on the farm and virtually to level up our skills together. We enjoyed learning with you! 3D topics covered this year included soil health, befriending plant allies and DIY herbal remedies, natural dyeing, and crop planning!! We hosted a Spanish-first skill share, deepening relationship with amaranth and learning to respectfully harvest amaranth seeds.
We’d like to send gratitude to all of the facilitators who contributed to the 2023 series, including Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm; Angelique Taylor of Smarter By Nature and Braiding Seeds Fellowship; Antonia Estela Pérez of Herban Cura; Keisha Cameron of High Hog Farm; IxChel Lec Cutter, Sabina Ajcot Sosof, Aurelia Xitumul Ivoy, Sarah Montgomery, and Rebecca Day Cutter of Seed Travels and Garden’s Edge, Amara Ullauri of Ayni Herb Farm & Larisa Jacobson of Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust!
The Braiding Seeds Fellowship had their second in-person gathering where all current fellows and alumni came together to share space.
Since the majority of the fellowship happens remotely, the in-person gatherings are a vital opportunity for the cohorts to conduct skillshares, visit farmers in the local area, and build stronger connections with each other in ways that Zoom doesn’t always allow. November 9-11 the group visited the Hudson Valley region of upstate New York. A special facet of their visit was spending the day at Soul Fire Farm! This was the first time many of the fellows had been able to touch land at SFFI so it was a resonant homecoming. We enjoyed planting garlic and laying the newly formed beds to rest under fresh hay. We also had a great tour and team building exercises lead by Naima Penniman and Clara AgborTabi that fortified our minds and spirits and nourished our inner children. We are so honored to work with such loving and talented people!
Alumni Spotlight: Natasha Strickland
Peace and love Soul Fire Farm family and friends! My name is Natasha Strickland (she/her), I am a child of nature, dedicated to growing healthier eating options, creating natural medicines grown from the earth and healing the soil.
I am a director of a food and environmental justice program, where BIPOC youth learn the importance of knowing what they eat by learning how to grow produce from seed to harvest, and then donating that food to local bipoc community members. I guide and educate youth on ways they can play a role in healing soil through composting and soil remediation.
This year, I built a 15 raised bed garden called “The Body”. Each bed in the garden will represent a different body part and the herbs and flowers grown in each bed will have medicinal benefits for that particular part of the body. The goal is to help familiarize youth in my program as well as other BIPOC community members about different natural herbal options they can use as medicine that can help improve some medical ailments they may deal with without worrying about cost.
It is my belief that not only is it our responsibility as adults to play a role in eliminating disparities and inequities we face as people of color, we must also educate, guide and build and equip our youth with the knowledge and skills they need to overcome any challenges that may come their way because of the color of their skin.
Currently, I also have been working on a new business venture called Ancestral Moon Medicinals, where I created a line of medicinal items -ten in total- I plan on releasing early 2024.
My vision is to continue my work on land I call my own, that I am in relationship with, guided by my ancestors. I hope to create a farm and safe haven, a place that offers food, healing, knowledge and medicine to our people at no cost. Together we are stronger and our strength is in our numbers and with our growth in numbers we can change the narrative.
With Gratitude and appreciation,
Natasha
PARTNERSHIP UPDATES
This year, Soul Fire Farm has been able to re-grant more than half of the funding received through RAFI-USA’s Climate and Equity Policy grant funding to alumni and community members engaging policy advocacy in exciting ways!
Check out some highlights below:
Rockie and Celina, both FIRE Alumni, utilized this funding to mobilize growers, producers, and earthworkers in Texas around the 2023 Farm Bill. Efforts included launching a social media campaign, curating feedback sessions, and sharing asks with policy makers, such as Rep. Crockett.
Kai, also alumni, utilized this funding for political education offerings, connecting politicized land histories to our food systems while empowering folks through hands-on skills and increasing folks capacity to include their voices in food + land justice related advocacy.
April is utilizing this funding to mobilize women farmers, and farmers of color to be advocates + spokespeople of their farm experiences and provide the supports needed to assist their lifegiving work.
Keon, also awarded this re-grant, will be attending the United Nations Conference of all Parties 28 to represent Afro-indigenous voices in climate change discussions, and connect with organized farmers from the continent of Africa.
Are you a community member engaged in political education + advocacy (broad definition)? If so, you are encouraged to apply for funding to support your endeavors! Much like our plant kin + teacher mint –who is also green–, there is abundance here, so please harvest the fruits of this bounty to sustain you in your pertinent work and apply today!
Soul Fire Farm grown garlic, trimmed, cured and lovingly packed to add flavor to your meals.
The variety is German Red Hardneck. This garlic is certified naturally grown using Afro-indigenous heritage practices.
And, you can plant it in your garden if you choose!
Proceeds from sales go toward our food sovereignty programs. Thanks for your support.
*** Online store orders must be placed by December 18th for a final pack and send date of December 19th, or they will not be fulfilled until late January. ***
Please note, Soul Fire Farm offices will be closed from December 16, 2023 through January 21, 2024.
Emails sent to love@soulfirefarm.org and programs@soulfirefarm.org between those dates will not be read nor responded to. Online store orders must be placed by December 18th for a final pack and send date of December 19th, or they will not be fulfilled until late January.
- Soul Fire Farm aims to fight racism within the food system CBS6 (WRGB Albany)
- Presbyterian Tree Fund Awards Grants Presbyterian Mission
- Reflections in Black: Leah Penniman KUAF NPR
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.