Justice Grown

We arrived in Tucson, AZ feeling like we had landed on the sun, but alas we survived.

Not only did we survive but we continued our expedition and research, finding folks who are using agriculture to strengthen, organize, and support their communities. This lead us to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, an organization that "Through education, advocacy, and the acquisition, storage, and distribution of food, we will anticipate and meet the food needs of the hungry in our community."

Food insecurity is an issue of justice, and one that does not brush lightly against U.S. communities. According to the United States Department of Agriculture in 2013, over 50 million households in the states reported being "food insecure." Disproportionately affecting black and non-white communities.

Food insecurity is defined by the USDA as "at times during the year, these households were uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insufficient money or other resources for food."

Of course, this number most likely is not capturing the reality of insecurity here in the states, being that not all folks here have "households" and many folks may not have documentation or access to the USDA. Furthermore, the statistic is failing to take in to account access to healthy, fresh, and affordable food. Nevertheless, the number gives us a good foundation to start the conversation on food insecurity in the United States and some nation-wide context to the work the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona is doing.

We spoke with Chris Lowen, the farm manager who shared the inspiring story of how Las Milpitas came to grow in the heart of Tuscon. His work with Native Seed Search gave Chris experience with community work and he knew that for a community gardens  inception to be successful community input had to be leading from the very start.

“The goal was the create a community farm, a space where people could come work together, work with each other, know their neighbors, [and] grow food for themselves.”

Chris explained that before Las Milpitas was a working community farm, they had a series of visioning sessions. Visioning sessions are facilitated by an individual or group of people to help guide a discussion that has the potential to be a creative and collaborative process in which the community creates a shared vision or goal. Visioning sessions are essential to community organizing efforts, especially when folks are coming from outside of the community.

“The visioning meetings really got us on the right foot [...] knowing what the community wanted and how that worked with what the food bank wanted- the goal was to create a community farm, a space where people could come together, work with each other, know their neighbors, grow food for themselves. We started at a very basic level of ‘what you want to see here, what do you want this space to look like, smell like, feel like, what kind of experience do you want to see and people wanted to see multi-generational folks working together, [...] They wanted to have a sense of community [...] They wanted to see small gardening plots, food production, and opportunities for economic development.”

We stood in the center of what the community had envisioned years ago. Las Milpitas has up to 85 garden plots that span the three blocks of space, though they only use half of those plots for production, working on a rotational system that allows the other half of the plots to rehabilitate their soil and nutrients by means of cover cropping.

 Around 40-45 families/groups/individuals have access to these available plots each season. Las Milpitas is sustained by community members paying only a $6/month fee to cover the water costs (the rest being covered by general operating funds under the Food Bank of Arizona). The beds measure in at 4ft x 20ft and all the beds soil have been amended using 50% compost and 50% native soil giving people a rich and fertile base in which to start their crops. They also come equipped and set up with the irrigation system in place which gives them 3 drip lines spaced about a foot apart to water their crops in the arid desert.

“People want that  sense of community you just have to provide the opportunity for it.“

The radical act of providing an agriculture space for community to come together paved the way for the community members to begin to organize on other issues that affected them as a whole, such as addressing the need for sidewalks in their neighborhoods to keep children safe from the rampant traffic on the streets.

“Watching community build without us even doing any work but simply providing the space and the focus for people and now we have a community organization that’s focused on issues that extend beyond the farm and are looking at issues like safety, security, people tear up and down this street and there are kids waiting for the bus- so looking at those larger issues and that just happened on its own and that’s been encouraging to see.”

This is directly related to food insecurity here in the states discussed earlier. Meaning when communities are able to provide food for themselves or have readily access to food, when they are no longer food insecure, they can begin to focus on other needs/desires. Furthermore, it proves that agricultural spaces set up for community engagement and control has the potential to be more than just a space where food is grown, but where community is built.

Chris maintained a fierce advocacy for community support and attributed Las Milpitas success to just that: community driven choices. 

“Without [community] we wouldn’t have support, we wouldn’t have people gardening and ultimately we would just be isolated in our farming operation here [...] you’ve got to have the community behind you.”

Agricultural work is not easy, especially in the unforgiving heat of the sun, add in issues of justice and community and you have a workload you best be willing to dedicate your life to. We had to ask Chris why he does what he does.

"For me it’s the fact that planting a seed is this tremendous act of faith and hope that that seed will grow into food and nourish and sustain you and I think that every time you plant a seed there's this like, I hate to use the term, miracle, its like really just a term, but its spiritual maybe, I don’t know. Watching something grow from something so tiny and produce a plant and grow and be beautiful and nourish people, theres just a sense of wonder in that and if I can share that with other people I think that that’s my ideal job. The fact that I get paid to come out here every day and do something I love and help other people do that too, that’s what drives me to do this.”

With that said Chris had to hurry off but luckily Las Milpitas was buzzing with workers and volunteers so we were able to continue our conversation, other questions still on our tongues.

Stay tuned!

Las Milpitas / Food Bank

Houston, Texas is often thought of as a city built by oil tycoons, expansion concrete, and in need of desperate amount of work to turn it into a welcoming and worthwhile place. Sadly, such assumptions are not too far off.

The city is home to war criminals (George Bush and Co.), oil tyrants, and a hell of a lot of heat. However, in all that is seemingly bankrupt riches are found when intention is present- not monies, but folks who are working to build a new way/world.

This sentiment proved true as we (gratefully) sheltered ourselves in Houston with family. Tired from the road and needing to take a few slow days, the privilege of housing and comfort enveloped us. There was, as you'll notice, becoming a theme, a desire to continue our documentation project. We spent a day searching for some type of project or peoples doing food justice work, and luckily, amongst the concrete, Plant it Forward emerged.

Plant It Forward is an organization which "provides Houston with fresh, local produce by helping refugees grow their own urban farm businesses." After we successfully got in touch with a worker at Plant it Forward, we ventured out to one of the three urban farm locations in Houston. 

The program requires that “each farmer must have had prior farming experience, usually in their home countries and must complete a rigorous 12 month training program to be certified as a Plant It Forward farmer. At the successful completion of the program, each farmer receives a mentor and an urban micro-farm to grow and sell their own produce under the Plant It Forward brand.“

The farm was situated in a high traffic urban area, adjacent to its affiliated church which sat across the corner of the busy road. The plots were vibrant hues of every green imaginable and were in full bloom. Houston had its benefits; winter never fully rears its head so far south.

 We were greeted warmly by a younger gentleman pushing around a wheelbarrow in a soft French dialect.  A few years of French classes in high school allowed a brief conversation to ensue which led us to being directed to Edith (pronounced E-deet) who enthusiastically and graciously granted us his valuable time to answer a few of our burning questions.

Edith is originally from the Congo, and sought refuge during a war in his homeland in Gabon where he then worked a farm for ten years.

Edith was a tall, soft spoken soul excited to share his passion and past as a farmer. He spoke of his time earning capital in the Congo selling fertilizers to farmers in his community.

“I was a student at a university when the war start. I left the capitol where I was born. Every morning people were coming to our apartment to ask for fertilizer. I asked my mom why people come to ask, your brother was selling it. Now people come to buy it. “

Realizing there was an opportunity from his brother’s business; Edith sold fertilizer for several years after he had been forced to leave school because of war.

“I can bring it to you and you can get more money. I buy four bags (fertilizer) for 100lbs and two hundred dollar and I sell that, and get more money. Here we learn how to make compost. When I go back home I think I will not use fertilizer again.”

Edith stood tall and proud of the crops he was cultivating as he momentarily took time to talk with us. He seemed to be used to the attention from folks wanting to hear his story.

“Tomorrow I’ll become a big farmer. I need documentation of it.”

His attitude was playful, sincere, and passionate. When asked why farming mattered so much to Edith, aside from that he has been doing for a good portion of his life, Edith responded:

“I enjoy it because, that you start to make the seed, get it wet, and starts to become a plant that starts to be passion. That appeals to me.”

 Edith has been with Plant it Forward for over 6 years, he had been a manager, but now operates his own large plot of land and helps other refugees in the program transition in.

Edith’s role as someone who can help other refugees is vital. Plant it Forward gives an opportunity for folks who farmed in their home countries to farm Houston as a livelihood. Edith’s role is vital because he was once a stranger to the states, and he seems to take great pride in helping other refugees root themselves in many ways in Houston.

His circumstance is not rare. Houston is the #1 refugee resettlement destination in the United States. Meaning an average of 2,500 refugees a year resettle in Houston. Since 1976 Houston has taken in over 75,000 refugees. Plant it Forward’s work cannot be overlooked, offering opportunity to folks who have migrated due to strife and circumstances in their home country and beyond and supporting folks with an outlet for their passion and past experience.

This leads to expanding our understanding of what food justice work could be/is. Aside from food justice being what it is commonly referenced as a theory related to access, human/ecological health, and land rights. Perhaps, it means food justice work can also look like a way of embracing refugees/folks migrating.

At an ever increasing rate, the idea of refugees is expanding as our climate continues to change. Let’s also get something right. Humans migrate. No. All living beings migrate. From windblown seeds to humans displaced because of world trade policies, state sanctioned genocides and displacement of groups of people, and not to even begin to compare prior evidence but to merely have a well understanding of migrations- to wanting to move out of your suburban subdivision to another state or country.

Can well paid sustainable ag jobs or land transfers at large scales to incoming refugees due to climate and war help soften the blow for both existing communities and incoming folks? Plant It Forward seems to be at the least evidence of it working a little bit. 

After talking to Edith we had wandered further down the rows which lead us to a sweet natured woman named Eloise. She was tilling and planting her first bed. At first she refused to have her photo taken but later acquiesced our request only insisting that we capture her planting her seeds. She too was a refugee. However, a language barrier made it difficult for us to converse much. Although not much was needed to be said as we were inspired by her planted beds and warming smiling. She too seemed full of courage and excitement as she was new to the program and the states. Planting seeds and rooting her work in numerous ways it seemed.

As we continued to slow everyone’s work pace down, we moved even further down the farm where we met a woman named Christine, who shared similar stories to our previous friends. Again, we were awestruck by their agricultural work and their motivation in such heat and a fairly unkind surrounding environment. Christine had been with Plant It Forward for several years and had multiple producing beds that cradled Kale, Broccoli and other lush veggies. We admired her hard work, “c’est jolie” we said and shared a comfortable laugh together. We exchanged pleasant goodbyes in French and wrapped up our time at Plant It Forward.

Unfortunately the stories of the farmers of Plant it Forward are indeed much to extension, barred by language and time we could merely chit chat and begin to scrape the top off of a rich, knowledgeable group of folks. The pictures we captured speak loudly of the farm and refugees working the land. Maybe it’s time to move the conversation forward in relation to that. If you want to know more please peruse these links below:

Plant It Forward

A rad statement by folks who do migrant refugee work in Montreal, Canada Status For All!

World Refugee Day

It was our last day in New Orleans that we realized we were fiending for some farm action. We contacted a farm that had been on top of our list since the inception of this road trip. Grow Dat Youth Farm. After sending an email to Grow Dat’s staff, we received an enthusiastic response from their Site Manager and Outreach Coordinator, Jabari, giving us the green light to come out to the farm. 

Arriving at Grow Dat we anticipated a fairly typical urban farm set up (which would have been great, too!) a vacant lot worked heavily with a few raised beds and some awesome folks. However, Grow Dat seemed to be anything but typical. As we walked up to the farm we were greeted by a large, obtuse stacking of rectangular buildings. We attempted to peer around and find the farm, but we couldn’t resist walking up to the odd structure in front. Plus we wanted to connect with Jabari before we began perusing around.

More time than we’d like to admit was spent trying to get to the office level but when we finally found the stairs we were greeted not by Jabari, but by Jeanne.

Jeanne is the Assistant Director of Grow Dat and was a wonderfully welcoming presence. Excited to have us there she made it clear the farm was ours to explore and Jabari and her would be more than willing to answer some questions later. Which we humbly and gratefully were able to interview Jeanne later, effectively providing the background information for our piece.

"We work collaboratively to produce healthy food for local residents and to inspire youth and adults to create personal, social and environmental change in their own communities."

We were outrageously excited to be afoot on a farm not only growing food, but growing for food justice and community well being. Which is clear in their mission statement:

"The Mission of the Grow Dat Youth Farm is to nurture a diverse group of young leaders through the meaningful work of growing food.

On our farm we work collaboratively to produce healthy food for local residents and to inspire youth and adults to create personal, social and environmental change in their own communities. Grow Dat is a place where people from different backgrounds and disciplines come together in research and practice to support public health, local economies and a sustainable food system in South Louisiana."

The organization was conceived as an extension of work that was already being done in New Orleans.

"Created to compliment existing K-8th grade food education programs in New Orleans, most notably the Edible Schoolyard, the concept for the Grow Dat Youth Farm grew out of the strong partnership between the Tulane City Center and the New Orleans Food and Farm Network."

Jeanne made it clear that Grow Dat is not only an extension of work that had been done previously in New Orleans but it is inspired after other food justice, youth engaged organizations. For example, the Food Project in Boston, Massachusetts and Urban Roots of Austin, Texas was cited by Jeanne and Grow Dat’s website as organizations that inspired Grow Dat’s mission statement and vision.  

As we made our way around the farm we could not help but be taken back by the beauty of the site. The 4 acre plot is located in the city of New Orleans and within the boundaries of the extremely popular City Park. The land was acquired through a "relationship with Tulane University.. and cooperative endeavor with the state." Meaning Tulane University has a contract with the city to lease the land, and from there subcontracts it to Grow Dat.

The contract is a 35 year agreement that gives Grow Dat Youth farm a more or less permanent home for years to come. Jeanne was first to admit that the relationship with Tulane was a huge help in Grow Dat’s ability to obtain the land for cultivation. “The chance they [the state] would take a chance on the farm was not likely. Tulane [University] was huge in the conception.”

The farm pays for its subcontract and organizational budget through mostly private/corporate donors. Along with larger donor help the farm produces about 30 percent of its budget through produce sales with goal of getting that number to 50 percent.

The site which Grow Dat cultivates seemingly could not be more fitting for the organization. Jeanne made it clear that finding a site that was accessible across race, gender, class, and mobility was vital. Along with a piece of land that was ecologically sound (which the 4 acre land base certainly is!), and welcoming to ALL in the New Orleans area. Grow Dat staff put in the time and effort to research and understand the area before deciding on the land they now work, and it shows. 

All of these aspects (i.e. race, class, gender, access) are foundational to understanding food justice work. Simply put, if we do not consider how our farms are impacting socioeconomics as well as ecology and human health than indeed our farms or organizations are falling short in their ability to meet the communities needs. Grow Dat puts concerns of community at its center, it is at the roots of its conception. 

Grow Dat is more than a 4 acre growing space. It is filled with youth from the surrounding New Orleans region. The youth participate in a 19 week program focused on putting them to work to better themselves and their surrounding community.  

”Over the 19-week program, youth participants learn a variety of skills related to growing, cooking and selling organic vegetables and fruit. Full time Grow Dat staff have created a curriculum that includes lessons on sustainable agriculture, cooking, communication and team- building, economics, nutrition and community health, food systems, and the agricultural history of our region. Guest educators from the wider community lead workshops in their specific area of expertise, thus enhancing the foundational lessons taught by Grow Dat staff.”

 The youth are the leaders and conduits in the organizations mission to connect with as many community partners as possible. The organization is interested in putting youth in position to do solidarity and long term relationship building work. Meaning the youth work farmer markets, help distribute the food when it is sold at wholesale with local businesses, and work closely with local food banks. The youth’s work comes full circle in these moments. The time spent on the farm, in their close groups, and hours of hard work flow into a hand shake and conversation at the market or a box transfer with a food bank or CSA member. Food justice in action.

Beyond interaction between community members and partners the youth are instrumental to their own education at Grow Dat. The youth determine which speakers come to the farm, often featuring those who lead discussions around race and sexuality. Along with intensive education on sustainable agriculture.

 The youth’s interactions with other community members and partners determine their distribution methods. For instance, since the farm is working to get youth in contact with as many community partners as possible, the farm is moving more into Community Supported Agricultural partnerships and Farmer Market’s rather than wholesale work. Simply because the youth tend to gain more meaningful community experiences with these outlets.

"We only exists because we have guidance from other folks."

The youth don’t just talk and interact, they work extremely hard to grow food. The farm produced over 10,000 lbs of food in 2012 and have only been ramping up production. The food is distributed 60/40, 60 percent of it heads to markets and CSA shares, and sometimes wholesale. While 40 percent is donated to food banks and folks who otherwise could not afford the food. And of course the youth get to bring home surplus to their own families and friends.

The farm’s operating system seems to be in great hands. As we walked around we ran into someone who was doing invasive species removal work and was preparing to plant a slew of native trees along the river that cuts through the land. The farm is focused on annual veggie production, but also has a large amount of fruit trees interspersed giving the land short term and long term production. It was also clear that steps were being taken towards a more sustainable agricultural system. Mulching of rows, cover crops, and crops that were in rotation. Without a doubt, the farm and the organization have some serious long term potential to be a force of good for the New Orleans area.

So what does the assistant director of Grow Dat have for advice for folks looking to get involved in food justice work in their community?

Jeanne believes the key is in looking at what others have done before you, to seek out elders and community leaders and go from there.

”We only exists because we have guidance from other folks.”

Jeanne cited Greg Gale founder of the Food Project as someone with a long history of multicultural and food work that inspired her and the work with Grow Dat.

”Wisdom that comes from somebody who knows their stuff. Having partners that hold you accountable. I love that.”

Little did Jeanne know but she was sharing her wisdom, passed down from folks like Greg Gale, to us.

Grow Dat Youth farm is an organization that is attempting to do it all, and it truly seems like they are finding a lot of success. Grow Dat proves that in order to achieve justice through food system work it is vital to build off of those who come before us, to put our trust in youth and community members, and to consistently check ourselves and organizations ability to meet community needs. All the while restoring and sustaining the land bases we cultivate for communities sake.

Don’t just take our word, hear it from the folks who live it!

Grow Dat Youth Farm

The Food Project

Before we set off on this trek we had an ambitious plan to document as many agricultural projects as possible along our plotted route, a trip spanning from Detroit, Michigan going down the east coast and essentially circumnavigating the states and finally ending in Washington. Seem like a lot? Yeah, we thought so too. We scaled back. Stripping our route of any absolute commitments to farms. 

But life doesn't always take kindly to what you think is best and nudges you back onto diverted paths. It was in Savannah, Georgia that we realized our original plan might be worth attempting. A gathering at a community event serendipitously lead us to meeting Phil & Shannon. Artists turned farmers and more importantly farmers who were excited about the idea of having us come out and visit their farm.

With an invite in hand we spent a day thinking about what our original  documentation project was like and began to discuss what it could perhaps become. Newly inspired by the chance encounter and fresh ideas, we set off to the address scribbled on a piece of paper.

Just beyond the sprawl and development  we were surprised by the proximity of the farm to the city as we rolled up on a warm Georgia winters day. 

A few hundred yards away we could see two figures intently working. A medium height steel cage outline traced what was soon to be a hoop-house. A pair of trucks with rusty steel tools in their beds and soil caked on their tires. A faulty looking fence lay just beyond the workspace in the distance, and the sweet smell of soil was swirling around in the afternoon breeze. With one quick look at each other, we knew we had arrived at The Old Dairy Farm.

 "I want to make things that are better for the earth and better for people."

So what lead Phil & Shannon to trade in their blank canvases for a living, growing and cultivated one?

"It’s a long journey. I studied Art for painting. Its a great skill, artistry comes in hand everyday. [But] being an artist and cranking out paintings just isn’t for me. I started getting involved in environmental issues, especially the catastrophe of plastic waste. All I was doing by making paintings was putting more plastic on that pile. I want to keep making things. But I want to make things that are better for the earth and better for people. I don’t think my paintings [were] really good for the earth, they were bad for the earth. All the toxins used and all the plastic waste. The life style I was leading was really destructive."

Phil and Shannon studied at Savannah College of Art and Design and had spent a majority of their young adult lives becoming artists. As their interest's and understanding of ecological crisis came into focus they decided to engage with an art form that aligned more with their new values.

"I started WOOFing (Working on Organic Farms) with my girlfriend, [Shannon]. We WOOFed all over Georgia and Pennsylvania... [I] worked on an organic farm in Sylvania, Georgia. I was an intern there for a year and half at a place called Walker Organic Farm. That [was] definitely the most important training I had, Relinda taught me so much, I'm very proud to have worked there... [After] about two years of experience, I met a farmer out in Macon, Georgia, Julia Asherman a young women who started a farm called Rag & Frass... She was an artist, I'm an artist. She explained to me how she started her farm and she helped me figure out how to write a business plan. You know it’s something they never teach you in art school, paid a shit-ton of money and we had very little practical guidance in starting a business.She gave me a lot of practical guidance...You know its so different from the art world... If another farmer sees you trying to be a farmer they will help you. You know like 9.5 times out of ten, they will help you. The only time they might not help you is if they are too busy. "

Phil and Shannon dedicated themselves to a new dream, a new type of art. They immersed themselves into a world they knew little about but found that the folks they were investing in were ready to share their knowledge and wisdom. Much like what Phil was doing (unknowingly or knowingly) with us on that warm winter Georgia day. It wasn't hard to see the impact of other farmers in Phil's journey to his newly ploughed and producing piece of land. He smiled from eye to eye as he spoke of the farms he worked on prior and farmers who had been willing to share their time and knowledge with him. The eagerness shared between farmers was not the same sentiment shared by all, though.

 "It was tough for my family to swallow. When I was like, 'yo, I know I went to art school and it cost a lot of money and a lot of time and I know I've been an artist for a long time but I'm gonna be a farmer'. There were a couple years where my family was like, 'you're fucking insane, you're not a real person' but now they are like, 'holy shit he has a farm'. Now I get a lot of props. A couple years of darkness though."

Phil's sentiment and struggle as he transitioned his entire life is no joke.  According to a report by the National Young Farmers Coalition 78 percent of young farmers (meaning 35 and under) are first generation farmers. Shannon and Phil join the ranks of many first generation farmers all over who struggle to find true support, not to mention struggle to find land and capital to engage with their dreams of farming. 

The process of how The Old Dairy acquired their land is a fairly common one. The land they are operating on was once an old dairy farm over a century ago, hence the name. The land was a piece they had passed many times while walking their dog. It was one day when Phil, all his training, and his will decided it was time to make the jump into running his own farm. He made a move to acquire the 2 acre piece of land Shannon and him now work.

"The people who own the land don’t just want to develop it, they are trying to rent the space to people who are going to fit their vision. I spent a couple months crafting a business plan and Kerry helped me get in touch with the [owners]. I twisted his arm to let him know this is what I really wanted to do."

Of course, like many young farmers, Phil and Shannon were not able to outright purchase the land, it came with stipulations.

"there is no potential for me to own this land. But I have a really inexpensive rental fee that I pay. I have a one year lease which is kind of stupid in retrospect. I should have asked for a couple year lease. I was so excited just going with the flow. Contact me in October and see if I get screwed over."

Perhaps that is the story of many young farmers. Young farmers in many ways are at the whim of land lords and financial instability.

However, Phil shared what all beginning farmers hope for which is a glimpse that maybe, just maybe, they can farm for a living. Phil and Shannon don't represent some hopeful romantics or hobby farmers, they are folks who have put in the honest hours to learn and understand sustainable agriculture. The time they have put in is clearly not for themselves only, but for the community of Savannah and the land base on which they have ploughed.

"I’m going to grow veggies that are some good veggies that aren’t sprayed with poisons and aren’t wrapped in plastic. Finally last weekend I was able to sell people paper bags full of delicious perfect arugula."

We left as Phil's father arrived from Massachusetts seeing his son's farm for the first time. The Old Dairy Farm is a story of young farmers attempting to shift their own paradigm and larger systems that have lead to our current ecological and social problems. We can only hope that Phil and Shannon find success in what seems to be a long, but intentional road ahead.

Check these rad folks out!

The Old Dairy Farm

Walker Organic Farm

With all the fancy pop songs and celebrities' instagrams in the world why would anyone want to document the lowly ole farmers and the organizations that support such work?

We believe we live in time of ecological and social crisis in unparalleled ways of years past. From a climate that is changed and changing rapidly creating inconsistency in weather patterns, to clear institutional racism, inequality, and oppression consistently going unchallenged by the most wealthy and privileged.

These crises are exacerbated by a food system that has been built for global capital gain. A food system made to produce extreme yields made for global trade and commodity markets that have neglected human and land health to the point of exhaustion.

We want to document farmer's because they are the people's scientist, the compassionate and kind care takers of communities and land, the initiators of alternative economies, and the individuals taking issues of justice and community into their own hands.

Farmers and communities rooted and dependent on sustenance farming have developed theories like Food Justice and Food Sovereignty. Which are both vital to a building of new food systems.

 Food Justice demands food as human right for all and calls for a de-commodification of food and views it as a human right no matter race, gender, or socioeconomic position. Food Sovereignty which has stemmed from the International Peasant's movement calls for "the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through sustainable methods and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems."

It is these ideals and aims which inspire us to document the farmers and their precious soil. We are disillusioned by the so called food movement and the white men who seemingly "run it". Although the food movement and local foodie movement seems to create a romantic and well intentioned push for new food systems, we believe they fail to truly challenge the food system as is. However, no less important to its success and failures.

We are seeking  farmers who are growing food not just because they enjoy farmers markets and desire to make a living on their land (which is part of food justice!) but we seek to document the farmer who understands their work as more than just growing food. Farmers who are creating new spaces for their communities, new ways of access, abundant and resilient systems, and new ways (old ways!) for sustaining and regenerating the lands they work.

From the young and old farmers to the not-just-one farmer organizations that work to get refugees back to their roots, to the landless, to the aspiring, to the not often represented farmers, to womyn and queer, to the justice orientated, and to you. We hope this blog and documentation serves as a resource for all that have worked soil and community somewhere and those who have hopes to.

May we continue to plant and seed the rows of a new world, together.

We spent this past Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day in New York City attending an action organized by NY Justice League along with many others.

Since words fail to articulate and share the sentiment and energy of the march in New York we hope these photos above and below speak loudly about the march and its urgency, not only in New York but around the country.

As the brutalization and killing of black folks continues across the country it is LONG PAST overdue to begin to truly challenge white supremacy/privilege/racism. 

Below are resources that we have found helpful and worthwhile.

If you find yourself at a place of complete inaction,

Get yourself involved NOW

And when you are at an action/protest...take note of the following...

Nancy Kricorian

Guidelines for White Allies ‪#‎BlackLivesMatter‬ from public meeting in Boston on 11 December 2014

An introduction into white privilege and how it operates day to day-

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack by Peggy McIntosh

"The Report exposes how every 28 hours someone inside the U.S., employed or protected by the U.S. government kills a Black child, woman or man."-

Operation Ghetto Storm

A site which formed shortly after the first wave of protest in Ferguson, Mo demanding an end to police violence against blacks. It serves as a resource for protesters and organizers working towards similar ends, and a space where demands and events are often posted.-

Ferguson Action

We arrived in NY tired, disorientated, and wishing cars weren't allowed on Manhattan island. A bizarre city scape stretching over 470 miles with a population of almost 8.5 million folks was almost overwhelming to comprehend.

Who Came First

New York city, like the entire united states was first inhabited by many Native American tribes. The land was stolen through deceptive white supremacist practices that displaced and murdered people and culture. New York city was once home to the Unami and Munsee people. These were the two main bands of the area with many different tribes interspersed. Critically acclaimed scholar Howard Zinn has documented this thoroughly here.

Ecology

New York city like we said is a bizarre place. A metropolis built upon abundant streams, swamps, and water ways and a dense oak woodland forest. Home to over 2,100 species of plant life (more than the Entire Country of great Britain). The city is drinking from the Catskills watershed which provides a filter free potable water supply for zee new yorkers.

NEw York city and its slow but sure destruction of its once abundant ecology stems from its global capital importance. Home to Wall Street which serves as the epicenter for global capital starlit boyz {sic} who exploit worldwide to live high. Not surprisingly Wall street has played not only a global role in our current ecological crisis but a local one as well. As Molly Marquand so poetically puts regarding the transformation of New York's ecology in to a concrete apple (LIKE THE ENTIRE WORLD):

"As New York City grew in global importance, [...] the wild woods were gradually hacked back, Wall Street, so named for the stone wall that kept the wilderness out, exceeded and bulged over its own confines in a mere matter of years."

Read more here 

Leading to what is now the sprawling and oddly beautiful place it is today.

We spent a day romping around one of the few undeveloped spaces in the city known as Central Park. Much like each burrough the park had its own pulse. Slower, quieter, and altogether kinder on the human senses, A testament to our ability as humans to alter and NOT alter spaces for our needs and other living beings.

What lies under New York is gone for good but glimpses into what was AND what could be are still humming and growing.

  Peoplez

New York is a city with more types of people than shitty hollywood films would have you believe. Is a destination for folks from all over the globe sharing tiny sidewalks and small subway spaces. We found people in New York to be  genuinely kind and quick to help on subway transfers.

So fuck what you've heard.

We came to New York as two folks from the northern midwest with a hesitant feeling about the boisterous city that calls to so many. Our experience was brief and privileged in numerous ways. We strive to see how our privilege affects us daily and appreciate this space here on the interwebz in which we can air these concerns and not only inform ourselves but share it with you all.