We spoke with Leah Penniman who co-founded Soul Fire Farm that is centered on Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), she gave an experience and talked about protecting the land by cultivating and regenerating the soil as well as Silvopasture techniques. Check out Leah’s Soul Fire Farm’s website at soulfirefarm.org. (Silvopasture is the integration of trees, forage and livestock in a single system).
Leah Penniman is the co-founder of Soul Fire Farm, an Afro-Indigenous centered community farm committed to uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system. [3] The farm is located in Grafton, New York and focuses on growing healthy, nutrient-dense food while also training the next generation of activist-farmers and strengthening the movements for food sovereignty and community self-determination. [3]
A key part of Soul Fire Farm’s mission is protecting the land by cultivating and regenerating the soil using organic and ancestral practices. [1] This includes the use of silvopasture techniques, which integrate trees, forage, and livestock in a single system. [5] Silvopasture helps increase carbon sequestration, improve soil biodiversity, and create a more resilient agricultural ecosystem. [1][5]
In addition to sustainable farming practices, Soul Fire Farm also provides educational programs and resources to the community. This includes “skill up” training for farmer-activists, food justice workshops for urban youth, and systems and policy education for public decision-makers. [1][3] The farm’s work reaches over 35,000 people each year through these various initiatives. [3]
Leah Penniman, who is the Co-Director and Program Manager at Soul Fire Farm, has a deep reverence for the land and the wisdom of her ancestors. [1][3] She traces her passion for farming back to an early summer job with The Food Project in Boston, where she discovered the “profound and magical” experience of growing food and serving her community. [1]
You can learn more about Soul Fire Farm and their work at their website, soulfirefarm.org. [3]
Research Source:
[1] https://www.greenamerica.org/story/leah-penniman-soul-fire-farm
[2] https://commonthreadsfarm.org/understanding-the-racist-legacy-of-the-us-food-system/
[3] https://www.soulfirefarm.org
[4] https://www.soulfirefarm.org/april-23-love-notes/
[5] https://www.soulfirefarm.org/october-love-notes/
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