#0080: Leah Penniman on farming, ending racism in the food system + creating your own trusted Council of Friends

Leah co-founded Soul Fire Farm in 2010 with the mission to end racism in the food system and reclaim the ancestral connection to land for People of Color (POC). As co-Executive Director, Leah is part of a team that facilitates powerful food sovereignty programs - including farmer training for Black & Brown people, a subsidized farm food distribution program for communities living under food apartheid, and domestic and international organizing toward equity in the food system.

Leah has been farming since 1996, holds an MA in Science Education and a BA in Environmental Science and International Development from Clark University, and is a Manye (Queen Mother) in Vodun. The work of Leah and Soul Fire Farm has been recognized by a growing list of national organizations. Her book, Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm's Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land is a love song for the land and her people.

In this episode, we cover insightful and significant topics related to farm, including farming tech and positive contributions of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). Leah also recollected on being a nature-connected, bullied youth and how her experiences laid the foundation for her work in farming many years later. We also talked about food justice, including what it is and what we can do as individuals to support farms that are certified food justice by the agricultural Justice Project. Finally, we talked in-depth about solving racism in the food system, which is connected to everything. 

Admittedly, I sometimes fear talking about racism in such a public way because I’m conscious of my own incompetence and white privilege. I want to acknowledge some of my gaps in this conversation and how Leah demonstrated what a graceful teacher she truly is. 

Selected link love + resources from the episode:Connect with Leah:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | InstagramSoul Fire FarmThe Food ProjectKaren WashingtonFarming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land by Leah Penniman (book)Freedom Farmers by Dr. Monica White (book)Black Food Geographies by Ashanté M. Reese (book)Agricultural Justice ProjectFairness for Farm Workers ActReparations MapSouthern Reparations Loan FundCornell WestKickass Theme Music: “Things Are Getting Better” Written by Rishi Dhir. Performed by The High Dials.Stay in the loop about future Le vital corps Salon episodes or with Kara: Twitter | Instagram | The List (sent monthly-ish including helpful health + lifestyle information)

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