Francesca here, Research Collaborator at For The Wild and this week’s encore episode is “Leah Penniman on Land Based Liberation."

This conversation between Ayana and Leah is beyond inspiring, it confronts us with the harsh realities of injustice by two voices that simultaneously speak of healing, possibility, and reconciliation. We must acknowledge the current state of our food system; as of 2016 nearly 42 million people in this country are living in food insecure households, 85% of farmworkers are Latinx or Hispanic workers, yet less than 3% of farms are owned by Latinxs or Hispanics, industrial agriculture is responsible for 24% of climate change, 1/3 of farmworkers live below the poverty line, and while the average wage for a white farmer is around $12/hr, farmers of color average about $9 an hour.

Reflecting upon these statistics it becomes so clear that land and food sovereignty are essential to liberation. Many of For The Wild’s podcast episodes allude to the work of our imagination and the process of envisioning a world of reciprocity and balance outside of the corrosive and supremacist capitalist machine. What Leah Penman and the folks at Soul Fire Farm do is exactly that, they have created a vision for a different future; one in which food gives life and communities are able to sustainably support their farmers.

By re-evaluating our relationship with land and agency, we can fix the problems of our food system and heal our communities in the process. I hope this episode inspires you to take action and support your own community, wherever you may be.

Leah Penniman is a Black Kreyol educator, farmer/peyizan, author, and food justice activist from Soul Fire Farm in Grafton, NY. She co-founded Soul Fire Farm in 2010 with the mission to end racism in the food system and reclaim our ancestral connection to land. 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 the Soros Racial Justice Fellowship, Fulbright Program, Grist 50, and James Beard Leadership Award, among others. 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.

♫ Music is “Night Glide” by Hana Shin.