October ’25 Love Notes

The only way in my mind to get things to change is by working with the community — one on one, one on one, one on one — to create a sense of security within ourselves, belief in who we are, trust in our abilities.
Miss Major Griffin‑Gracy

Sweet Greetings Beloved Community,

“Freedom is not a one-time event. It’s a lifetime practice of remembering that you deserve to be here, just as you are.” These words echo the life and work of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a fierce freedom fighter whose love for her people has been a beacon through generations of struggle. As we witness the turning of the season, we are reminded that transformation doesn’t always announce itself—it happens quietly, insistently, over time. Leaves loosen their grip, seeds begin to root in the dark, and we too are asked to shed what no longer serves and trust what’s unfolding within us.

This month, we are holding close the lessons of our elders, the resistance in our lineages, and the quiet power of showing up for one another. In the spirit of Miss Major, we affirm that community care is a practice of deep listening, fierce love, and everyday action. Our upcoming offerings reflect this deeply: join us November 12 for Legal Entities for Land Projects Virtual 3D, a space for grounding in the legal tools that protect our visions, and again in person on November 22 for Building a Relationship to Soybean, where we’ll explore the cultural, spiritual, and practical connections to this sacred seed. These gatherings are crafted to nourish your spirit, sharpen your tools, and remind you that you are never alone on this path.

May your breath be your anchor.

With love and solidarity,

Briana, Cheryl, Christina, Clara, Crysta, Danielle, Hana’, Hillary, Jaz, Jey, Jonah, Leah, Maya, Naima, Neshima, O’den, Ria, Shay, Susuyu, and Winter

A Joyful Union on the Land

It was a day filled with love and deep connection as Joe and I exchanged our vows on the sacred soil of Soul Fire Farm. Surrounded by the golden glow of autumn by the pond, we were serenaded by the ethereal sound of harp music as we joined our hearts and paths in partnership. After we were pronounced life partners, our beloved community showered us with marigolds lovingly harvested from the land, a radiant blessing that carried the spirit of the season. Every moment, from the laughter and tears to the music and blessings, reflected the love and togetherness that this place holds. We are profoundly grateful to everyone who celebrated with us in person and in spirit. Your presence, prayers, and well wishes made this day truly unforgettable.

With love and gratitude,
Cheryl (Co-Executive Director of Communications and Development)

One of the sweet fruits of the site team’s diligent construction work over the past years is our campus sharing pilot.

Prior to this season, we were packing our robust programs into pop up tents and an undersized residence. Now with the program center and guest lodge open to the community, we can spread out in a safe and dignified way during our educational programs. And, in between Soul Fire facilitated programs, we get to share this beautiful, inspiring campus with mission-aligned organizations. This year Black Youth Project – BYP100, BirthNet, and Casa Finca Healing Justice Collective were among the groups who synergized, strategized, and soaked in the abundance of this land. We know the importance of safe zones for our organizing, especially in these times. Please check out our campus sharing program and spread the word.

LAND BACK! One of our most sacred bundles is our solidarity work with the Mohican Nation, upon whose homelands we live and work.

The Mohican people were forcibly removed from their territory in the 1800’s to a reservation in northern Wisconsin. This Indigenous People’s Weekend we co-organized a prayer pilgrimage to honor the return of 250 acres of land to the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican people.

Over 50 people joined throughout the weekend of prayer, walking, story, and friendship. We touched the land and water at many sacred sites – Papscanee Island, Muhheacannituck River at Castleton, Monument Mountain, Housatonic River, Mission House, the memorials to Chief Konkapot, Roxy Seebuck, Sarah Towsey, and Mumbet Freeman, ’25 Pow Wow Grounds, Soul Fire Farm, New Lebanon Springs, the Land-Back site in Grafton, the Peace Pagoda, and Mohican reburial grounds. We are so grateful to Jun San for keeping alive the 30+ year promise of returning this particular land.

Thank you so much to the wonderful chefs, shuttle drivers, organizers, food shoppers, peace taxi decorators, clean up teams, walkers, prayer offerers, and especially to our Mohican friends – Shawn, Jerusha, Wylee, Ashwuut, and Gary – for trusting us to witness their journey home.

You can support Mohican cultural work by sending a check to Full Circle Harmony Ministry, 14256 S. Chickasaw Trail, Homer Glen, Illinois, 60491. Memo: Red Road Reclamation

Community Work & Learn

Join us in preparing the land for its season of rest at our final two
Work & Learns of the season!

Click on the links below to register.
11/11
11/18

Uprooting Racism in the Food System

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. Save the date for our upcoming workshops.

November 18, 2025
November 19, 2025

You can also check out our Actions Steps to uproot racism in the food system here.

Legal Entities for Land Projects Virtual 3D

Facilitated by Athena Bernkopf & Leah Penniman

How do we create values–aligned legal entities for our land projects in the context of this colonial, capitalist system? This workshop will be a space for exploring the possibilities of formal legal entities to hold farms and other land stewardship-related projects and businesses. Grounded in solidarity economy principles, we will establish a framework for how to consider the cultural and legal systems, as well as political conditions, that shape legal entities. We’ll build on this foundation to focus on common legal entities that support collective ownership of land, using case studies to consider specific elements of these structures. This participatory workshop will also include opportunities for participants to consider ways in which they are already practicing stewardship and governance in their land projects, and how those can be incorporated into legal entity formation.

This workshop is designed for people who are in relationship with land currently or aspirationally, and who are exploring the best legal entity to hold their land-based project.

Learn more and register here.

Spirituality and Farming: Honoring the Sacred Virtual 3D

Facilitated by Misty Cook, Ria Ibrahim & Leah Penniman

“I love to think of nature as unlimited broadcasting stations, through which God speaks to us every day, every hour…How do I talk to a little flower? Through it I talk to the Infinite. And what is the Infinite? It is that silent, small force…that still small voice.” ~Dr. George Washington Carver

Spirituality and Farming uplifts Indigenous land-honoring practices from three cultures – Bugis, Mohican, and Afro-Indigenous. Ria Ibrahim comes from a lineage of healers and farmers in Sulawesi, Indonesia and will share how spirituality is the foundation for her land work. Misty Cook, Mohican herbalist, will impart wisdom for engaging with plants from a place of gratitude and reverence. Leah Penniman, farmer and Awo, will demonstrate the art of Black Earth listening and the practice of reciprocity. Participants will be invited to explore their own ancestral lineages’ spiritual engagement with the land. A blend of the sacred and practical, this workshop will impart tangible next steps for deepening your connection to beyond-human kin.

Learn more and register here.

Building a Relationship to Soybean Workshop

Facilitated by Ria Ibrahim and Chef Fish

The fall season invites us to think about how we can store food to enjoy in the winter and spring. Preserving the harvest is a practice in every culture with countless traditions, methods, and recipes. In this workshop we will learn how to preserve soybeans in various ways, but namely: soy milk, tofu and miso.

In this workshop, our Farm-to-Table Director, Ria Ibrahim (Indonesia), and Chef Fish (Japan) of Hibino Day by Day invite us to learn the recipes and traditions shared by their communities.

In this workshop we will:

Learn about multiple strategies for preserving the harvest
Participate in a hands-on miso and soy milk workshop using traditional and modern methods
Take home some of the bounty that you make!

Learn more and register here.

Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land

In this podcast, rich in storytelling, history, and ritual, we explore what it means to be sovereign. With Black land at the center, this series brings together prominent activists, artists, weavers and the rising generation of Black land stewards. Crafting inspiring conversations that honor the past and create blueprints for the future.

Monthly IG Live series @soulfirefarm with audio later shared on podcast streaming platforms. Hosted by Clara AgborTabi and Crysta Bloom

Listen to all the latest episodes here or watch previous IG Live shows @soulfirefarm

This fall, the Braiding Seeds Fellowship gathered on Wabanaki land in Maine for a powerful few days of connection, learning, and visioning.

Fellows came together to celebrate growth, both literal and communal, and to honor the ongoing work of Black and Indigenous land stewards shaping regenerative futures across the region. Our gathering was graciously hosted by fellowship alum Adinah Barnett of Full Circle Willow (not on social media), whose thriving willow farm offered a living testament to patience, creativity, and ecological care. Among more than 30 willow varieties, fellows witnessed the vibrant woven structures that have emerged since our last visit towering plants now waving overhead in a transformed landscape. Even as rain nourished the fields after a dry season, spirits remained high, grounded in shared reverence for the land and its cycles. We also visited Mawiomi Garden, founded by alum Kessi Watters Kimball (@mawiomi_garden), where we learned about her work cultivating food and relationships rooted in Wabanaki traditions. The visit included a special behind-the-scenes tour of Johnny’s Selected Seeds (@johnnys_seeds), guided by Kessi’s husband John, a longtime farmer with deep ties to the organization. Throughout the gathering, we witnessed the tremendous dedication of farmers and Indigenous land stewards across central Maine—many working in partnership with Bomazeen Land Trust (@bomazeenlandtrust). Together, we shared meals, stories, seeds, and dreams, deepening our collective roots and imagining new futures of sovereignty, care, and collaboration.

Tamisha Singletary [2022 FIRE 1]

Hi, I’m Tamisha!

I no longer have direct access to the land in my daily life; I’m continuously looking. Being connected with the Soul Fire community is one of the richest and most valuable assets in my life.

I’m finding and nourishing community while continuing to establish and grow the most beautiful connections!

I got diagnosed AuDHD last year, attended my first Autism in Black conference this spring, and ever since have virtually hosted a Saturday afternoon kickback for Black autistic adults to connect and build community. It’s been such love!

While in the FIRE Immersion program, I had been working my first job in economic justice policy for a national farm organization.

My proudest moment was helping to facilitate 100 farmers flying to DC to have 155 meetings with members of congress and congressional committees. It was the largest farm lobbying effort of its kind, making history! Unfortunately, I got ill just before the election last year, had to take disability, the funding landscape changed post-election, and I ultimately was not brought back.

I’ve spent nearly a year giving my best to myself, including allowing myself to attend the reunion and Soulstice party this year! (Heyy, if we reconnected, met, or just saw each other!)

I’ve been able to see more clearly than ever that when I’m able to give my best to myself, I give my best in all other aspects of life. This has given me greater capacity than anything else I’ve done. I’m fired up, and ready for my next phase!

So let’s collaborate! If you, like me, have been affected by the tryingness of our times, trust, we have perspective! We have vision! We have impact! Let’s apply it together! We’ll be our strongest!

Reach me at tesingletary@protonmail.com.

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.

Purchase here and visit the shop for more goodies!

Corbin Hill Food Project x Central Park
Conservancy Farm Stand

On Friday, September 26, SFF was heartened to join our comrades in NYC, Corbin Hill Food Project, to share about our work, amplify the amazing endeavors of Corbin Hill, and represent the Black Farmer Ecosystem-NYS!

In partnership with the Black Farmer Ecosystem, The Corbin Hill Food Project Farm Stand is more than a market—it’s a joyful celebration of food sovereignty, intergenerational knowledge, and accessible, community-rooted nourishment.

On the corner of 110th Street & Malcolm X Boulevard, we interacted with NYC based community members, sharing free seeds and learning about salves, teas, and programmatic opportunities to build up our land stewardship skills! Passerbys were nourished with tantalizing samples of farm fresh summer heirloom tomatoes, tossed with salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar and topped with fresh Basil as an incentive to patronize the farm stand.

The Farmstand is still open for the season! Check out this Farmstand Volunteer Informational Sheet to learn more and get you some farm fresh harvest season produce!

Beloved Community Donation Request:
Please, be encouraged to donate to our comrades at Farm School NYC as they navigate funding gaps during a critical juncture in Farm School’s history. We know that we are abundant when we move in solidarity and pour into each other, and so please consider supporting the fortification of their roots for a regenerative future!
Click this link to donate

BIPOC-led farming organizations are under threat. Please consider donating to these trusted and vetted movement partners who are in need in these times. With your support, we can make an impact on the Black food system.

Get Involved

DONATE TO SOUL FIRE FARM

October ’25 Love Notes

A Joyful Union on the Land

LAND BACK! One of our most sacred bundles is our solidarity work with the Mohican Nation, upon whose homelands we live and work.

Community Work & Learn

Uprooting Racism in the Food System

Legal Entities for Land Projects Virtual 3D

Facilitated by Athena Bernkopf & Leah Penniman

Spirituality and Farming: Honoring the Sacred Virtual 3D

Facilitated by Misty Cook, Ria Ibrahim & Leah Penniman

Building a Relationship to Soybean Workshop

Facilitated by Ria Ibrahim and Chef Fish

Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land

This fall, the Braiding Seeds Fellowship gathered on Wabanaki land in Maine for a powerful few days of connection, learning, and visioning.

Tamisha Singletary [2022 FIRE 1]

Soul Fire Farm grown garlic, trimmed, cured and lovingly packed to add flavor to your meals.

Corbin Hill Food Project x Central ParkConservancy Farm Stand

Soul Fire Farm grown garlic, trimmed, cured and lovingly packed
to add flavor to your meals.

Corbin Hill Food Project x Central Park
Conservancy Farm Stand