The garden, of course, offers a constant steady supply of things growing up and dying. And the dying is the nutrients.
Ross Gay
Gentle Greetings Community,
October brings a different kind of abundance. The fields may be giving less, but there is still so much happening beneath the surface in the roots left in the soil, the seeds saved for another year, and the steady work of returning nutrients to the earth. This is a season that asks us to pay attention to what remains, to what we carry forward, and to the ways the work of one season makes room for the next. The land reminds us that there is meaning in every season, and that our relationship with it deepens when we take the time to notice, listen, and simply be present.
As we enter this time of transition, we invite you to join us for our next Community Work & Learn Days on November 3 and November 11 at 10:00am. We’ll come together on the land to share in the work of the farm, learn from one another, and continue caring for this place as it moves into the colder months. These days are an opportunity to be part of the farm beyond the harvest itself—to experience the work, knowledge, and collective care that sustain it through every season.
The land continues to hold lessons for us, even as the growing season draws to a close. We look forward to being together again, learning from the season we’re in, and tending what we hope to carry forward.
May your breath be your anchor.
With love and solidarity,
Briana, callie, Ceci, Cheryl, Christina, Crysta, Danielle, Hana’, Hillary, Jaz, Jonah, Leah, Maya, O’den, Ren, Ria, Shay, Taína, and Winter
 Community Work & LearnNovember 3, 2026 10:00 am – 3:30 pm | November 11, 2026 10:00 am – 3:30 pm | Each One, Teach One. Many Hands Make Light Work. Register |
 Rewilding Soils Workshop at Kripalu w/ Leah Penniman November 6, 2026 10:00 am – 4:00 pm | Join the author of Rewilding and Founding Director of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership, Micah Mortali, and friends for our third annual Rewilding Summit—a deep, multidisciplinary gathering exploring what it means to rewild our lives as modern people in a changing world. Register |
 Uprooting Racism in the Food System: November 12, 2026 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm | November 16, 2026 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm | A virtual theory and action training for farming and food justice leaders to uproot systemic racism in our organizations and society. Register |
The story is in the seed.
The blazing backdrop of vibrant autumn foliage supported us as we harvested seeds to share with our community. This year, we grew an incredible African drought maize that can survive with little water and has nitrogen-fixing root exudates! We also kept tomato, cucumber, and fava beans from Palestine; epazote from our friends at IMAP in Guatemala; and Haudenasaunee skunk beans.
A revolutionary garlic variety— Juanita Nelson Garlic— also joined the crop family. Juanita (1923-2015) grew this garlic for decades as part of her path as a war tax resistor. Juanita and Wally Nelson, a Black couple in Greenfield MA, lived off-grid in voluntary poverty as farmers, civil rights activists, war tax refusers, and advocates of simple living. By growing their own food and getting by with little money, they could refuse to pay war tax, as Juanita explained, “That’s the only way you can stop war — stop participating in it, and stop so much consumption that requires war.” Wally defines nonviolence as, “NONVIOLENCE is the constant awareness of the dignity and humanity of oneself and others; it seeks truth and justice; it renounces violence both in method and in attitude; it is a courageous acceptance of active love and goodwill as the instrument with which to overcome evil and transform both oneself and others.” As it grows, this garlic will be a reminder to us of our commitment to divest from the war machine and all systems of mass violence.
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. We have both individual and group registration available.
November 12th, 2026 (6-9PM EST) ** evening option for PST and folks that want to join after work.
You can also check out our Actions Steps to uproot racism in the food system here.
Community Work & Learns
Join us for the last two Community Work & Learns of the year.
Tuesday, November 3 – Thank you to CDPHP for being committed to supporting Community Health & Wellness, and being a sponsor of our November 3 Work & Learn Day!
BSF Cohort 5 member Amos Mukobo Kazadi learned how to farm under the watchful eyes of his grandparents and parents while growing up near Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he was born and raised.
For his family, farming was about nourishing not only themselves, but a way to feed and support community. Amos immigrated to the US just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and quickly identified a major challenge that he was drawn to address. “That experience,” Amos says, “reminded me how important it is for communities to have access to fresh, local food.” A trained nurse, Amos was inspired to return to farming and start growing African vegetables in his new hometown of Portland, Maine.
Papa Bio Farm, provides fresh, culturally-familiar food to African and immigrant families who travel from all over Maine and beyond. Amos is also dedicated to sharing African agriculture, nutrition, and food traditions with the wider community. Now in his second year of farming, Amos has made huge strides! He’s expanded production to 2 acres, increasing production of core cultural crops including amaranth, sweet potato greens, green eggplant and so many other traditional foods. He has also been awarded several grants, including one from the American Farmland Trust that enabled him to purchase a 40-food insulated storage container that he’s currently converting into a walk-in cooler.
Amos is also currently enrolled in a mentorship program to help Papa Bio transition to becoming a certified organic farm, and is trialing a small run of frozen produce with Fork Food Lab–both important vehicles that will help him continue to bring the most nourishing and delicious African foods to the plates and palates of the communities he loves and serves.
We were honored to be speakers at the Black and Indigenous Solidarity Conference presented by ReHuman School and Dr. Lyla June.
We discussed confronting anti-Blackness in the Indigenous community, as well as naming and transforming colonial complicity in the Black community. We talked about solidarity toward healing mother Earth and showing up for one another in unity. ReHuman School has a number of excellent courses, workshops, and resources for those interested in Indigenous solidarity work.
The leaves are turning beautiful shades of yellow & orange, yet we are planning ahead to Spring Solstice and our 17th Annual SOULstice.
Every year, we gather with community in reverence and revelry to celebrate life and honor the Solstice – a day of maximum sunlight – and give thanks for the inextinguishable flame of our souls’ fire.
But!! Did you know – our Annual SOULstice Party is a fundraising event for our Food Sovereignty programs?
We are looking for businesses and organizations that can sponsor SOULstice. Do you own or work at a business that would be interested in supporting the work in this way? Our Sponsorship Packet contains information about our sponsorship levels. Reach out to callie@SoulFireFarm.org with any questions.