Farming While Black

by Leah Penniman

  Sunday Soup. Allocating a few hours on a Sunday to make food for the week is an effective time and money saver. Make a big pot of Soup Joumou, groundnut stew, curry chickpeas, or vegetable soup plus some rice to store for the next several days. Also on Sundays, soak and boil beans for later use. You can store drained, cooked beans in the freezer indefinitely. While those pots are boiling on top of the stove, you might as well use the oven to bake some root vegetables as salad toppers or glaze some sunflower seeds to sprinkle on fruit for breakfast. Make extra food and freeze it so you can use it on the days when you really don’t have time to do more than heat up your portion.

  My Mother, Reverend Adele Smith-Penniman

  Growing up, our family developed an intimate knowledge of the challenges presented by mental illness, substance addiction, unemployment, and violence. My two siblings and I spent our summers and school vacations with our brilliant and beautiful mother, who was often forced by circumstance to receive us in halfway houses or apartments in the projects. Looking back through adult eyes, I can see what a stretch it must have been to care for three children with no reliable income. Yet never, not once, did we go hungry. Our mother made it her number one priority to ensure that there was food on the table and protected us from any worry about scarcity. We offer a low bow of gratitude to Reverend Adele Smith-Penniman and all of the parents whose ingenuity and sacrifice make it possible for their children to be nourished.

  Power ingredients. There are a few high-calorie-per-penny food staples that are also nutrient-dense. Stock up on these ingredients and use them as the basis for meals. Brown rice, dry beans and peas, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, eggs, and peanut butter are at the top of the list. The following is a complete shopping list for the budget- and health-conscious household. You are more likely to keep costs down if you go to the store with a shopping list and stick to it.

  Stock up on dry staple foods as a low-cost foundation for your meals. Photo by Neshima Vitale-Penniman.

  Fruits and vegetables. Apples, bananas, carrots, spinach, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, raisins, and in-season fruits and vegetables.

  Oils and spices. Sea salt, vinegar, olive oil, safflower or sunflower oil, baking powder, molasses, tamari, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cumin, curry, black pepper, chili powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme, clove, and oregano.

  These “truffles” made from nuts and dried fruit are an energy-dense, healthy snack.

  Grains and flours. Rolled oats, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat flour or rice flour, cornmeal, popcorn kernels, corn tortillas, and other whole, unprocessed grains and flours.

  Dry legumes and seeds. Black-eyed peas, red lentils, green split peas, garbanzo beans, red beans, black beans, roasted peanuts, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and other whole, unprocessed legumes.

  Canned foods. Crushed tomatoes, peanut butter, and coconut milk.

  Dairy. Milk or almond milk, cheddar cheese, and eggs.

  Purchase sparingly. Almonds, walnuts, honey, dates, and coconut oil.

  Make processed foods at home. Yogurt, granola, epis, pesto, hummus, salsa, pikliz, salad dressing, cooked beans, and baked goods.

  Drink water. All your body needs to stay hydrated is water. Most bottled drinks are packed with sugar and contain no valuable nutrients. To liven up your water, add a splash of lemon or lime juice or a sprig of mint. Alternatively, make tea with fresh herbs from your garden and store it cold in the refrigerator. Our favorite is sorrel tea, mulled with cinnamon and oranges and brightened with a touch of honey.

  Carry snacks. We tend to spend money on unhealthy packaged or prepared foods when hunger catches us off guard. Eat before you leave home and certainly before you go grocery shopping. To prevent impulse buys that are hard on your wallet and your health, try carrying these tasty nut truffles on the go. They are packed with protein, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.

  Nut truffles. Choose your desired combination of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits from the options below. The ratio of nuts to fruit should be 2:1. Blend the nuts and spices in the food processor until floury, then add the fruits and any sweetener. Blend until very fine then add just a dash of water (if needed) so the mixture balls up. Roll into balls or press and cut into squares and coat with grated coconut, crushed nuts, or cocoa powder. Serve immediately or chill.

  Apple pie. Walnuts, dried apples, raisins, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger.

  Cardamom delight. Almonds, dates, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger.

  Peanuts and chocolate. Peanuts, dates, raisins, oats, cocoa powder, honey.

  Fruit pie. Dried cherries or blueberries, dates, almonds.

  Carrot cake. Almonds, walnuts, dates, raisins, grated carrot.

  Gingersnap. Pecans, almonds, ginger, dates, cloves, cinnamon.

  Sunflower butter. Sunflower seeds, almonds, dates.

  Cashew butter. Cashews, dates, cocoa powder.

  10 minutes or less. Even with the best of intentions, there are times when we simply cannot make “Sunday Soup” or freeze meals ahead of time. When you only have 10 minutes to get some calories into your body, here are some quick, healthy, and affordable options:

  Apple toast. Toast bread and top with peanut butter, honey, and sliced apples.

  Everything salad. Toss salad greens or spinach with whatever you have on hand—chopped apples, boiled egg, dried fruits, sliced nuts or seeds, crumbled cheese—and splash on some lemon juice and olive oil.

  Quick veggie grits. Boil 2 cups (480 ml) of water and add ½ cup of any vegetables—for example, chopped onion, spinach, tomato, broccoli, or carrot. Stir in ⅔ cup (95 g) of cornmeal and salt to taste. Continue to stir over medium heat for six to eight minutes, until all the water is absorbed.

  Hot taco. Scramble or fry an egg with onions, garlic, and greens. Fold the egg into a warm tortilla and top with salsa, tomato, salad greens, and/or cheese. You can also skip the egg, simply melting cheese over the tortilla and topping the result with a mound of salad and some black beans.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Youth on Land

  It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.

  —FREDERICK DOUGLASS

  Dijour arrived on the farm last summer with 13 of his Albany peers, full of excitement and trepidation. We asked him to find an object from the natural environment that represented how he felt that day and bring it to a circle of sunny benches for an introductory conversation. Dijour hesitated for words during those initial minutes, explaining later that he does not usually talk in front of groups and was significantly outside of his comfort zone on the unpaved and unpredictable ground. We toured the farm and the young people quickly saw that their gleaming sneakers would be ruined in short order, so the courageous idea to go barefoot quickly spread. Amid giggles, warm mud oozed between toes and worms found their way into hands. The spoken content of the tour was nearly drowned out in deference to the more compelling tactile experience of land connection. The rest of the day was filled with hands-on-the-land practical farming experience, cooperative preparation of a plant-based meal, spontaneous dance cypher, and creative live commercials serving as an antidote to corporate media’s promotion of food that kills.

  At our day’s end gratitude circle, Dijour found his voice. He shared an experience so profound that the truth of it alone justifies the immense grit required to maintain Soul Fire Farm’s youth food justice programs. Djour explained that when he was very young his grandmother had shown him how to garden and to gently hold insects. She died long ago and he had forgotten these lessons. When he removed his shoes on the tour and let the mud reach his feet, the memory of her and the memory of the land literally traveled from the earth, through his soles, and to his heart. He arrived “home.” He went on to complete his summer film program, where he created a documentary honoring the memories of his ancestors.

  No land-based project is complete without the integration and empowerment of young people. As soon as
we gain knowledge for ourselves, it’s incumbent upon us to share it with the next generation. This chapter offers strategies to honor and inspire young people with authentic farm experiences. We offer our favorite farming and food justice curriculum examples, refined from over a decade of work with youth targeted by state violence. A list of farming programs that honor the dignity of young people is included.

  Why Youth on Land?

  Human beings have evolved for thousands of years in natural environments, having direct contact with the fullness of ecological cycles, and witnessing plants and animals grow, reproduce, die, and cycle back into new life. For only a few generations, we have lived in cities, encased in human-created artifacts and bombarded with artificial stimulation. Black Americans are even more likely to live in cities than the population at large and less likely to live in neighborhoods with parks or even green landscaping.1 In the entire history of our existence on the planet, we have never had so little contact with the earth.

  A plethora of scientific studies have confirmed what we can already intuit: We need nature not just for the material sustenance she provides, but for our physiological, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Spending time in nature, particularly free play on uneven ground, reduces stress, social anxiety, depression, disease, and impulsivity, and increases concentration, creativity, conflict management skills, agility, balance, academic performance, eyesight, and life satisfaction. Hospital patients with a view of nature through their window recover more quickly from surgery and have fewer complications and less pain. School children with ADD who are given a chance to play outside before class show greater focus, academic achievement, and ability to delay gratification. Adults who take walks in nature, as compared with walking in the mall, experience lower blood pressure and cholesterol. We now understand that experiences in nature stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, associated with the restoration of physical energy.2

  We may also consider that so-called nature-deficit disorder has a metaphysical component.3 For example, trees in a forest form a superorganism that utilizes the underground network of fungal hyphae to share sugars, minerals, and warnings of pest outbreaks. Trees give away their food to one another, caring for members of the same species as well as members of distant families. When we spend time observing, touching, and learning in the forest, we receive these lessons about how to live in a spirit of cooperation and mutual aid. In many African traditional religions, we believe that the ancestors and certain orisa dwell under the earth and under the water. We experience their wisdom and love through physical contact with the earth, enhanced by ceremony, song, and prayer. Our children need the earth, just as did generations past. As stewards of the future, it is incumbent upon us to repair the broken threads in the fabric that weaves together our people and the land.

  No land-based project is complete without the integration, empowerment, and leadership of young people. Photo by Neshima Vitale-Penniman.

  UPLIFT

  Brother Yusuf Burgess

  Brother Yusuf Burgess (1950–2014) grew up in the Marcy Projects section of Brooklyn, and would walk himself over to Prospect Park to collect tadpoles in a paper cup and gather acorns. Of that time, he remembered, “I often reflect back to my early childhood in Prospect Park, when my world was fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. I know now that there was an innate part of me that was drawn to nature.” As an adult, Brother Yusuf served a tour in Vietnam, endured incarceration, and struggled with substance abuse. A counselor helped him remember his powerful relationship with nature and “prescribed” kayaking as therapy to help him readjust to civilian life. After that, it was rare to see the Burgess Ford without at least one boat strapped to the roof.

  Brother Yusuf (in blessed memory) brought the Youth Ed-Venture Network out to Soul Fire Farm.

  Brother Yusuf decided to share the healing power of nature with the young people in his community of Albany, New York, saying, “Many of today’s children are growing up in busy cities without nearby parks or ‘special places’ to experience the beautiful and awe-inspiring. They stand to lose a very important part of what it is to be human.” He started the Youth Ed-Venture & Nature Network to take urban youth on trips to the wilds of the Adirondacks, Catskills, and even once to Yosemite National Park. He coordinated the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Capital District Campership Diversity Program and worked with young people at Green Tech High Charter School and the Albany Boys and Girls Club. He also frequently brought youth out to Soul Fire Farm, where I witnessed firsthand his unequivocal dedication and love for our youth and his reverence for the Earth. After his death, 90 children who loved him came together to build a community garden dedicated to his memory.4

  Best Practices in Youth Programming

  Soul Fire Farm’s Youth Food Justice program attempts to address the dual challenges of increasing access to the outdoors and access to healthy food. With young people at the center, we tend the earth, cook for one another, explore the forest, tell stories, climb the trapeze, and sit with the novel discomfort of dirt in the creases of our hands. Perhaps more important than the tangible skills transfer is our effort to create an environment that challenges internal self-degradation. Of all the threats facing Black and Brown youth, we are most concerned about the pervasive perspective that “there is no future worth investing in—it does not make sense to care for our bodies or for the land because incarceration and violent death are our destiny.” While there is no prescription for creating a healthy and healing space on land, some of the principles that guide our youth programming are listed here.

  We need contact with nature for our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Photo by Neshima Vitale-Penniman.

  Youth Programming Principles at Soul Fire Farm

  We treat you as part of our family, welcome in our home and at our meal table.

  We honor your Black, Latinx, and Indigenous ancestors and heroes with storytelling.

  We incorporate art, music, rhythm, and creative expression into your learning experiences.

  We form a circle often, and each of you is given a chance to raise your voice.

  We trust you by telling the whole truth, even when it is hard.

  We trust you by sharing real “adult” skills, tools, and complex concepts.

  We honor your dignity by shielding you from outside “observers” who want to document and consume your image, appropriating your story for their own gain.

  We make space for you to meet in identity caucus groups to share experiences.

  We design our curriculum and activities around the topics you want to learn and the themes that are most important to you.

  We engage you in thoughtful critique of media, capitalism, mass incarceration, white supremacy, and other institutions that oppress youth.

  We provide mentors and leaders with overlapping demographics and life experiences to you.

  We offer you tangible take-aways that you apply back home, so the experience on land is not just a novelty.

  We strive to eliminate the oppressions facing youth and, in doing so, ultimately render our organization obsolete. This mission is more important than institutional self-preservation.

  ________

  One of the most powerful recent developments in our youth program is the collaboration we formed with Mission Accomplished Transition Services and the Albany County District Attorney’s Office to interrupt a pathway in the school-to-prison pipeline. A good friend and farm-share member who worked as counsel for the DA approached us with concern about the way the criminal punishment system traps black youth into a downward spiral of increasingly harsh sentencing. Boys in their early teens are being arrested for loitering and petty theft, then assigned a public defender who encourages them to “cop a plea” and settle for a lighter sentence regardless of their guilt or innocence.* Once they have a record, these children are more likely to be targeted by law enforcement, and it becomes disconcertingly easy to predict which middle sch
ool students will be in prison by the time they turn 18. Together with our lawyer friend, we decided to introduce legislation for a restorative justice project that we termed Project Growth. Instead of receiving punitive sentences, court-adjudicated youth would be able to complete a 50-hour training at Soul Fire Farm and other community organizations and earn money for the time they invest. The youth were obligated to first use the funds to pay off any restitution owed to those impacted by their crimes and then use the remainder as discretionary income. Our proposal was approved for a three-year period, and we mentored 15 young people through the program.

  UPLIFT

  Rooted in Community

  Rooted in Community (RIC) is a national organization that brings together the efforts of over 100 youth empowerment and food justice formations across the nation. RIC holds member organizations accountable for uplifting youth dignity and leadership, engaging in courageous conversations about oppression and privilege, and honoring ancestral ways of embodying sustainability, respect, honor, and beauty. RIC convenes a national youth summit, regional gatherings for youth leaders, and a winter training for adult allies of youth leaders. The youth of RIC wrote a “Youth Food Bill of Rights” in 2013, listing their demands for a sustainable and just food system, including the “right to culturally affirming food.” We offer a shout-out to Rooted in Community’s member organizations, including the Food Project DIRT crew, School of Unity & Liberation (SOUL), and East New York Farms.