“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

In light of recent tragedies and the current upheaval our country is facing, I will not be posting a regular “Farm Journal Friday” post today. Instead of writing about what is going on around the farm this week, I have spent time reflecting, reading, and educating myself on how I push for change in a society still combating horrendous racial inequality and violence. I know that one week of reflection is NOT enough time, that I still have work to do, but I also know that this is the first of many necessary steps I need to take. On a personal level, I want to address my position of privilege as a white person and white farmer, but I also want to push beyond my own needs and find tangible ways to help those who lack what should be universal privileges. With that being said, I would like to take this opportunity to share Soul Fire Farm with you. Soul Fire Farm is just one of the many incredible organizations committed to combating racism and injustice in the food system. Here is an excerpt from their website:

“Soul Fire Farm is a BIPOC-centered community farm committed to uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system. We raise and distribute life-giving food as a means to end food apartheid. With deep reverence for the land and wisdom of our ancestors, we work to reclaim our collective right to belong to the earth and to have agency in the food system. We bring diverse communities together on this healing land to share skills on sustainable agriculture, natural building, spiritual activism, health, and environmental justice. We are training the next generation of activist-farmers and strengthening the movements for food sovereignty and community self-determination.”  -Soul Fire Farm Website (2020)

The people in this organization dedicate their precious time and resources to making REAL, IMPACTFUL, CHANGE, and they need support. I know that we must come together, now more than ever, not only to start a deeply necessary discussion of systemic racism in our country, but also to put our words and thoughts into ACTION so we can end it.

There is so much hurt in the world right now, and I know that words and donations alone are not always enough to enact real change. Even so, my hope is that even small actions have momentum, that they will join with many other little acts to build into powerful movements. That is why I wanted to spend my time this week researching and discovering any way I could help. There are so many people in this country that dedicate themselves to taking action, to healing and empowering our BIPOC communities. They make our society better, and we are blessed that they fight for equality and justice for all rather than the few.

If you’d like to learn more about Soul Fire Farm and how you can help or join me in making a donation, please click the links I have included below.

Soul Fire Farm FAQ: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bwn153phRVk-q1Hr4OMnOv_xK9pQPR40bIWk7r4WBMs/edit

Make a donation to Soul Fire Farm: http://www.soulfirefarm.org/support/

Soul Fire Farm’s website: http://www.soulfirefarm.org/

Read Soul Fire Farm’s book, Farming While Black by Leah Penniman: https://www.amazon.com/Farming-While-Black-Decolonizing-Agriculture/dp/1603587616

Follow Soul Fire Farm on Instagram: @soulfirefarm

I’d like to leave you with one last quote from Martin Luther King, Jr., “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”

Justice for George Floyd. Justice for all.