Love, farming and food justice with Leah Penniman

Leah Penniman is a Black Kreyol farmer, mother, soil nerd, author, and food justice activist from Soul Fire Farm in Grafton, New York. She co-founded Soul Fire Farm in 2010 with the mission to end racism in the food system and reclaim black people’s ancestral connection to land. 

In this episode, I speak with Leah about her personal journey into farming and what it means to cultivate a healthy and just relationship with land through farming. Throughout this inspiring conversation, we celebrate the contributions of black farmers and black growers in America and around the world.

Episode timestamps

00:00 Introduction 

1:27 Leah’s relationship with nature 

3:55 Landscapes that have shaped Leah’s passion for social justice, farming and food justice

6:02 The connection to land is personal, political and cultural for African-Americans 

9:15 How food apartheid shaped her journey to co-founding Soul Fire Farm

12:57 The four elements of a healthy and just relationship with land

16:25 What a healthy and just relationship with land looks like at Soul Fire Farm

18:58 The four wings of the butterfly of transformative social justice 

20:42 Why it’s important to remember and center Afro-Indigenous farming practices 

24:26 bell hooks, love and trauma in black people’s relationship with nature 

31:33 How to talk about food and land justice when living for many is unaffordable right now

35:46 Advice for people who want to take part in food justice in their communities

37:30 Leah’s upcoming book, Black Earth Wisdom

41:49 How to connect with Black Earth podcast

Support and follow Leah’s work: 

Soul Fire Farm - https://www.soulfirefarm.org/ 

Black Earth Wisdom book - https://blackearthwisdom.org/ 

Support and connect with Black Earth 

We are on Instagram, Tiktok, and LinkedIn:  @blackearthpodcast

Our website: https://www.blackearthpodcast.com/