Agraria Journal Winter 2021

AGRARIA JOURNAL 2021 33 into the greater struggle for equality and justice, comparing the eviction of tenant farmers and sharecroppers to the elimination of factory jobs in the auto industry in Detroit, both of which led to food insecurity. People affected by these losses have participated in community-based food systems, said Malik, illustrating both resilience and resistance. It is impossible to overstate the value of Leah Penniman’s contributions not only to this conference but also to the fight to end racism in the food system and reclaim our ancestral connection to the land. Her expertise and wise counsel is surpassed only by her deep spirituality and cultural knowledge and connectedness. Soul Fire Farm, which she co-founded in 2010, is a monument to her leadership and ingenuity. Not only has she produced a regenerative food system that feeds many, she also has taught thousands of others how to grow healthy foods and take positive steps to dismantling racism and build a healthier world for all of us. Seed Keeping and Preserving Culture Heritage was the focus of our final keynote speaker, Ira Wallace, a founding member of Acorn Community Farm and a force behind the farm’s Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. The cultivation and preservation of seeds and the identification and exploration of family heirloom seeds were concepts I was not familiar with, so this was a totally new avenue of knowledge for me. With the insidious machinations of corporate agri- business in terms of seed ownership and patenting, the work Sister Ira has spearheaded is essential and crucial for the wellbeing of the people of this land as well as for the planet. Acorn Farm and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange are cooperatively run and excellent examples of community- powered successful endeavors. The idea of farming communities and engaging people who may not have a farming background to build community is exceptionally important in this age of land loss in both urban and rural settings for Black people. It is my hope that the Black Farming Conference will continue to grow and include more and more communities as we work together to create a truly just and equal world where every life is valued and everyone contributes. Cheryl Wood Smith is a poet, a member of the Agraria Board of Trustees, and on the organizing committee for the Black Farming Conference. SUSAN JENNINGS Omope Carter Daboiku, farm manager of Edgemont Solar Garden and a Regenerative Farmer Fellow, Black Farming Conference keynote speaker Malik Yakini, executive director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, and Kenya Baker, executive director of Unified Power, a community land trust in Dayton coupled with a real estate investment cooperative.