Located in upstate New York, Soulfire Farm is an Afro-Indigenous community training the next generation of activist farmers. The farm-focused community seeks to “eliminate racism and sow sovereignty in the food system.” They work to bring diverse communities together on sacred lands to share traditional stewardship skills.
To find out more, we spoke with Brooke Bridgesthe kitchen magician, farmer, and assistant food justice manager of Soul Fire Farm.
Brooke Bridges. Photo credit: Soul Fire Farm
Ask. Brooke, what are your roots and why did you decide to join the Soul Fire Farm community?
I’m from Los Angeles, California, but have lived in the Northeast since 2017. Before moving to the Northeast, I didn’t really know anything about agriculture or food sovereignty, and that’s what Soul Fire Farm is all about. . We talk a lot about people struggling under food apartheid – especially communities of color who don’t have access to enough food. Before I moved here, I had no idea it even existed. I grew up relatively privileged – upper middle class – and never had to worry about food.
After moving to the East Coast, I met Leah Penniman, our co-founder and farm director. I heard her speak about Soul Fire Farm and the inherent racism in the food system. And I felt ashamed. I asked myself, “As a young black woman in America, how could I not know about this?”
I had to get involved somehow. Soul Fire hired me as a Chef – Assistant Kitchen Magician. I started cooking for the immersion programs we have every year to train new farmers.
Q. What does a day in the Soul Fire Farm community look like for you?
I am one of the few employees who actually lives and works here. To me, everyday life looks like a variety of things; it really depends on the season. In the winter (we live in upstate New York, so we have some pretty harsh winters) it can literally be up to me to do administrative tasks on my computer, like processing donor checks and thanking donors for their contributions to our case. I may create social media posts for Instagram and Facebook. Or, more recently, I’ve been organizing our seeds. I’m also finalizing the list of everyone who will be part of our CSA this year and preparing for our first week of greenhouse seeding starting soon. I can’t believe it’s already happening!
We also have farmer team meetings. LeahRhea and I are part of the farm team and we all met recently to talk about the harvest map, plan what seeds we need and order our supplies.
In the summer people come to the farm for the programs. I do different things, from catering staff to helping with cooking to running and facilitating the agricultural bloc.
Q. How does your personal mission align with the Soul Fire Farm community?
I didn’t know anything about farming before I left LA, but then I lived on a farm in Northern California for about three months, and I knew there was something about the land and growing your own food – it was calling to me. I just didn’t know where that voice came from. I was first introduced to Lemon Balm by growing it from the ground and realized, “Oh gosh, I love this. I want a farm. I want to grow my own food, and I want to grow my own medicine. I already want making my own stuff for my family.”
That’s my setup now, and I do it all, especially since I moved to the farm. It has made it a lot easier to make my own medications and my own body care products. I can contribute more to Soul Fire Farm’s project because of my own wishes as a homesteader. And as a mother.
Farmers work the land Soulfire Farm in Grafton, NY. Photo credit: Capers Rumph, the opposite of war.
Q. What is your relationship with the country?
My relationship with the land is one of reciprocity. During my first summer here in 2019, I was amazed at how connected you can feel to the soil. I didn’t even know that was possible growing up in a concrete jungle like LA. But to be here and see the land change through the seasons, plant these little seeds and watch them grow, harvest them, improve the soil, and do that over and over again – it was incredible. It reminds me of how wonderful and amazing the whole process of growing food is and how this dirt actually creates life. It makes me feel very grateful.
Q. What does BIPOC mean and why is it important?
BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous and People of Color. Some people have problems with this term because they feel like it limits or reduces you to one small sentence. But what we’ve used it for, especially in the community here at Soul Fire, is to engage people who represent minority groups in this country and around the world.
It is important because it allows us to focus our attention. Soul Fire Farm was created with BIPOC in mind. Black people, indigenous people and people of color come here. This is a space for us, a conscious focus on a specific group of people who traditionally tend to be left out and not given a seat at the table.
Q. What can non-Native and African American people do to support your community’s mission?
One of the ways we hope to create a more well-rounded community for those who are not BIPOC is through some of our trainings. I think the first step is to take a training course, for example Eradicating racism. It really helps people open up what we’re talking about and figure out where they can connect to that. It gives people insight – especially people who are not people of color – into what we are like, what they are like, and how we all contribute to racism, injustice and inequality within the food system and how we can change things. These training courses are excellent and suitable for everyone.
Our community farm days and farm tours are also open to everyone. Or, if you don’t live nearby, you can contact organizations in your area that do similar work. There are so many, and most of them are good friends of ours, because we are all in the same field!
Q. Do you have a spirit herb?
My spirit herb has to be Lemon Balm. We’re not from the same place, but it was the first plant I came into contact with, so it’s close to my heart. It was the first plant I ever made a hydrosol from. It is also one of my favorite plants because it is a perennial, meaning it comes back year after year. I love how it smells and how it helps settle my stomach. I love you, Lemon Balm.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis).
To learn more about Soul Fire Farm or to support their mission, visit their website website.
Lauren Ann Nichols-Sheffler attended the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism and received her certificate in Medical Herbalism. She owns it Blue yarrow herbs also known as Herbal Vice, an herbal product company that practices bioregional herbal medicine by growing plants and sourcing locally. Lauren loves educating and advocating for plant sustainability. She is the purchasing and sourcing manager for WishGarden Herbs.
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, or to sell any product.
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