Faith in Farming

Amirah and Will return to share a little about farming at Stony Point Center over the past few weeks including cover crops, mowing, and planting. Then they dive into a conversation about their most memorable "multifaith moments" in the Community of Living Traditions. From Quaker Meeting for Worship to Purim to Ramadan (and more), Amirah and Will share insights and laughs about where they learned or gained an appreciation for other faith traditions (or their own) in multifaith spaces.

Amirah and Will finally return to share some reflections about life, faith practices, and farming during the pandemic. Their conversation includes thoughts thriftiness, holy observances, and music while sheltering in place. The theme for this episode was inspired by the Community of Living Traditions Zoom Series "Living into the New Normal" which happens on Wednesdays at 5pm Eastern time. Click here to check for listings and registration: https://stonypointcenter.org/your-visit/upcoming-events. And, for Spotify users, here's how you can listen to the playlist Will gave Amirah for her birthday: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7b8j9p8ml0USqsTdvYkNXa?si=cSgaFaXxSuuuryTQjjvO9g

Amirah and Will are back to kick off the 2020 farming season with a conversation about birds. After several recent bird encounters, and, in honor of Will's second child who was named after a bird, they reflect on sharing space with our feathered friends. Referenced in this episode: "Acknowledging the Winter Solstice Is a Decolonial Act for Indigenous People" by Sarah Sunshine Manning (https://ndncollective.org/acknowledging-the-winter-solstice-is-a-decolonial-act-for-indigenous-people/).

Independent filmmaker Brooklyn Demme joins Amirah to discuss his documentary film "The Place Where People Gather" (Akuy Eenda Maawehlaang) which witnesses the Ramapough-Lenape Nation's struggle to gather as a community and pray on their own land in the face of legal & financial abuse at the hands of the township of Mahwah, NJ and a private home-owner's association called the Polo Club.

Brooklyn discusses the film's inspiration and origins; grieving the loss of his father, Jonathan, who was collaborating with him to create this film; the challenges of documentary filmmaking in activist work and in general; bringing intention and spirituality into one's work; and more.

Screenings of "The Place Where People Gather" will be held on Sunday February 16 at 2pm at the Bartow-Pell Mansion (near Pelham Bay Park), Wednesday February 19 at 2pm at the New City Library, and Saturday March 29 at 2pm at Ramapo College. The film is about half an hour long and can be viewed online at https://vimeo.com/348893544/92fd6f0b8b. If you would like to contact Brooklyn to organize a screening of "The Place Where People Gather" email him at [email protected].

Amirah sits down with recording artist and Community of Living Traditions member Warren Cooper to play one-on-one. In their conversation they discuss Warren's latest musical release "(Let's Bring) Christmastime 2 Creation," how Amirah experiences the Christmas season as a Muslim, work as a spiritual practice/act of worship, how the children in the Community of Living Traditions are influencing Warren's music, what farmers do during winter, and some of Warren's favorite Christmas music growing up. To support Warren's release of Christmastime 2 Creation, visit www.RadRevRecords.com and register for the "Do the Download: Save the Planet" Campaign...and actually download the record on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify on Sunday December 15! You can also check out a message from Warren here: https://youtu.be/40dD2dEF5DQ

Amirah and Will chat about putting the fields to bed for the year and look back on the 2019 farming season. They share memories, accomplishments, and non-accomplishments related to the Keesler farm, lettuce production, sweet corn, and shiitake mushrooms. Finally, they discuss the significance of a memorable encounter with a deer and a blue heron near the creek at Keesler.

Amirah and Will welcome Amirah's long-time friend and Faith in Farming's most devoted listener Ariana Thelen to the podcast for a conversation about Halloween and a couple of essays by Robin Wall Kimmerer. They explore Halloween as a religious holiday and modern-day cultural experience before reflecting on two essays in Braiding Sweetgrass: Windigo Footprints and The Honorable Harvest. Along the way, Ariana shares a great story about an encounter her father had with a Windigo.

In this special bilingual episode, Costa Rican farmer and activist Erlinda Quesada joins Will to talk about her work fighting for eco-justice with communities throughout her home land. She outlines the circumstances that led to the expansion of industrial pineapple production in Costa Rica, her interactions with Costa Rican government officials, and how contaminated water and agro-chemicals are affecting people and land in Costa Rica. Erlinda works with the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s International Peacemaking Program. Special thanks to Karla Koll for interpreting. To learn more about the industrial pineapple industry, Erlinda and Karla recommend watching this 20-minute documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsI2HAmEFcw

Amirah and Will revive an old tradition and play one-on-one for the first time in a long time. Their conversation includes Amirah's recent opportunity to participate in a zabiha slaughter at Halal Pastures, Will's learnings from his now 2-year-old daughter, the influence of being in indigenous spaces on their faith practices, reflections on last year's fall equinox ceremony, and what this year's theme song should be. It's a long one...enjoy!

Amirah and Will sit down for a conversation about their respective weeks. Amirah shares about celebrating Eid with her family in Wisconsin and gives some context for the holiday while Will reflects on the difficulty of his week while trying to process the recent shootings in his hometown of El Paso, Texas. Together they contemplate the 7 'disasters of the heart' and try to remember how many tomato sandwiches they've each eaten this season.