In this episode, Zoe Hollomon speaks with Erika Allen, founder of Urban Growers Collective, which now operates 7 farms over 11 acres on Chicago’s South and West Side. Her newest venture, Z Farm, will operate on 42-acres in south suburban Chicago Heights. Beyond that, Erika wears so many hats, mentoring young people, spreading climate innovations, and influencing philanthropy to fund deep and lasting change in the food system.

ERIKA ALLEN is the founder and CEO for Urban Growers Collective; president of Green ERA Educational NFP; and co-owner of Green Era Sustainability Partners. Allen founded and served as the director of Growing Power – Chicago from 2002 to 2017. She co-founded the Chicago Food Policy Action Council and has served in numerous leadership roles in food justice spaces at the local, state, and national levels over the years. Allen received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her MA in Art Psychotherapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She uses her experience as a visual artist to support individuals and organizations in realizing their vision of social and economic changes. She is passionate about social justice and working with multicultural groups in the elimination of racism, related oppressions, and the root causes of poverty by integrating creative and therapeutic techniques alongside food security and community development.

ZOE HOLLOMON is a multi-racial black, queer, activist and abolitionist with over 20 years' experience organizing with grassroots organizations on the East Coast and Midwest, building organizations to influence decision-making in food, farming and environmental related policy. Born in Duluth, MN, from a long line of freedom fighters, she grew up mainly in NY (Buffalo and NYC). Since moving back to Minnesota in 2012, she’s done advocacy and organizing for multiple organizations and campaigns. She is a founding member of Rootsprings Farm & Retreat Cooperative, a farm and healing retreat space for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ people, and a proud co-founder and Executive Director of the Midwest Farmers of Color Collective.

Growing Liberation is a podcast from the Midwest Farmers of Color Collective, a collective of Black Indigenous farmers of color centered on racial justice and the development of food and farming systems that honor our communities past, present, and future. Learn more at: https://midwestfarmersofcolor.org/.

Follow MFCC on Instagram: @midwestfarmersofcolor

CREDITS

Creator: Midwest Farmers of Color Collective with Real Food Media

Host: Zoe Hollomon, MFCC

Guest: Erika Allen, Urban Growers Collective

Audio editor: Jaime Roque

Executive producer: Tanya Kerssen, Real Food Media

Theme music: “Our Past Lives” by Moonfly

Podcast artwork by: @Emitxin

SHOW NOTES

Midwest Farmers of Color Collective, https://midwestfarmersofcolor.org/

Urban Growers Collective, https://www.urbangrowerscollective.org/

In this episode, Sammie Ardito Rivera speaks with Brea Baker, author of "Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Ownership." In this new book, Baker reflects on her family’s roots and invites readers to explore their own relationship with land, food, and community. Midwest Farmers of Color Collective members are excited to use this book as an organizing tool and discussion piece. Sammie and Brea’s conversation highlights the role of Black-Indigenous solidarity in our past, present, and future.

Buy the book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/rooted-the-american-legacy-of-land-theft-the-modern-movement-for-black-land-ownership-brea-baker/20631593

BREA BAKER is a freedom fighter and storyteller who believes in the power of Black culture to drive change. Her writing has been featured in the anthologies Our History Has Always Been Contraband and No Justice, No Peace. She was recognized as a 2017 Glamour Woman of the Year. Her new book is Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Ownership. https://www.breabaker.com/

SAMMIE ARDITO RIVERA (Leech Lake and White Earth Ojibwe) is a member of the Midwest Farmers of Color Collective coordinating team. She also co-owns Sin Frontera Food and Farm with her family.

Growing Liberation is a podcast from the Midwest Farmers of Color Collective, a collective of Black Indigenous farmers of color centered on racial justice and the development of food and farming systems that honor our communities past, present, and future. Learn more at: https://midwestfarmersofcolor.org/.

CREDITS

Creator: Midwest Farmers of Color Collective with Real Food Media

Co-producer/host: Sammie Ardito Rivera, MFCC

Guest: Brea Baker

Recorded at: Minnehaha Recording Company, Minneapolis, MN

Audio editor: Jaime Roque

Executive producer: Tanya Kerssen, Real Food Media

Theme music: “Our Past Lives” by Moonfly

Podcast artwork by: @Emitxin

SHOW NOTES

Midwest Farmers of Color Collective, https://midwestfarmersofcolor.org/

Brea Baker, author of “Rooted”: https://www.breabaker.com/

Buy the book at Bookshop.org, https://bookshop.org/p/books/rooted-the-american-legacy-of-land-theft-the-modern-movement-for-black-land-ownership-brea-baker/20631593

“Making a Home on Black-Owned Land” by Brea Baker, Elle Magazine, https://www.elle.com/culture/books/a60941955/rooted-brea-baker-excerpt/

Join the MFCC book club! https://forms.gle/nKD7BdWMnmdw5Rui7

2:09 | Brea shares the story of Louis Baker, the first Black person in her family to own land, and of her grandfather, whom she honored in the writing of this book.

4:00 | Brea shares the journey of her relationship with the land, as someone born and raised in New York, from visiting her family’s land in the South

6:55 | How can BIPOC people heal their relationship with the land?

9:35 | “The book began with the case for reparations."

13:00 | “The original sins of this country happened to and on our backs. I just think there's no greater case for solidarity than Black and Indigenous American solidarity.”

15:20 | What do we owe each other as Black and Indigenous people and how can we get in right relationship with one another?

19:20 | “Black and Indigenous people should be in such deep communication with each other that we are really clear what the demands are across the board, and we're not settling for anything less.”

20:45 | Brea talks about land trusts and eminent domain reversals and mentions the work of the organization Where Is My Land.

22:23 | Growing Change in North Carolina rehabilitates former sites of jails and prisons to use as community gardens.

23:45 | Sammie: Midwest Farmers of Color Collective is working on a Land Fund for BIPOC growers—stay tuned!

In the spring of 2023, representatives from the Midwest Farmers of Color Collective traveled to Washington DC for the Rally for Resilience, an incredible action led by the farmers and workers on the front lines of the climate crisis.

GROWING LIBERATION is a podcast from Midwest Farmers of Color Collective, a collective of Black Indigenous farmers of color centered on racial justice and the development of food and farming systems that honor our communities past, present, and future. Learn more at: https://midwestfarmersofcolor.org/.

EPISODE 2 CREDITS:

Creator: Midwest Farmers of Color Collective with Real Food Media

Host/narrator: Sammie Ardito Rivera, MFCC/Sin Fronteras Farm & Food/Marnita’s Table

Featured voices (in order of appearance): Duane “Chili” Yazzie (Diné from Shiprock, Navajo Nation/ToohBAA), Sammie Ardito Rivera, Zoe Hollomon (MFCC/Rootsprings/Pesticide Action Network), Angela Dawson (MFCC/40 Acre Cooperative), Moses Momanyi (MFCC/Dawn2Dusk Farms/Kilimo MN), Lily Mboss (MFCC/Tulime Cooperative), Yanely Martínez (Californians for Pesticide Reform), Susuyu Lassa (Soul Fire Farm).

B-roll and interview recordings by: Zoe Hollomon

Audio editor: Claire Reynolds

Executive producer: Tanya Kerssen, Real Food Media

Theme music: “Our Past Lives” by Moonfly

Background music by: Rob Gal

SHOW NOTES:

1:20 | MFCC co-founder Zoe Hollomon talks about the planning of the Rally for Resilience

1:45 | Rally audio: Yanely Martínez of Californians for Pesticide Reform

2:30 | What is the Farm Bill?

2:53 | Zoe summarizes the priorities of farmers of color in the upcoming Farm Bill

4:11 | Farmland consolidation and the reduction in the number of Black farmers

4:34 | Rally audio: Angela Dawson

5:15 | The Pigford class action lawsuit against the USDA for discrimination

5:31 | Angela on how thousands of Black farmers have still not seen justice

6:34 | Immigrant farmers face different challenges

6:52 | Moses Momanyi on advocating for immigrant farmers

8:00 | One of the central issues for all farmers of color is access to land

8:25 | Lilly Mboss: “It was so beautiful to be able to speak up for land access issues” in DC

9:19 | Farmers of color are asking for the farm bill to include a title around labor

9:45 | Rally audio: Yanely Martínez on farmworker organizing against pesticides

11:16 | Zoe on the potential for this year's Farm Bill to address environmental justice, climate resilience, and racial equity in the food system

12:16 | Angela Dawson on the need to build stronger coalitions

13:27 | Susuyu Lassa summarizes why farmers of color are rising up for climate resilience

DIG DEEPER:

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, “Release: Farmers Take Action on Climate Crisis, Urging Policymakers to Pay Attention,” January 19, 2023, https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/release-farmers-take-action-on-climate-crisis-urging-policymakers-to-pay-attention/

Eloni Porcher, “HEAL Food Alliance Shows Up Big in DC for a Transformative Farm Bill,” HEAL Food Alliance, March 24, 2023,

https://healfoodalliance.org/heal-food-alliance-shows-up-big-dc-for-a-transformative-farm-bill/

Omanjana Goswami, “As Congress Prepares for a Farm Bill, Will There Be Justice for Black Farmers?” Union of Concerned Scientists, January 27, 2023, https://blog.ucsusa.org/omanjana-goswami/as-congress-prepares-for-a-farm-bill-will-there-be-justice-for-black-farmers/

Andrew Hazzard, “Minnesota farmers of color seek support, funding in new federal farm bill,” Sahan Journal, April 6, 2023, https://sahanjournal.com/climate-environment/farm-bill-minnesota-farmers-of-color-tina-smith-congress/

Adam Goldstein, “Progressive agriculture groups rally for land access, climate-smart policies in farm bill,” Minnesota Reformer, March 10, 2023, https://minnesotareformer.com/2023/03/10/progressive-agriculture-groups-rally-for-land-access-climate-smart-policies-in-farm-bill/

In this debut episode of the Growing Liberation podcast, Sammie Ardito Rivera speaks with Michael Chaney, organizer, movement elder, and co-founder of Midwest Farmers of Color Collective. Known as the “Johnny Applesseed of urban farming in North Minneapolis,” Michael shares what he’s learned from his decades of community organizing in North Minneapolis and the civil rights movement.

SAMMIE ARDITO RIVERA (Leech Lake and White Earth Ojibwe) is a member of the Midwest Farmers of Color Collective coordinating team. She also operates Sin Frontera Food and Farm with her family and is senior project director for Marnita’s Table.

MICHAEL CHANEY is an activist, youth advocate, organizer, and cultural artist. He is a co-founder and serves on the coordinating team of Midwest Farmers of Color Collective and is also co-founder of Project Sweetie Pie and a leader in the growing “green movement” in North Minneapolis.

GROWING LIBERATION is a podcast from Midwest Farmers of Color Collective, a collective of Black Indigenous farmers of color centered on racial justice and the development of food and farming systems that honor our communities past, present, and future. Learn more at: https://midwestfarmersofcolor.org/.

MFCC would like to acknowledge all of the original founders of the Midwest Farmers of Color Collective: Vera F. Allen, Hindolo Pokawa, Zoe Hollomon, Michael Chaney, and Sophia Benrud.

EPISODE 1 CREDITS:

Creator: Midwest Farmers of Color Collective with Real Food Media

Co-producer/host: Sammie Ardito Rivera, MFCC/Sin Fronteras Farm & Food

Co-producer/guest: Michael Chaney, MFCC/Project Sweetie Pie

Audio editor: Jaime Roque

Executive producer: Tanya Kerssen, Real Food Media

Theme music: “Our Past Lives” by Moonfly

SHOW NOTES:

2:25 | What it means to be a movement elder

3:05 | The origins of Project Sweetie Pie

5:10 | Michael’s history of organizing in the 1980s and 90s

6:31 | Michael’s earliest memories of food and farming

7:45 | Michael: “How will I survive the apocalypse?”

9:50 | Sammie on coming of age in the Indigenous environmental movement

10:20 | The pandemic as a wake up call.

10:33 | Michael on how food is a pivotal point for all of us to organize around

11:25 | The origin story of the Midwest Farmers of Color Collective

14:00 | Organizing with Clyde Bellecourt to close Snyder’s Liquor Store

15:34 | Sammie on the American Indian Movement & influences of the Black Panther Party

17:09 | Michael, “It’s not just about a broken food system, it’s about broken communities.”

18:18 | Sammie on communal values and using food as an organizing tool.

19:00 | MFCC programs to give voice to farmers of color

20:08 | On meeting with legislators in DC to share the concerns of farmers of color

21:20 | Sustainable family farming vs. large-scale factory farm model

22:22 | Sammie on land access

23:25 | Equity and inclusion as stated policy priorities for the Biden administration

25:51 | Michael: “If we’re going to grow a sustainable food system, a sustainable planet, we need all hands on deck.”

DIG DEEPER:

Meet Project Sweetie Pie, MPR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le05GPxDv-Y

James Lileks, “Johnny Appleseed of north Minneapolis grows gardens, inspires kids,” Star Tribune 2016, https://www.startribune.com/johnny-appleseed-of-north-minneapolis-grows-gardens-inspires-kids/393618481/

Anya Crittenton, “Project Sweetie Pie,” Green American Magazine, https://www.greenamerica.org/soilsuperheroes/PSP

Tom Weber, “In Mpls, advocates set to fight for North High's survival,” MPR 2010, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2010/10/12/minneapolis-north-high-school-closing

“Close the Liquor Store” Documentary from 1991 about efforts by neighbors and AIM to close down Snyder's Liquor store in the Phillips Neighborhood. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXKiDCSbtJo (Michael Chaney appears at minute 4:28)

Clyde Bellecourt, “Storied 1968: American Indian Movement,” https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=5353798844646482