As it becomes clearer and clearer to many that the current system of industrial agriculture is failing both our communities and the environment, brave and innovative leaders are taking matters into their own hands. From restoring and maintaining traditional Alaskan fisheries in Arctic waters to training the next generation of holistic land managers in the high deserts of the Southwest to radical urban farming and political education projects in Berkeley and Oakland, transformative food systems projects are burgeoning around the country. While the scale of these projects ranges from engaging ranchers across the entire western U.S., collectively responsible for managing millions of acres to a one-acre plot between busy urban streets, the impetus behind them is similar: a profound desire to take action in support of a food system that works for all. 

Read on to explore initiatives championing food sovereignty and economic equity in BIPOC communities and how a coalition of ranchers, farmers and conservationists are fostering resilient working lands. 

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Young Leaders Champion Food Sovereignty and Economic Equity in BIPOC Communities

BIPOC communities, from the Arctic to Oakland, face systemic economic and social marginalization, denying them basic needs like food security, healthcare, housing, and education. Inspired by movements like the Black Panthers and ancestral Indigenous knowledge, young leaders are advancing food sovereignty, economic equity, and cultural revival. This conversation features two such leaders making tangible differences in their communities. Deenaalee Hodgdon is the executive director of On the Land Media, which elevates Indigenous voices, and co-founder of The Smokehouse Collective. ab banks is an urban farmer and garden lead for People’s Programs at UC Berkeley, supporting food autonomy and wellness for the East Bay Black community.

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How a Coalition of Ranchers, Farmers and Conservationists Foster Resilient Working Lands

Sarah Wentzel-Fisher grew up in the Black Hills of western South Dakota, in and around the small town of Custer. That Custer State Park was essentially her backyard and a National Grassland also nearby was extremely formative for her. “I was outside every single day,” she says. “…There was so much to take in all of the time.” In some ways, it seems her life has always been about the land. Now, Wentzel-Fisher, a farmer herself, serves on the boards of the Southwest Grass-fed Livestock Alliance, the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, and is the Executive Director of Santa Fe, New Mexico-based nonprofit The Quivira Coalition. The Quivira Coalition seeks to build soil, biodiversity, and resilience on western working lands. Wentzel-Fisher discussed the Coalition and its work toward resilient and regenerative agriculture in an interview with Bioneers.

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New Agrarian Program: Supporting apprenticeship and mentorship in agriculture

The Quivira Coalition’s New Agrarian Program partners with skilled ranchers and farmers to offer annual apprenticeships in regenerative agriculture. Apprentices learn from expert practitioners in full-immersion professional settings. This program specifically targets first-career professionals with a sincere commitment to life at the intersection of conservation and regenerative agriculture. The program also seek mentors who are dedicated stewards of the land; practice intentional, regenerative methods of food or fiber production; provide excellent animal care; and are skilled and enthusiastic teachers. Learn more about the New Agrarian Program below and check out the Quivira Coalition’s two podcasts to listen to stories about the future of food and working lands. 

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Upcoming Bioneers Learning Courses 

We’re excited to announce that our new season of Bioneers Learning is online, and registration is open! You can register for our first-ever self-paced courses, along with courses covering topics such as the Rights of Nature movement, regenerative herbalism, and sacred activism.

• Regenerative Herbalism: The Healing Power of Plants | Sept. 18-Oct. 23 | Explore the magical realm of herbal wisdom with this 6-session online course led by renowned herbalists Penny Livingston and Rosemary Gladstar.
• “What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures” Book Club | Oct. 1-22 | The Bioneers Learning Book Club is thrilled to offer you a rare chance to delve into Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s brand new book, “What If We Get It Right?” — the highly anticipated sequel to her best-selling book, “All We Can Save.” 
• The Rights of Nature: Drafting, Adopting, and Enforcing Rights of Nature Laws in Cities, Towns, and Counties | Oct. 3-24 | This course will provide attendees a full background on the emerging “rights of nature” movement in the United States and internationally; prepare them to engage in their own communities to develop, adopt, and enforce local rights of nature laws; and address frequently asked questions.
• A Course on The Imaginal: Cultivating the Visionary Self | Oct. 12-March 16 | This course will explore and exercise our creative muscle to strengthen our visionary selves. When we encounter and encourage the wild dance of the artist within, the creative self becomes part of the visionary collective needed for these times.
• Sacred Activism: Meeting our Challenges as Gateways for Cultivating Relational Leadership | Oct. 30-Dec. 4 | Join us to explore sacred activism and relational leadership. Celebrating the learning that happens through your own lived experience and discoveries, this workshop will offer you new practices and orientations to life.
• Honoring Your Emotional Ecosystem | Nov. 12-Dec. 3 | In this four-week course, you can join author, researcher, and emotions-and-empathy expert Karla McLaren, M.Ed., for a grounded and surprising exploration of the healing genius in your emotional realm.
• The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times | Self-Paced | Discover how the Four Sacred Gifts of forgiving the unforgivable, unity, healing, and hope in action provide us with a path to our most grounded, loving, healed, and generous selves.
• Regenerative Agriculture: Nourishing the Soil, Healing the Planet | Self-Paced | Be enlightened on the practical applications and impressive potential that regenerative agriculture has to revive healthy landscapes; contribute to human and animal health; create an equitable food system; and help heal the climate.

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