Knowledge Holders

Alex Patrick Dyck

they/them

  • Alex Patrick Dyck is an interdisciplinary artist, poet, frog man, storyteller, performer & medicine maker; a romantic hoarder of sentimental trash and trampled roses, an altar builder, memory gatherer, a seeker seeking. They see art-making as resistance and as play: in all manners, an act of devotion. They live, work and grow in Hudson, New York on occupied Munsee-Lenape and Mohican land.

  • There is so much divine magic in the natural world that surrounds us, a beautiful way to reverence this magic is to build altars for and with the plant spirits. Through slideshow and discussion we will explore uses of nature and wild materials in cultural, spiritual and artistic practices past and present. Along with the use of provided supplies, we will go on a plant walk to get inspired, gather wild materials and create art and/or altars that honor divine plant spirits.

  • Exploring poetic letter-writing and ways to play with communication and form. Through slideshow and discussion we will delve into the history of epistolary poetry and its uses in visual art and writing both past and present. Letter-writing is a powerful tool for connection and resistance as well as a way for us to bridge personal and collective desire and grief. Using an array of provided materials, techniques and interactive writing exercises we will create multimedia pieces of epistolary art and poetry.

Amara Ullauri

they/them/elle

  • Amara is a queer and trans student of seeds, pollinators and the moon. Their roots stretch all the way to the Andean highlands and now grow along the Mahicantuk river. Amara is the Ecosystem Steward at Ayni Herb Farm, a Queer, Trans and BIPOC led herb farm growing culinary and medicinal herbs that sustain ecological abundance and nourish collective liberation.

  • In this immersive experience, we will introduce ourselves to plants that embody the medicine of heart-centered communication, collaboration and cooperation. We will learn about a selection of herbs that have been traditionally known for their abilities to promote harmony, understanding, and cooperation among individuals, and will create herbal medicines together that can be used as tools for team bonding and personal growth.

    This workshop is perfect for farm teams looking to strengthen their bonds, enhance communication, and create a nurturing and harmonious work environment. Whether you're new to herbalism or have some experience, this workshop offers insights and practical tools that can be applied to your farm team's daily life.

  • Let’s play together! This is a space to explore interactive games that can be woven into our day-to-day farm life to introduce levity and play. These games can be used as team building exercises with your team or ice-breakers with visitors or volunteers! We’ll bring our favorite farm games and you bring yours!

Danielle Peláez

she/they || ella/elle

  • Danielle is a daughter, partner, farmer, educator, and land steward, based just outside of Troy. Danielle dreams of serving her community through connection to the soil. Her experiences in harm reduction, education, and community garden spaces in Washington DC and Baltimore, as well as her strong roots in Guatemala, all deeply inform her work. She loves being outside in all forms (gardening, hiking, camping, napping in hammocks) and sharing meals with friends.

  • Goats, chickens, and fruit trees can be raised together in a system called silvopasture that captures carbon, self-fertilizes, and manages pests. Soul Fire Farmers Danielle, Maya, and Leah will share what we have learned integrating livestock into our 4-acre orchard. We will cover orchard care, stocking rates, fence rotations, parasite management, and more. In the spirit of "each one teach one" we will ask participants to share their own experience and knowledge.

Dishaun Harris

he/him

  • Dishaun Harris is an urban farmer in New Haven, CT with more than 13 years of experience growing food and educating community members on growing food for themselves. He was born and raised in the city that his business serves & strongly believes that all people should have sovereignty over their food systems, because that leads to greater sovereignty over their lives! In 2018, Dishaun decided to start his own culturally relevant agriculture business that specifically targeted the Black & Brown communities in his city. He founded Root Life LLC which focuses on community upliftment & empowerment through urban farming, urban farm training, food justice education, agritourism, food aid efforts & community focused health events.

    Dishaun currently serves on the Black Farmer Fund Investment Committee, National Young Farmers Coalition's 'Cultivemos' Mental Health Farmer Advisory Board & is also a founding steering committee member of the newly established Liberated Land Cooperative.

  • In our time together, we’ll walk the surrounding areas to identify local edible and medicinal plants to forage. We will learn the basics of foraging safely, using field guides and technology for proper identification and discover the abundance all around us!

  • In this workshop, we will view a presentation on a currently successful Urban Agriculture business, Root Life LLC, and discuss how the company utilizes multiple streams of revenue, from a relatively small farm space, to generate profits.

Freedom Gerardo

he/him

  • Freedom Gerardo, co-founded SEAmarron Farmstead and E&G Community Builders. He built these two businesses with one thing in mind: building people's power in BIPOC communities. Hector has dedicated his life to organizing youth, teaching them about power – the power they have individually and as a collective – and the power and potential of their communities. Throughout his career, food insecurity has been the preeminent issue to tackle. Héctor is now building a multi-layered, long-term agenda to end food insecurity by farming and organizing communities to build power and reimagining a new food system centered around justice and equity.

  • In this workshop, we will learn all things Hemp. Hemp (Cannabis sativa, chemotypes II, III and IV) has been cultivated by humans for over 50,000 years for thousands of uses. Hemp cultivars have been bred for high seed(superfood), hurd, and fiber production - providing for many human uses, including nutrition, clothing, building materials, rope, and netting. Hemp hurd and lime concrete (hempcrete) is a long-lasting (over 900 year old structures are still in use today) and carbon-negative structural building material. Hemp textiles, rope, and netting has been used for thousands of years and were a required crop in the early United States. More recently, hemp oils have been adapted for use as fuels and feedstocks for chemical manufacturing and replacements for plastics. Shifting cultural and legal acceptance of hemp in the United States and globally, is part of a global revolution in shifting to a green and circular economy - whereby land-based products and resources are cycled through numerous interdependent economic sectors - equitably adding value to an ecosystem of human enterprises and co-produced flourishing landscapes. In our time together, we will discuss the resurgence of hemp as a sustain material for clothing, construction, and consumer products, and the social and environmental benefits of Hemp.

    This region's climate is conducive to hemp production, which, if properly cultivated, is a regenerative crop that can rebuild soil nutrients and health.

  • Dive into a condensed yet impactful 90-minute workshop designed exclusively for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) farmers. "Growing Soils" is a dynamic session that equips BIPOC farmers with the composting knowledge to enhance soil health. And we will guide participants in the importance of creating their own compost space, empowering them to embrace sustainable agricultural practices.

Hana' Maaiah

she/her/they

  • Peace! My name is Hana’ Maaiah (she/her/all pronouns), and I am serving as the Food Systems Manager. I am a queer Palestinian-Jordanian farmer, educator, friend, organizer and nature lover. As a nature-nerd, I study environmental science and environmental agriculture, and am in love with farmings’ intersections of energy, climate, race, politics and spirituality. I believe that regenerative communal food is a way to heal our planet, ourselves, and each other while sharing food, remaining curious, and form strong alternative communities. When I am not farming, you can find me in the woods, by a river, and literally hugging trees.

  • Bees are our ancestors, pre-dating human existence on the Earth by tens of millions of years. When we host bees on land, they teach us about communal living, positive environmental impacts, and how to dance and make sweet treats. The goal of this workshop is to make bee keeping as possible as possible, so by the end of it, you will know how to manage your very own backyard hive! In this hands on workshop, we will:

    • Learn about the history of bees

    • Understand honey bee biology

    • Discover pests and diseases that impact the hive

    • Learn where and how to install a backyard hive, plus how to connect with a bee mentor

    • Explore how to source bees, hive materials, beekeeping equipment and other related start up costs

    • Be introduced to the honey extraction process

Khadija Khansia

they/she

  • khadija is a queer gujarati-muslim land tender and community medicine maker. they are growing towards a dream alongside Amara and the plantcestors at Ayni Herb Farm. together, they are reconnecting people to plants and alchemizing medicine grounded in care and reverence.

  • In this immersive experience, we will introduce ourselves to plants that embody the medicine of heart-centered communication, collaboration and cooperation. We will learn about a selection of herbs that have been traditionally known for their abilities to promote harmony, understanding, and cooperation among individuals, and will create herbal medicines together that can be used as tools for team bonding and personal growth.

    This workshop is perfect for farm teams looking to strengthen their bonds, enhance communication, and create a nurturing and harmonious work environment. Whether you're new to herbalism or have some experience, this workshop offers insights and practical tools that can be applied to your farm team's daily life.

  • Let’s play together! This is a space to explore interactive games that can be woven into our day-to-day farm life to introduce levity and play. These games can be used as team building exercises with your team or ice-breakers with visitors or volunteers! We’ll bring our favorite farm games and you bring yours!

Leah Penniman

all pronouns

  • Leah is a Black Kreyol farmer, mother, soil nerd, author, and food justice activist from Soul Fire Farm in Grafton, NY. She co-founded Soul Fire Farm in 2010 with the mission to end racism in the food system and reclaim our ancestral connection to land. As Co-ED and Farm Director, Leah is part of a team that facilitates powerful food sovereignty programs – including farmer training for Black & Brown people, a subsidized farm food distribution program for communities living under food apartheid, and domestic and international organizing toward equity in the food system.

    Leah has been farming since 1996, holds an MA in Science Education and a BA in Environmental Science and International Development from Clark University, and is a member of clergy in West African Indigenous Orisa tradition. Leah trained at Many Hands Organic Farm, Farm School MA, and internationally with farmers in Ghana, Haiti, and Mexico. She also served as a high school biology and environmental science teacher for 17 years.

    The work of Leah and Soul Fire Farm has been recognized by the Soros Racial Justice Fellowship, Fulbright Program, Pritzker Environmental Genius Award, Grist 50, and James Beard Leadership Award, among others. Her books, Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land (2018) and Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists (2023) are love songs for the land and her people.

  • Goats, chickens, and fruit trees can be raised together in a system called silvopasture that captures carbon, self-fertilizes, and manages pests. Soul Fire Farmers Danielle, Maya, and Leah will share what we have learned integrating livestock into our 4-acre orchard. We will cover orchard care, stocking rates, fence rotations, parasite management, and more. In the spirit of "each one teach one" we will ask participants to share their own experience and knowledge.

Maya Hector

she/her

  • My name is Maya and I am a first-generation, Caribbean-American born and raised in The Bronx. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had an interest for the Earth and her relationship to all life. And after nurturing that interest through activities such as: studying animal medicine at university, growing my own herbs and vegetables in my backyard, and living a more holistic life, I realized that I had laid the path to my purpose.

    I believe that to be born human, comes with an obligation to defend and protect the Earth and her natural resources and to educate others of her value, not only to humans but to all living beings. In my spare time I enjoy language learning, (Spanish and my native language Kreyol), being a handy-woman and traveling. My hope for the future is to build community that can live in synergy with our only physical home.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.

Michael Del Rio

they/them

  • Michael is a farmer, Teacher, Land Steward, Earth & Water protector, and Community Mushrooms Educator. Forever a student of Mother Earth and people, and love to share the gifts that were passed onto them.

  • In this hands-on workshop, we will learn in theory and practice how to cultivate Shiitake Mushrooms on hardwood logs, from Inoculation to harvest. We will also discuss how to make powerful shiitake medicine in the form of a tincture, from our harvests.

Rishona (Rishi) Hines

she/they

  • Rishi is an Afro-Indigenous land steward, medicine steward, environmental justice advocate and entrepreneur. Guided by her multi-racial ancestry she has journeyed throughout the Global South; from North Carolina to New Orleans through; Latin and South America to Africa to connect the Diaspora through arts and culture, agricultural practices, and land based ceremony and ritual. Rishi has utilized Afro-diasporic dance as a way to share her uniqueness, connect authentically with community, and learn the stories and songs of her ancestors.

    Rishi credits the Indigenous communities from around the world and infuses her knowledge of the forest, the medicines from Global South, and how our innate connection to land is our greatest gift. Rishi is passionate about mycology, perennial food forests, documenting Afro-Indigenous legacies in agriculture, and building full-circle agricultural solutions in community.

  • Explore the roots of somatic therapy through an African Diaspora lens. Learn basic foundation of African dance through ethnomusicology. Every BODY is welcome and invited on this journey. Rishi will guide us through an active warm-up based in Afro-Caribbean technique, building heat and releasing stagnancy through explorative somatic dance and African dance technique, and exploring community learning and engagement through relational dance experiences. We will explore dances from Congo, Angola, Mali, Brazil, Haiti and Jamaica, giving substance to our dance as prayers to ourselves, our past and future ancestors and to the earth we commune with.

Sabrina Beydoun

she/they

  • Sabrina Beydoun is a chef and storyteller of the Lebanese diaspora. Her work explores themes of interdependence, traditions liberated from colonial influence, and gathering as a tactic of both resilience and resistance. Her food honors the culinary wisdom of the Levant, while using cooking as a bridge for ancestral remembrance.

  • In this hands-on workshop, we will cook a few recipes from the Levant including grape leaves, and "mouneh" or local preserves of the region. Together, we'll explore how using our hands alongside others to transform harvests from our ancestral lands can be a bridge into remembering our own cultures.

  • In this hands-on workshop, we'll go through the practical skills of selecting and maintaining a good knife, as well as practice our chopping skills. We will make and enjoy a traditional Palestinian salad as a way to learn these skills together.

Sabina Cecilia Ajcot Sosof

she/her

  • Sabina Cecilia Ajcot Sosof was born on October 27, 1992 in the town of San Lucas Tolimán, Sololá in Guatemala, she belongs to the Maya Kaqchikel People. In the year 2017, after graduating as a teacher of intercultural bilingual education she decided to join an Organization that works terms of Mesoamerican Permaculture and its Ancestral knowledge, she realized that it is a career she wanted to pursue for her professional and personal life, her focus is to learn and teach.

    She dedicated herself to learn at the University Social Sciences, now she teaches about the Resistance of Indigenous Peoples in an integral way, she also studied a degree in Educational Administration, to better understand education and now does educational programs with topics of permaculture, agroecology and self sustainability, now she teaches in Guatemala and to people who request it and who want to make a different life change, not only for individuals and communities but for mother earth as well.

    Today, she is taking the education of self-sustainable ancestral knowledge to different spaces to create life strategies for everyone based on food sovereignty.

  • In this knowledge share, we will talk about the rights of Indigenous peoples to consume their own products both nationally and personally, and discuss the necessary resources that must be taken into account for a vision of production, as well engage in dialogue about climate change, its cause and effect, and the health of the ecosystem (Mesoamerican blanket and its history).

    Through lecture and demonstration, we will learn about the conservation of different nutritional foods through various cultural techniques and community work, and discuss the optimal nutrition for human beings.

  • In this introduction to Traditional Mayan Medicine, we’ll explore what is the Mayan Cosmovision and the connection it has with traditional medicine. Through natural medicine based on Mayan ancestral knowledge, we will learn about the various energies of the human being and the cosmos, and begin to learn how to identify our personalities in relation to the cosmos and how to be in harmony with the environment.

    We will learn techniques that help the body to eliminate or alleviate different pains and diseases that occur regularly in daily life, such as: situations of stress, fright, eye (strong energy in children), and will identify different areas in the body that we must work and heal through herbs, syrups, and lung treatments.

Sav Thomas

they/them

  • Sav Thomas is a landworker, herbalist, fiber artist, and spiritual toolmaker who preserves traditional Afro-indigenous skills and crafts. They live, grow, and make in central vermont on unceded Abenaki homelands. Taproot Goods is their prayer to mama earth that colonized people are touched by their creations and are inspired to connect to the land and their ancestors in a liberated way.

  • Most of us use brooms to sweep our floors and knock down cobwebs, but in the Hoodoo tradition, brooms are so much more. Hoodoo practitioners use brooms for spiritual cleansing, bringing in good luck, and more. And while we love our brooms, few of us know how to make them ourselves.

    This workshop will guide participants through the process of weaving their own hand brooms and participants will leave with tips on how to use their brooms as an old school spiritual tool.

  • Do you knit, crochet, weave, spin, hand sew, or some other amazing fiber craft? Bring your preferred craft and join other fiber lovers for a fiber crafting session. This is a space to ask other crafters and artists about their mediums, share about your own, or just craft and vibe!

Taganyahu Swaby

he/him/they

  • Taganyahu Swaby practices Eastern Medicine and is a licensed acupuncturist born in Kingston, Jamaica. He has trained in the internal martial arts for fifteen years and applies the principles of qi in his healing arts practice at Yaad Wellness, which he founded in Catskill, NY. Tagan has held teaching and practitioner positions at institutions in New York and abroad, among them the Brooklyn Zen Center, the Lineage Project, MINKA Brooklyn, Lefferts Community Acupuncture, the New Earth Mystery School, and Bard College. Tagan is also a Professor of Capoeira Angola, an Afro-Brazilian martial art and dance that has enriched his life for decades through song, instrument playing, movement, and connection to community, ancestors, and spirit.

  • In this knowledge share we will practice qi gong together. Qi gong is an ancient technology to ground us into the earth and align with the heavens above us. We will explore our inner awareness by listening and tuning into the signals that are bodies are transmitting. Through movement and an engagement with the breath, we will work to break down our perceived separation from ourselves and our environment. Through this practice we will experience our interconnection to the plant kingdom—rooted in the earth and growing upright to the skies.

  • Capoeira Angola is an Afro-Brazilian liberatory art form that teaches us how to place our hands onto the earth. In this class we will explore with how the earth holds us up and our connection to the vehicle that we inhabit this world in. Within the African matrix our ancestors reside in the earth. And their blood runs through our veins informing our perception of our bodies and the world.

    We will experiment with placing our palms on the floor to see what we can sense touching the ground. Through playful interaction and consent, we will learn to play the game of Capoeira together to try to break down some of the programming that has held us captive in our bodies. Our bodies have known movement that isn’t limited to societal norms. Within this workshop we will work on liberating ourselves back to the movements of our ancestors.

Tomia MacQueen

she/her

  • Born and raised in Detroit, Tomia MacQueen is an Educator (BA) of 20 years, Farmer and Master Gardener specializing in edible gardens. She is the owner of Wildflower Farm in New Jersey and the founder of Dance for LIFE (Love, Inspiration, Faith and Empowerment) and Gardening for LIFE. and has been in Dance Ministry for over 14 years. A food and sustainability advocate, she serves on a number of organizational boards but spends most of her time teaching self-sustainability and community sustainability classes on Farm.

  • Most of the time farming is represented as either euphoric and ideal or as absolute, thankless drudgery. This workshop is about the reality of the middle ground and all of the little, and not so little, things that no one actually tells you about country life. From the funny and the beautiful moments to the life altering and dangerous times and all of the funky, quirky wonderfulness in between, farm life has it all. Are you ready?

    This workshop covers the basics of looking for land and funding your farm, and the all important prospect of finding the right community as a person of color., but will also go more in-depth about preparing for day to day country life,.. such as what to bring with you and what not to bother packing up (yep, just sell it LOL), what to setup first, the chicken coop or the garden, how to save yourself and your family a ton of money and heartache and why your kids will likely love you and hate you at the same time for moving them into the country. Come ready to take notes in this information packed workshop.

  • This workshop will equip you with all of the basic information that you need to know to start, grow, and care for your flocks. Including, how to choose the right breeds, How to find healthy birds, what to do before you bring them home, how to choose the right coop for your family, how to identify and treat common illnesses, introduce your birds to your pets and children, egg hatching (natural vs incubator) and more.

Yura Sapi

they/them

  • Yura Sapi (they/them) is a visionary leader, creative activist, and interdisciplinary artist dedicated to co-creating joyful and abundant futures in harmony with each other and Mother Earth. Yura is Indigenous Kichwa, with Ecuadorian and Colombian citizenship and a lifelong connection to their birthplace on Manahatta island.

    Embracing their Kichwa name, Yura embodies strong roots and a profound connection to trees and plants. Guided by deeply-held personal values and an intimate relationship with the Earth, Moon cycles, and the Sun, Yura's work as a farmer is rooted in global Indigenous wisdom. As a Freedom Meditation teacher, Reiki practitioner and Dharma/ Soul Purpose coach, their work reflects a deep commitment to promoting collective liberation and advancing the cause of healing as true justice.

  • Step into a world where plants talk to you sharing their wisdom with answers to your deepest questions…

    Join us for New Earth School: Plant Wisdom Transmissions to learn how to communicate with plants. Rediscover your role as a creator and steward of Mother Earth.No matter who we are, we as humans are stewards of Mother Earth and it’s time to remember our power in bringing to life our liberated future.

    We are beings entrusted with the responsibility of nurturing our planet. New Earth Bodies is your opportunity to reconnect with the natural world and explore the profound connection between humans and plants. Join this immersive experience where you’ll learn the ancient arts of communicating with plants through a series of hands-on activities, guided meditations and interactive discussions. Unlock these sacred codes, journey to self-discovery and re-awaken your connection to the Earth. We are birthing the rEvolution towards a liberated and harmonious future. Are you ready? New Earth School awaits you.Join us to sow the seeds of transformation together.

Christine Hutchinson

she/her

  • Christine is a veteran teacher and active community member in Newburgh, NY as well as a visionary leader and co-director of the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust (NEFOC), where she passionately advocates for food and land sovereignty. With a profound commitment to justice and equity, Christine leads the Black Land Stewardship Cultivation Program, a transformative initiative focused on supporting Black farmers in the Northeast. Her passion extends to being a Board Member of Black Farmers United of NYS and directing Our Core, Inc., a hyperlocal organization that empowers marginalized teens. Christine's leadership in projects that aim to increase access to land, capital and training for Black and BIPOC farmers and future-farmers in the region, showcases her commitment to a sustainable agricultural future. Through her strategic vision, Christine is not just cultivating crops but also fostering a resilient and empowered community of farmers who honor the land and its diverse stewards.

  • In this workshop, we’ll explore organic growing and certification. What does it take? What does it cost? What supports exist? Is it worth it for me? Make an informed decision about whether organic practices or certifications are the best choice for you.