Farming is more than a livelihood — it’s a form of resistance, resilience, and renewal.

The award-winning FARMING WHILE BLACK follows a new generation of young farmers working to reclaim their connection and access to land and leading the way in sustainable agriculture. After the screening, join us for a panel and community dialogue on the topic of young farmers and land access.

Saturday, November 8, 1:00pm-3:00pm, Shambhala Hall (Selkirk College), Nelson, BC, MAP

THE FILM

Farming While Black

(2023, USA, 75min)

Farming While Black examines the historical plight of Black farmers in the United States and the rising generation reclaiming their rightful ownership to land and reconnecting with their ancestral roots. As the co-founder of Soul Fire Farm in upstate New York, Leah Penniman finds strength in the deep historical knowledge of African agrarianism – agricultural practices that can heal people and the planet. Influenced and inspired by Karen Washington, a pioneer in urban community gardens in New York City, and fellow farmer and organizer Blain Snipstal, Leah galvanizes around farming as the basis of revolutionary justice.

In 1910, Black farmers owned 14 percent of all American farmland. Over the intervening decades, that number fell below 2 percent, the result of racism, discrimination, and dispossession. The film chronicles Penniman and two other Black farmers’ efforts to reclaim their agricultural heritage. Collectively, their work has a major impact, as each is a leader in sustainable agriculture and food justice movements.

Director: Mark Decena / Executive Producer: Kontent Films / Producer: Liz Lupino Decena

AWARDS: Won Best of the Fest and the John de Graaf Environmental Award at Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2024.

Young Farmers and Land-Access Dialogue

Mel Weston – Clutch Farm

Aya Ono – onosanchinoco

Matthew Carr – Linden Lane Farms