In Farming While Black, Leah Penniman has gifted us a valuable and inspiring resource. Like the story she tells of the origins of Soul Fire Farm, she envelops us in plant knowledge, food history and the independence African-Americans gain when we take charge of our own food past and present. At Soul Fire Farm, author Leah Penniman co-created the Black and Latinx Farmers Immersion (BLFI) program as an incubator for new farmers to share growing skills in a culturally relevant and supportive environment. Penniman uplifts with the wisdom of the African diasporic farmers and activists whose work informs the techniques described―from farm planning, soil fertility, seed selection, and ecology, to using whole foods in culturally appropriate recipes, sharing stories of ancestors, and tools for healing from the trauma associated with slavery and economic exploitation on the land.
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