On March 8th, a gathering of farmers and theologians took place at Sankofa Community Farms at Bartram’s Gardens. Executive Director Rev. Christopher Holland, Director of Operations Gene Burke, and Director of Donor Relations Rev. Ashley Rossi, met with the leadership of Sankofa Farms along with Rev. Heber Brown III, founder and National Organizer of the Black Church Food Security Network (BCFSN). Joining Rev. Brown was Rev. Carolyn C. Cavaness, pastor of Bethel AME in Ardmore.
Sankofa Farms co-directors Chris Bolden-Newsome and Ty Holmberg lead a tour of the gardens, offering prayer and meditation before entering the growing space. Alexis Wiley gave a history of traditional African growing practices such as mounding. One of the gardens contains soil taken from the Door of No Return in Ghana and hosts a bottle tree in the middle of the plantings. These are just a few of the many ways Sankofa Farms honors African and African American farming experiences.
After touring the grounds, the group gathered along with some Sankofa Farm community farming regulars for a wonderful home-cooked lunch. Many of the dishes were vegan, reflecting the desire of those present to honor their bodies and the earth. Holy Spirit-inspired conversation flowed around the idea of gathering Philadelphia’s black churches into the larger BCFSN. Rev. Brown spoke of his dream of food flowing up and down the I-95 corridor, with farmers in Pennsylvania feeding farmers in Florida and vice versa. Deep connections were made between food and the health of mind, body, spirit, and community. The day ended with the group singing “Total Praise” led by Gene Burke.
