Fennigan's Farms: A Farm That's Inspiring Black Women, Femme & Queer Farmers To Continue The Revolutionary Legacy Of Food Justice
Fennigan’s Farms is a Black family founded farm that’s building backyard/community gardens, greenhouses, farmstands, and markets for food sovereignty and those living in the margins.
Check out the interview:
When and why did you start Fennigan's Farms?
We started Fennigan’s Farms in October of 2019. We believe that everyone everywhere should be able to feed themselves in dignity and with consistent access to healthy food. Our backgrounds are in STEM and Agriculture, and we began this as a way to support those whose mission it is to put food on plates. We design and build grow spaces (Gardens and greenhouses) and markets, and offer consultation on how to start your own CSA or sustainable food program. We are in the crowdfunding stage right now for our own land to farm for our community.
Image courtesy of Fennigan’s Farms, Claire & Amanda
How do you define sustainability?
We define it as ecological balance. It’s not just maintaining something, it’s holding it within the balance of the system. You can’t escape being in an ecosystem, you can't avoid taking from it or giving to it. What you can do is take with permission and give back in abundance.
Is there an ancestral/ historical relevance tied to your work as a farmer?
Image courtesy of Fennigan’s Farms, Amanda
Our grandparents were the first generation of City dwellers (Detroit) in our bloodline. Their parents were all farmers down south in Georgia with a lot of land. On both sides, they used a portion of their land to grow just for the community. During the Jim Crow South, it was necessary for Black Farmers who weren’t sharecroppers to provide in that way. They didn’t have a landlord dictating how much they grew, and thus they were able to grow for their respective communities (Macon and Sandersville). They were eventually cheated out of their land and so us coming back to that now 2 generations later is a way for us to pay homage to them while also filling bellies in our community.
What has been the greatest challenge so far in starting and maintaining your farm?
Right now we maintain gardens while we save up for our land. That can be difficult mostly due to the changing weather patterns. Because we support others in the starting of their farms, gardens, and greenhouses, it’s like starting a farm a month. A lot of work goes into it, especially because every community is different, and everyone is at a different level in terms of what they feel they are capable of.
Image courtesy of Fennigan’s Farms, Claire
What's the greatest reward?
The impact. We know that every time we do this, another community gets closer to a resource that they need and designed. The differences in each community make it exciting too. Everything is tailored, so we get to watch and see which cultural aspects are brought forward and preserved in each space.
On your IG - you are sharing a lot of information that's education your community - why was this important?
It’s important because some don’t know how deep this goes. Food insecurity touches land ownership, accessibility, race, labor laws, class…the list goes on. The separation of food from people based on arbitrary guidelines has gone on long enough. People are catching on and we want to be there on the other side like “ Now that you know, HERE is what we can do about it, together. Here are the changes that need to be made and here is how we can support you.”
(A Quote from both Amanda and Claire on the importance of Black female/women/femme farmers)
Our greatest honor in this journey has been the connections to Black women/femme farmers all over. The movement towards nurturing ourselves and mama Earth and finding this balance has really been pushed forward by these women. Black women and Queer Black women have been leaders in the revolution for a long time, and this is no exception.
Image courtesy of Fennigan’s Farms, Amanda