91±¬ÁÏ

The Earthseed Speaker and Skillshare honoring at 91±¬ÁÏ is an inspiring, accessible, and engaging event that brings experts from a variety of fields and experiences who provide unique insights into overcoming local and global challenges. Earthseed recognizes that imagining a better world and taking action requires the equitable inclusion of diverse voices and the sharing of deep-rooted wisdom and skills often ignored by broader society. Each session allows attendees to connect with speakers and probe deeper into specific areas of interest, fostering a collaborative environment that invites meaningful dialogue and interaction. The event aims to cultivate a community of learners, equipping them with insights and hard skills to enable us to adapt to inevitable change by making big ideas accessible, bridging knowledge gaps and providing attendees with actionable insights that can empower them both personally and as members of the greater community.

Earthseed Speaker events are open to students, staff, faculty, alumni, OLLI members and the public. The Skillshare is offered to students first as participation is limited to eight to 15 participants for hands-on learning, depending on the topic and modality.

Spring 2025 Earthseed Speaker: Leah Penniman
Thursday, April 10, 2025

Leah Penniman (all pronouns) is a Black Kreyol farmer, mother, soil nerd, author and food justice activist from Soul Fire Farm (SFF) in Grafton, NY. She co-founded SFF in 2010 with the mission to end racism in the food system and reclaim our ancestral connection to land. 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.

Lecture: Some of our most cherished sustainable farming practices — from organic agriculture to the CSA — have roots in African wisdom. Yet, discrimination and violence have deprived the Black community of farmland, capital, and healthy food access. Soul Fire Farm is part of a national network working toward food sovereignty and land justice. Learn how we can build upon Afro-Indigenous wisdom in reshaping the food system to be based on equity and abundance rather than exploitation and deprivation.

Dialogue: How can each of us be part of the movement for food sovereignty and help build a food system based on justice, dignity, and abundance for all members of our community? Building on Octavia Butler’s Earthseed vision, this dialogue will explore the world we can create together in the face of societal collapse.