February 3, 2021 - Bunkhouse Acres

Look Beyond These United States For Pictures Of Blackness

As a black woman educated outside of the great land expanse known…

bunkhouseacres

I can’t let Black History Month pass without men

I can’t let Black History Month pass without mentioning Ray Charles Goatherd. They’re a badass black woman farmer on a mission to decolonize our food system.

On a more serious note: I’m offering seeds and growing guides to BIPOC folks who are living with depression and want to reconnect with themselves through soil. Just send me a message with your zip code, and I’ll get you sorted.

Have a wonderful week!

This post is a calling-in. First things first: If

This post is a calling-in. First things first: If you have never had reason to reflect on your privilege before George Floyd's murder and are currently in an advocacy respite period until the next big news story, you are not an ally. We, marginalized humans, cannot opt-out of oppression. Privilege is your ability to navigate the world by ignoring others' experiences when they make you uncomfortable. White privilege is on full display when organizers check off a box by highlighting the same, palatable BIPOC voices, even when they have nothing meaningful to add to the conversation.

Are you worried that if you give a particular BIPOC person the mic, they will play the race card? Does it concern you that everything these days seems to be about race? Racism is not a rhetorical tool. It is pervasive in the human condition and has to be an aspect of critical analysis, which belongs in every conversation. Frankly, white allies should actively play the race card even, nay, especially when there are no BIPOC folks at the table. None of us alive today invented racism, but there are certainly folks who benefit from it. I invite you to play the race card today and forever by acknowledging and articulating how you continue to benefit from the exploitation of black and brown bodies. When you see racism, ponder it, name it, address it. Play the race card liberally.

I am still trying to build a farm from scratch and appreciate all the funds you can spare via the link in my bio or at linktr.ee/bunkhouseacres.

Danny at @queerivyart does excellent work, and they deserve a follow.

This was supposed to be a stoic selfie with the gr

This was supposed to be a stoic selfie with the grand-pup for my mom’s viewing pleasure but then Cree licked my face. Out of focus and out of control!

Decolonizing our food system is a long game. It re

Decolonizing our food system is a long game. It requires constantly challenging established norms, be they internalized or external. It is exhausting, and having to lay out the basic foundations of how justice and liberation works to people who position themselves as allies and activists only compounds that exhaustion. As an ally, can you be here for the tough conversations and actual work, not just the woo-woo kumbaya moments? Can you amplify marginalized voices that don’t seek to coddle you? Who do you think you are as an advocate? Why is there such a huge gap between your self-perception and how you’re showing up for those you claim to be fighting for?

I am sick and tired of white people performing act

I am sick and tired of white people performing activism. I was in a few spaces today that were supposed to be about justice that ended up being spaces to make excuses for not including BIPOC folks (including that white people “owned all the land first”. Yes, he said that shit.). I heard white people exchange “diversity” ideas that boiled down to further commodification of black people and their work, and was in a networking session on recovering the food system that I had to leave because it was very vapid. I can’t understand why one of the organizers sent me a very long email yesterday offering opportunities (but also not) and to invite me to the meeting today, that I had been registered to attend for weeks and explaining that they’d already decided on speakers when they learned of my work (oh, okay?). A literal waste of my time.

I’m tired of dealing with these people individually who only end up gaslighting me and not actually making any progress so I’m considering a public calling-out. I have no desire to be a palatable black voice, only an honest one. I know this might be the cause of my exclusion from many spaces but I cannot afford to diminish Shellie-Ann, certainly not to make white people comfortable.

Thank you for hearing my rant, and thanks for continuing to contribute to and share my fundraiser. We are halfway there!!!

“We declare to the world that Africa must be fre

“We declare to the world that Africa must be free, that the entire Negro race must be emancipated from industrial bondage, peonage and serfdom; we make no compromise, we make no apology in this our declaration. We do not desire to create offense on the part of other races, but we are determined that we shall be heard, that we shall be given the rights to which we are entitled.” -Marcus Garvey

We hit 10,000 followers this morning! Thank you. Last summer when I articulated the dream of Bunkhouse Acres and asked for your help in getting started, I didn’t realize the breadth of the community I would gain. I’ve faced a lot of detractors since starting the journey of transforming this piece of land into a sustainable farm but I have met many more beautiful people who are undeniably in my corner and for that I am grateful. My ambition is not destroyed, it has been nourished and aided by people like you who continue to support me.

Please keep sharing and donating to my fundraiser so we can continue the positive momentum and hit the goal by April. Thank you.

The overt racists love me on Facebook, apparently.

The overt racists love me on Facebook, apparently.

The garlic is blanketed and it’s still coming do

The garlic is blanketed and it’s still coming down. Thankfully, it’ll be consistently above freezing in the coming week. #snow #14inches

This week I formalized the momentous decision to r

This week I formalized the momentous decision to resign from my full-time job and immerse myself entirely into farming. As a proud farm owner, I am standing in the legacy of the four generations of my family that provided migrant labor on this landmass, whose hands have tilled a hard ground while battling the unease of cultural dislocation and displacement. I hope that my work can help more subjugated people come to voice and inspire the privileged to fight for equity. It will be hard work, but food is my passion, and I know that my happiness lies in nourishing others. I give thanks to the land for calling me back and to all of you for supporting my dream ever since I articulated it in July. I need to raise an additional $30,000 by April to ensure the best possible first season. Please continue to donate and share until I hit my goal. Be it $1, $10, or $100, it will help me in a significant way. Thank you.

#blackwomanfarmer #blackfarmer #blackfarmers #supportsmallbusiness #supportblackbusiness #donate #foodsovereignty #agribiodiversity #biodiversity #immigrantsmakeamericagreat #foodjustice #fundraiser #blacklivesmatter #blackfoodjustice #decolonization #shareblackstories #bipocfarmer #supportwomeninbusiness #pnwfarmer #washingtonfarmer #farmingwhileblack #farmher #tractor #masseyferguson

Pacific Northwest Black History George Washington

Pacific Northwest Black History

George Washington Bush was the first non-indigenous American settler and farmer in Washington state. In 1844, he headed west to escape racial prejudice but ended up facing exclusionary laws in Oregon that punished black land ownership with measures including public flogging. Bush and his party headed north of the Columbia River, where his family established a thriving farm in what is now known as Tumwater, Washington. In 1850 when his white neighbors were granted ownership of their land, Bush was excluded because the census listed him as “Negro”. Five years later, it took a special act of Congress to declare him “exemplary” and worthy of the 640 acres that he had spent over ten years developing. Though a veteran of the War of 1812, Bush was never granted citizenship nor the right to vote. His eldest son introduced legislation that founded the institution now known as Washington State University, a premier agricultural institution, in 1890.

#blackwomanfarmer #blackfarmer #blackfarmers #supportsmallbusiness #supportblackbusiness #donate #foodsovereignty #agribiodiversity #biodiversity #immigrantsmakeamericagreat #foodjustice #fundraiser #blacklivesmatter #blackfoodjustice #decolonization #shareblackstories #bipocfarmer #supportwomeninbusiness #pnwfarmer #washingtonfarmer #farmingwhileblack #farmher #wsu #georgebush #georgewashingtonbush

One of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to m

One of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to make has been formalized. 😭 I’ve resigned from my job in aviation and now farming is it. Full-time, year-round. I was hoping I could do both but I don’t feel comfortable commuting during a pandemic. Below are the thoughts I had upon the commencement of my corona-induced leave in May, before I even articulated the dream of Bunkhouse Acres.

——

Today I give thanks for the opportunity I’ve had to return to the land. One February morning, before anyone understood the impact that #COVID-19 would have had on our culture, I diced supermarket onions and washed some sub-par chard for a breakfast scramble. I recalled a time two years before when I would pack vegetables and eggs from my home in #Washington into a suitcase bound for Utah, where I work. I had carefully crafted a delusion that I was capable of fully existing in two places at once. As I became engulfed in my work, I did progressively less on my hobby farm until I completely halted production and gave my chickens to a neighbor- the only thing regularly smuggled southward in my suitcase was art. When I had an opportunity to take the summer off, I did not (read more at the Bunkhouse Acres Blog under “Hiatus”) #mood #excited!!

It was 25°F at 7am but we were up and at it, as a

It was 25°F at 7am but we were up and at it, as always. Getting ready for Bunkhouse Acres’ first CSA that will bring you fresh veggies from June to October. Sign up today at the link in bio, please also consider making a donation to the farm fund so we can hit our goal before the growing season gets underway. #blackwomanfarmer #blackfarmer #blackfarmers #supportsmallbusiness #supportblackbusiness #donate #foodsovereignty #agribiodiversity #biodiversity #immigrantsmakeamericagreat #foodjustice #fundraiser #blacklivesmatter #blackfoodjustice #decolonization #shareblackstories #bipocfarmer #supportwomeninbusiness #pnwfarmer #washingtonfarmer #farmingwhileblack #farmher #chickens #gallina

#Community is where it’s at! I’m in recovery f

#Community is where it’s at! I’m in recovery from major surgery but the work continues because of friends. This greenhouse will be up and covered by tomorrow. Thank you for your support. 💕 @rimolgreenhouse #BlackFarmers #BlackFarmer #Greenhouse #HighTunnel #supportsmallbusiness #supportblackbusiness #donate #foodsovereignty #agribiodiversity #biodiversity #immigrantsmakeamericagreat #foodjustice #fundraiser #blacklivesmatter #blackfoodjustice #decolonization #shareblackstories #bipocfarmer #supportwomeninbusiness #pnwfarmer #washingtonfarmer #farmingwhileblack #farmher

During the Q&A in my stories I shared a gardening

During the Q&A in my stories I shared a gardening resource that several folks have thanked me for. I’d like to mention it here for those who haven’t seen my stories. The WSU publication entitled Home Vegetable Gardening in Washington has planting charts and other useful information for PNW home gardeners. Check it out! (Photo of me giving a presentation on Gardening for Renters back in 2017)

Were you unaware that black Caribbean migrants are

Were you unaware that black Caribbean migrants are a source of farm labor in the United States? It started in the 1940s with Franklin Roosevelt’s British West India guest-worker program that hugely subsidized sugar growers in the south. The myth spread that Caribbean migrants were particularly suited to cutting cane because of some innate skill but these men (like my grandfather, father, brothers) did as they were told and excelled at this job because the threat of deportation loomed over them. They were here to do one job and if their boss wasn’t satisfied, they would be instantly deported. Americans continue to eat at the expense of black and brown bodies that exist on a spectrum between slavery and freedom, bodies that migrate northward year after year because for their survival, they have to. Familiarize yourself with this subject by reading the book No Man’s Land: Jamaican Guestworkers in America and the Global History of Deportable Labor by Cindy Hahamovitch and watching the H-2 Worker documentary.

Equipment is useful for this work but people are w

Equipment is useful for this work but people are what it’s all about. We’ve had a lot of volunteers since expressing the vision in July but now we need some full-time hands on deck. We’re hiring a farmhand for the CSA season. Apply through our Facebook page or email bunkhouse@bunkhouseacres.com

Bunkhouse Acres is a startup farm on a mission to bring nutrient-dense food to the people who need it most. As we enter our first growing season, we are looking for a motivated individual who is passionate about food and people to join our team.

Candidate's Characteristics:

- Ability and willingness to adapt to the seasonality of farm work and complete necessary tasks with or without instruction, following best practices and established procedures.
- Ability to perform intense manual labor.
- A desire for knowledge and a passion for farming and crops.
- Experience using and a willingness to learn a variety of equipment and tools.
- Self-motivation to ensure work areas, tools, vehicles and containers are kept clean and well maintained.

Requirements:
- 18 years old or older
- Must have held a previous job successfully
- Driver’s license required as there is no public transit to the farm
- Ability to lift, push, pull up to 50lbs

We are looking for people who enjoy the company of their fellow workers and volunteers, enjoy the outdoors (rain or shine) and who will apply their energies to the success of our mission. Anti-racist, humanity-centered workers will find themselves in excellent company. Compensation: $15/hour base.

Calling all locavores!!! We are hard at work getti

Calling all locavores!!! We are hard at work getting the farm ready for our first community-supported agriculture (CSA) program- the high tunnel is almost finished!! Reserve your CSA share today with a 50% deposit. 18 weeks of farm-fresh goodness will be delivered to your home for between $300 ($16/week) and $600 ($33/week) depending on household size and income. You can also donate a share to an anonymous BIPOC or low-income family of my choosing. Thank you for supporting local farms. (We deliver within Grays Harbor, Thurston and Mason Counties, and to Lakewood.) Link in bio.

The look of bewilderment when @23andme says you’

The look of bewilderment when @23andme says you’re not so white after all. #greatpyrenees #snowpuppy I love our mild winters but I’m still hoping to make some snowballs this year. #firstsnow #livestockguardiandog #farmdog #farmpuppy

I couldn’t help myself. #Bernie

I couldn’t help myself. #Bernie

#Throwback to November 2 when we got the last clov

#Throwback to November 2 when we got the last clove of garlic into the ground. Twelve (x2) hands made this work possible, several of which found their way here through an incarcerated soilmate, Lawrence Jenkins, who saw my feature on @king5seattle and shared with a bunch of friends in Olympia. What I’ve been able to do with this place so far is a strong testament to the power of #community. Keep it up, you guys and gals and friends beyond the binary.

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