Celebrating Agraria’s first Regenerative Farmer Fellowship
A regenerative pest control workshop at Fellow Kenisha Robinson’s growing site, Nourganic Life Farm as part of the inaugural Regenerative Farmer Fellowship at Agraria. (Photo by Dennie Eagleson)
By Kat Christen, 2021 RFF Coordinator, and Kenisha Robinson, 2021 RFF Program Assistant
After 25 weeks of trainings, farm work and farm tours, Agraria’s first RFF came to a close in October 2021. Piloted as a program to support a small group of regional BIPOC growers, the first Fellowship included six women, mostly women of color, from Trotwood, Dayton and Springfield, Ohio. Fifty years of age separated the youngest from the oldest participant, intergenerational learning that helped the program be such a success in its first year.
Also key to success was the generosity of local regenerative farmers, who shared their knowledge, successes, and challenges, as we toured their farms. Participants witnessed first-hand the finer details of a working farm such as various tomato trellising systems, seed nursery set ups, composting systems, and harvest station set ups.
During the program, we also visited participant’s growing sites, most in the beginning stages, to host workshops and observe each Fellow’s progress. Fellows had varied growing sites they tended outside of weekly trainings, including rural farmland, urban gardens and spaces associated with nonprofit organizations.
A Farm Fellow examining soil structure of healthy potting mix for seed starting. (Photo by Dennie Eagleson)
One Farmer Fellow, Kenisha Robinson, served as both a participant and Program Assistant for the Regenerative Farmer Fellowship. Kenisha grew produce on a small plot on her family’s farmland in Trotwood, OH, where she had been growing for the last 2 years. She also helped plan and facilitate weekly workshops and provided overall support of the program.
Another Farmer Fellow, Trinity Hoskins, grew flowers in South Springfield, OH, at Melrose Acres, a 7-acre urban property being developed as an Urban Farm by Springfield Ohio Urban Plantfolk (SOUP).
The small size of the first cohort allowed for both a responsive curriculum- one adjusted to the interests of the participants in real time- as well as an intimately bonded group.
Participants in this program are continuing their connection outside the Fellowship with each other and Agraria. Three of the Fellows, for example, presented at the Black Farmers Conference in September, and all plan to participate or lead monthly Skill Shares this winter.
Agraria will open applications this winter for the 2022 Regenerative Farmer Fellowship.
Fellows plant a garden at the Edgement Solar Gardens in Dayton.