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We hope you are enjoying this time of transformation, as autumn explodes in all her colors, and signals a time for releasing what no longer serves us. As we reflect on the harvest of the season, we are excited to share with you some of the abundance of the summer and invitations to the LAST EVENTS OF THE YEAR!
On this Equinox, we recommit to restoring balance in our world and strive for equilibrium in our hearts, justice in our hands, steadiness in our breath, and equality in our sovereignty.
With love & solidarity,
Naima, Natasha, Athena, Monti, Kavitha and Taij
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The yurt we erected this summer at WILDSEED has already been living into its purpose: through sunrise stretching and performances on the deck, to art installations and healing sessions inside. And we are super excited to share its new name!
The Oasis
~ a fertile place where water can be found ~
The Oasis at WILDSEED is a site of healing, creativity, connection, refuge and replenishment, a sanctuary for hydrating our aliveness and inspiring our dreams.
We have one more layer of wool insulation to add to the yurt before winter! During the peak of fall foliage, we will gather at the Oasis to have a closing ceremony for our current art installation followed by a lunch and collective effort to winterize the yurt. We will also share in a ritual to bless the space. We hope you can join us!
Sunday, October 27th
11:00 - 1:00 Art Exhibit Closing - words & performances by the artists
1:00 - 2:00 Farm to Table Lunch
2:00 - 4:00 Winterization - add wool insulation, take down exhibit
4:00 - 5:00 Ritual - Blessings for the Oasis
More info and RSVP here!
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Geodesic Dome Build & Hardy Kiwi Rehome
Friday, October 18, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
We are thrilled to invite you to a special community day at WILDSEED! Join us as we work together to re-home our hardy kiwi vines to a new location away from the house where they can thrive. We will build a geodesic dome which will provide the ideal environment for their long-term growth and success.
Jared and Stefanie of Future Fruits, the arborists who lovingly care for our fruit trees, will be the facilitators for this event. They are not only skilled in their craft but also wonderful teachers, making this a perfect opportunity to learn from experts while contributing to an important project.
RSVP: Please register via this form to confirm your participation by October 13
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Sweet Freedom Sorghum Event
Saturday, October 5th
Day 1: Join Sweet Freedom Farm in for a day of sorghum harvesting, seed saving, delicious sorghum infused food, and insightful discussions on our work with this resilient West African plantcestor. Register here. Organize carpool here.
Sunday, October 6th
Day 2: Join Sweet Freedom Farm in saving seed, pressing sorghum stalks and boiling down sorghum syrup in the sugar shack, followed by a shared meal. Register here. Organize carpool here.
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We Are Made Of Stardust
We Are Made of Stardust was an unforgettable weekend of love, connection, and deep presence, made even more magical by the Perseids meteor shower illuminating the night sky. We gathered as a constellation of community, creating ripples of healing through the land and sharing nourishing farm-to-table meals prepared by Chef Laurel Barkan and Seasoned Delicious Food. Together, we co-created a Chilseok community altar, basked in celestial ceremonies around the fire, and enjoyed stargazing, medicine making, and storytelling that honored our shared humanity.
A special shout out to the incredible artists who added layers of depth and wonder to the event: Taina Spicer (DJ and Visual Art), NKODIA (Music and Dance), Naima Penniman (Poetry and Visual Art), Taij Kumarie Moteelall (Spoken Word), Satya and Shakti Kublall (Music), Manauvaskar Kublall (Visual Art), and Nico Le Blanc (DJ and Visual Art). Through creativity, ritual, and love we activated our Oasis (yurt).
We are grateful to the land, the sky, and all who gathered with us, bringing their sparkle and energy to celebrate the beauty of the earth and cosmos. The joy, unity, and care we experienced will continue to echo throughout our healing village as we journey forward, deepening and growing our sacred work.
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Intergenerational Play Dates
Our third and final WILDSEED Intergenerational Play Date for the year awakened our child spirits in playful communion with nature. We painted our faces, ran through the sprinklers, and played duck-duck-goose. We strengthened our relationship with plants by going on first dates with herbs and flowers in the Mandala Medicine Garden, getting to know them by smell, touch and sight. Then we made herbal-infused honey with our sacred harvest. We joined in movement together hula hooping and playing bean-bag games, and ended our play date at the pool laughing, swimming, and floating on a giant unicorn.
Thank you Suanny, Natasha, Naima, Antonia, Vanessa, Ebony, Vanessa, Taina, for holding space for the magic that bloomed!!
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In the Well of the Senses
(a.k.a. The Well), our recent wellness retreat for women of color changemakers, was a nourishing and transformative experience. Over the course of two days, participants were enveloped in sacred space to release, renew, and reconnect with themselves, spirit, ancestors, and the land. Surrounded by the elements, they bathed in herbal waters, experienced the warmth of the sauna, and received reiki and massage treatments. We gathered around sacred fires, created a community altar, and held water rituals, creating moments of relaxation, ease, and profound stillness. Every sense was delighted as participants chose their own path, from hiking nearby trails to indulging in sound therapy and receiving intuitive coaching.
The WELL was a sanctuary for those who pour their hearts into stewarding land, social movements, and future generations. It reminded us of the power of creating sacred space for rest and respite, offering an essential pause for reflection and restoration. In these moments of stillness, women of color changemakers, who are so often at the forefront of life-giving social justice work, were held by the land and community, allowing them to return home to themselves with clarity and purpose.
The feedback from participants affirmed the importance of this offering: “This divine space opened my heart and brought healing not only to myself but to the generations before me and those yet to come.”
The WELL reminds us all that rest, joy, and renewal are essential for those committed to collective liberation.
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Block Party
Rock Steady Farm and Catalyst Collaborative Farm's Block Party on Saturday, September 7th was a huge success! Over 200 people from the Hudson Valley and New York City came together to enjoy live music, local vendors, and delicious food. This intergenerational celebration highlighted the talents and dedication of the QTBIPOC community. Activities ranged from botanical dye crafts, fiber arts, friction fire, plant walks, massage, haircuts and tattoos.
To see more photos of this vibrant celebration of community in support for QTBIPOC farmers, visit Rock Steady’s Instagram! A special thank you to our partners at Farm School NYC, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s Equity Fund, and our many sponsors including Hawthorn Valley Association & The Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming.
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Catalyst Community Day
To close out the Block Party weekend, we invited folks to WILDSEED for a foraging walk, nourishing pond-side meal, hands-on workshop making apple cider vinegar with apples from our food forest, and a plant sit with goldenrod. Monti feels so blessed to have our Food Forest, Production Field, Mandala Medicine Garden, Yurt infused with so much loving energy.
A special shoutout to Dre and Hyunhee for co-facilitating the foraging walk, khadija for leading the plant sit, Naima for their captivating performance, Mel, Monie, and Olive for being such amazing event crew, Erin and the Watershed Team for the incredible nourishment, and the Black Trans Liberation folks for joining us for lunch!
Dive into more photos to taste the sweetness.
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WILDSEED provides BIPOC farmers and herbalists no cost access to prime agricultural land. Current cultivators include Sweet Freedom Farm, Catalyst Collaborative Farm, Ancestral Moon Farm & Medicinals, and Sage Herbalz. Below are updates from each project sharing soil, sun and mycelium at WILDSEED. | |
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Sage Herbalz
Under the leadership of Sarah Elisabeth, the purpose of the mandala medicine garden is to offer free herb distributions to the local community.
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At the Block Party, Sarah and the “Mandala Nymphs” gave out:
- Plants: Comfrey, Elecampane
- Honey: Tulsi from Catalyst Collaborative
- Salve: Comfrey
- Tea: Wild Bergamot, Lemonbalm, Nettle, Tulsi
- Tincture: Burdock, Elderflower, Motherwort
The phrase of the day was “Allow yourself to receive.”
Sarah said, “Folks had a tough time accepting the free items. We walked them through it and gave them a standing ovation at the end!
We work in the tradition of the community herbalist serving the community in the spirit of reciprocity."
Follow, like, share, donate, volunteer @sageherbalz
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Sweet Freedom Farm
Autumn Equinox weekend Sweet Freedom Farm held a free farm stand in collaboration with the @sing_sing_family_collective in front of Sing Sing Correctional Facility. Families, friends and loved ones of individuals currently incarcerated at Sing Sing were welcome to receive produce at no cost grown lovingly by the Sweet Freedom farmers.
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Catalyst Collaborative Farm
Monti and the Catalyst Collaborative Crew are excited to celebrate the abundance of herbs flourishing in our Production Field this season! We planted different varieties of clover as a cover crop alongside the herbs, enriching the soil and attracting beneficial pollinators. As we transition into fall, we’re crafting infused honeys, sauces, tea blends, and more using herbs from the field. This winter, find us at upcoming markets selling our products. Follow Catalyst on Instagram to stay up to date on where we’ll be vending!
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Ancestral Moon Farm & Medicinals
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Natasha Strickland has been distributing home-made herbal medicines and teaching workshops to BIPOC community about canning and preserving vegetables and herbal medicine making. This October Natasha will harvest goldenrod and other herbs growing on her farm to make sinus cold and flu relief tinctures.
Natasha has also been designing the layout of Ancestral Moon Farm & Medicinals and building a relationship with the land at WILDSEED. She will continue to prep and get the land ready to start growing vegetables next Spring with a grand opening event planned for Summer 2025.
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Pool Vibes!
It took a lot of hard work and dedication to get the pool up and running this summer, and we’re thrilled to say it was all worth it! After facing a few challenges, including needing a brand-new pump and filter, our incredible pool expert, Jamie, spent countless hours ensuring everything was in perfect condition. Thanks to Jamie’s expertise and commitment, the pool sparkled throughout the season, bringing joy to all our guests.
Although the pool is now winterized and closed for the colder months, we’re already looking forward to reopening it next May. We can’t wait to continue sharing this special amenity for many summers to come. Here's to more sun, fun, and relaxation by the pool in 2025!
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Pond Stocked
We’re excited to introduce goldfish and koi into our pond, adding another layer of life and balance to our ecosystem. Over time, these vibrant fish will help manage algae growth, support the health of aquatic plants, and create nutrient-rich water for our surrounding gardens. Big thanks to Natasha for procuring our new fish friends. As the pond matures, we’ll see a dynamic shift in biodiversity, attracting more wildlife and deepening the connection between land and water.
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Fruits of Our Labor
We’ve been hard at work establishing native perennials in a terraced garden and food forest, companion planting apple and pear trees with mushrooms, comfrey, tulsi, trillium, currants, gooseberry, anise hyssop and more. We are excited to share that the winecap mushrooms that we inoculated in the wood chips beneath the fruit trees in March have been producing so many caps, and our fruit trees have also responded to our love with an abundance of apples to share!
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Shared Purpose, Shared Space
As justice-workers, we know that our efforts to build a more liberated world are intertwined. And we know that we need space to recuperate, strategize, and fortify the skills, visions, and insights we need to be effective stewards of necessary change.
We are honored to offer indoor and outdoor space at WILDSEED to mission-aligned groups for trainings, retreats, movement meetups, innovation labs, cultural gatherings and celebration. To make a request for subsidized space rental for your organization's internal gathering or community event, please fill out this form.
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WILDSEED Community Farm & Healing Village is a creative sanctuary rooted in reciprocal relationships with land, water and ecology in the Mid Hudson Valley, NY. Centering the leadership and radical imaginations of BIPOC stewards, we grow food, medicine, and love as infrastructure for solidarity economies to nourish our ancestors, ourselves and generations to come. | | | | |
