October 3-7 | Starting at $500Farm Brigades: Rooting Down in Collective Work
Southern Farm Brigades
Farm brigades are a model of community resilience and collective work that is undergirded by community self-reliance that has grounded Persimmon’s intentions with farmers and reminds us why we do the work we do. These collective workdays push back against the image of an isolated, siloed farmer toiling alone and without support. The brigades remind us that we have a heritage based on many hands contributing to our survival and that thriving is possible when we rely upon community and shared work to sustain us. That shared work is in and of itself a demonstration of care that has been upheld by agrarian communities past and present. Farm brigades have been a core of Persimmon’s work since 2022 and keeps us connected to our local ecosystem. Each Spring and Fall, we hold workdays on the land of the farmers in our local ecosystem. These 10-12 brigades are spaces that embody mutual aid, with farmers supporting each other’s on farm projects while joyfully sharing knowledge, camaraderie and a meal. The projects we have taken on in the past 4 years have ranged from bed prepping chicken coop build, cobb building, planting and seed saving. We are currently expanding brigading with groups of farmers in SC and VA.
“Brigades are Sankofa in practice.”
Jason Lindsay, Grounded Roots Farm
This July, we invited our current brigade members, including some other farmers interested in joining to Earthseed Land Collective in Durham, NC for a dinner and the screening of a film featuring Baba Bernard Obie’s family farm. The day was a sweet gathering were we shared space and food and enjoyed hearing from farmers about their deep appreciation for the community and the collective work of the brigades.
It was also a joy to learn more about Baba Obie’s 150 acre family farm. The documentary, Abanitu: A Family Documentary, was filmed by Baba Obie’s niece and traced the deep history of the farm started by Lucy Obie in 1906. That rich history grounded an afternoon where we remembered and celebrated our shared collective power and connection.
