What is your farming experience or connection to agriculture? My work is rooted in a deep ancestral connection to land stewardship. I come from a family of sharecroppers in North Carolina, and I am the first farmer in my immediate family since my great-grandfather, Adam. From Reconstruction through the Great Depression, our family farm sustained a resilient agricultural operation by building relationships with neighboring farmers and sharing goods and resources. A farming accident ultimately ended my great-grandfather's farming career and led him north to Philadelphia, where I was born. This lineage continues to guide and inform my work and practices today.
My agricultural training has developed through a combination of direct farm experience, community-based learning, and formal education. I’ve participated in volunteer farm work, visited and learned from local growers, and completed coursework through the Cornell Small Farms Program in Vegetable Production, Soil Health, Berry Production, and Farm Business Planning. I also hold a Permaculture Design Certification from the Center for Bioregional Living, have been accepted into the Sand County Land Ethic Mentorship Program, and have received my PSA Grower Training through Cornell Cooperative Extension.
I began this path during COVID, initially through making herbal remedies and studying how medicinal plants are grown and sourced, which led me into deeper research of Indigenous and African agricultural systems and regenerative practices. That learning ultimately guided me toward permaculture and diversified ecological farming.
Since relocating to the Hudson Valley in 2021, I’ve been actively stewarding land and developing a diversified food forest system as the foundation of Fable & Sow Theatre Farm. The land itself has been my most consistent teacher as I continue to grow as both a farmer and land steward.
What are your future farming plans? What do you hope to accomplish in the next year? 5 years? In the next year, our focus is on strengthening our foundation and production systems while continuing to expand our programming through partnerships and collaborations with like-minded organizations, artists, and educators.
We are currently developing youth education partnerships with the Newburgh Boys & Girls Club and Jack and Jill to introduce hands-on agricultural learning, land stewardship, and creative engagement with food and ecology. At the same time, we are building relationships and exploring long-term stewardship opportunities to ensure a seamless transition at the end of our current lease, with no gap in offerings or programming. In the next year, we are also cultivating relationships with aligned financial partners and supporters to strengthen the long-term viability of our work and support a smooth transition into our next phase. We will continue to refine our regenerative production systems and expand our food forest at our current site.
Over the next five years, our goal is to establish a permanent home for Fable & Sow Theatre Farm where we can fully integrate agriculture, education, and the arts into a resilient, community-centered farm model. We also plan to transition into a nonprofit structure to better support our educational mission, expand access, and strengthen our ability to serve the community. We hope to build a financially sustainable operation that offers a wide range of educational programming in both agriculture and creative practice, with a strong emphasis on accessibility and public engagement.
A key part of our long-term vision is to support beginning farmers like us, particularly those with limited access to land and resources, through collaboration and shared learning opportunities. We also plan to steward a free BIPOC seed library in partnership with Newburgh Sanctuary, growing, saving, and distributing culturally significant seeds back into the community.
Ultimately, we are seeking a long-term farm home that allows for robust public programming, ecological stewardship, and the continued growth of a living, learning landscape that serves both people and place.
How are you looking to access land? We are primarily seeking long-term lease arrangements and lease-to-own opportunities that enable stable stewardship of the land. Our current short-term lease has been valuable for experimentation, learning, and growing our base, but it has limited our ability to invest in permanent infrastructure and long-term development.
Because much of our work is rooted in perennial food forest systems, we need continuity and time for these systems to establish and mature. We are also open to collaborative or partnership-based models that support shared long-term stewardship and an aligned vision for the land.
What are you looking for in farmland? We are looking to steward approximately 7–20 acres of mixed woodland and open acreage suitable for diversified, regenerative agriculture. In forested areas, we would focus on agroforestry systems including coppicing, medicinal woodland crops, and nut tree establishment. Open fields and pasture would be used for diversified production of vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, and fruit, integrated with perennial and food forest systems.
We are looking for land in the Lower Hudson Valley near our established community base that can host public programming.
Ideally, the land would already have some basic infrastructure in place or be well-suited for phased development over time. Reliable access to water is essential. Existing structures, such as barns or outbuildings for tool storage, machinery, and wash/pack and light processing space, would be highly beneficial, along with fencing or the ability to establish secure growing areas.
Access to on-site farmer housing is also very important, as the nature of our work requires consistent, close proximity to the land for observation, care, and management throughout the seasons.
Is there anything else you would like for a landowner to know about you? We approach land stewardship with a long-term commitment to care, ecological restoration, and community-centered use. Our work is rooted in building resilient systems that integrate agriculture, education, and cultural programming in ways that serve both the land and the surrounding community.
We practice conservation-based, organic, no-till farming, prioritizing soil health, biodiversity, and long-term ecological resilience. Our focus is on building living systems that regenerate the land over time rather than extract from it.
We value transparency, collaboration, and clear communication with landowners, and we are intentional about building relationships that support continuity and shared vision over time. Our goal is not only to grow a farm, but to become responsible stewards of a place in a way that strengthens its ecological health and community impact for generations.
Learn more about Fable & Sow Theatre Farm here!
