Faith in Farming

Amirah and Will return to share a little about farming at Stony Point Center over the past few weeks including cover crops, mowing, and planting. Then they dive into a conversation about their most memorable "multifaith moments" in the Community of Living Traditions. From Quaker Meeting for Worship to Purim to Ramadan (and more), Amirah and Will share insights and laughs about where they learned or gained an appreciation for other faith traditions (or their own) in multifaith spaces.

Amirah and Will finally return to share some reflections about life, faith practices, and farming during the pandemic. Their conversation includes thoughts thriftiness, holy observances, and music while sheltering in place. The theme for this episode was inspired by the Community of Living Traditions Zoom Series "Living into the New Normal" which happens on Wednesdays at 5pm Eastern time. Click here to check for listings and registration: https://stonypointcenter.org/your-visit/upcoming-events. And, for Spotify users, here's how you can listen to the playlist Will gave Amirah for her birthday: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7b8j9p8ml0USqsTdvYkNXa?si=cSgaFaXxSuuuryTQjjvO9g

Amirah and Will are back to kick off the 2020 farming season with a conversation about birds. After several recent bird encounters, and, in honor of Will's second child who was named after a bird, they reflect on sharing space with our feathered friends. Referenced in this episode: "Acknowledging the Winter Solstice Is a Decolonial Act for Indigenous People" by Sarah Sunshine Manning (https://ndncollective.org/acknowledging-the-winter-solstice-is-a-decolonial-act-for-indigenous-people/).

Independent filmmaker Brooklyn Demme joins Amirah to discuss his documentary film "The Place Where People Gather" (Akuy Eenda Maawehlaang) which witnesses the Ramapough-Lenape Nation's struggle to gather as a community and pray on their own land in the face of legal & financial abuse at the hands of the township of Mahwah, NJ and a private home-owner's association called the Polo Club. Brooklyn discusses the film's inspiration and origins; grieving the loss of his father, Jonathan, who was collaborating with him to create this film; the challenges of documentary filmmaking in activist work and in general; bringing intention and spirituality into one's work; and more. Screenings of "The Place Where People Gather" will be held on Sunday February 16 at 2pm at the Bartow-Pell Mansion (near Pelham Bay Park), Wednesday February 19 at 2pm at the New City Library, and Saturday March 29 at 2pm at Ramapo College. The film is about half an hour long and can be viewed online at https://vimeo.com/348893544/92fd6f0b8b. If you would like to contact Brooklyn to organize a screening of "The Place Where People Gather" email him at brooklyn.j.demme@gmail.com.

Amirah sits down with recording artist and Community of Living Traditions member Warren Cooper to play one-on-one. In their conversation they discuss Warren's latest musical release "(Let's Bring) Christmastime 2 Creation," how Amirah experiences the Christmas season as a Muslim, work as a spiritual practice/act of worship, how the children in the Community of Living Traditions are influencing Warren's music, what farmers do during winter, and some of Warren's favorite Christmas music growing up. To support Warren's release of Christmastime 2 Creation, visit www.RadRevRecords.com and register for the "Do the Download: Save the Planet" Campaign...and actually download the record on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify on Sunday December 15! You can also check out a message from Warren here: https://youtu.be/40dD2dEF5DQ

Amirah and Will chat about putting the fields to bed for the year and look back on the 2019 farming season. They share memories, accomplishments, and non-accomplishments related to the Keesler farm, lettuce production, sweet corn, and shiitake mushrooms. Finally, they discuss the significance of a memorable encounter with a deer and a blue heron near the creek at Keesler.

Amirah and Will welcome Amirah's long-time friend and Faith in Farming's most devoted listener Ariana Thelen to the podcast for a conversation about Halloween and a couple of essays by Robin Wall Kimmerer. They explore Halloween as a religious holiday and modern-day cultural experience before reflecting on two essays in Braiding Sweetgrass: Windigo Footprints and The Honorable Harvest. Along the way, Ariana shares a great story about an encounter her father had with a Windigo.

In this special bilingual episode, Costa Rican farmer and activist Erlinda Quesada joins Will to talk about her work fighting for eco-justice with communities throughout her home land. She outlines the circumstances that led to the expansion of industrial pineapple production in Costa Rica, her interactions with Costa Rican government officials, and how contaminated water and agro-chemicals are affecting people and land in Costa Rica. Erlinda works with the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s International Peacemaking Program. Special thanks to Karla Koll for interpreting. To learn more about the industrial pineapple industry, Erlinda and Karla recommend watching this 20-minute documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsI2HAmEFcw

Amirah and Will revive an old tradition and play one-on-one for the first time in a long time. Their conversation includes Amirah's recent opportunity to participate in a zabiha slaughter at Halal Pastures, Will's learnings from his now 2-year-old daughter, the influence of being in indigenous spaces on their faith practices, reflections on last year's fall equinox ceremony, and what this year's theme song should be. It's a long one...enjoy!

Amirah and Will sit down for a conversation about their respective weeks. Amirah shares about celebrating Eid with her family in Wisconsin and gives some context for the holiday while Will reflects on the difficulty of his week while trying to process the recent shootings in his hometown of El Paso, Texas. Together they contemplate the 7 'disasters of the heart' and try to remember how many tomato sandwiches they've each eaten this season.

Amirah and Will take another break from the heat to have a conversation about all of the farm-related sharing that is happening in their lives: sharing harvests, sharing work, sharing recipes, sharing meals, and the gifts others have shared with them in this season.

Amirah and Will take a break from the heat to talk about this season's bumper crop of zucchini. They share zucchini memories and reflections which leads to a discussion about feeling proud of their accomplishments and what their religious traditions have to say about pride.

Amirah and Will sit down for a conversation on the Summer Solstice which this year marks their transition into the harvest season. They share about what's been keeping them busy on these long days, the creatures they've encountered along the way, and a variety of delicious ways to eat salad. And they remind everyone that it's never too early to get your tickets for the Stony Point Center Farm-to-Table Gala, happening this year on Sunday September 22, at https://stonypointcenter.org/gala.

Amirah and Will welcome their friend Roger to the podcast to reflect on his month farming with them at Stony Point Center throughout his observance of the holy month of Ramadan. They talk about fasting, not fasting, solidarity fasting, solidarity giving, water, and, of course, rocks...and much more. Ramadan solidarity giving? Here are some ideas: https://www.cgdcny.org/give and https://give.irusa.org/campaign/mpf-for-palestine/c233574.

Maggie Nowak (the farmer formerly known as Maggie Krueger) joins Amirah and Will to talk about her experiences participating in Stony Point Center's Farm the Land, Grow the Spirit Summer Institute program and her work now with Southside Community Land Trust in Providence, RI. Their conversation touches on the process of becoming a farmer, arguments they had in 2015 about killing groundhogs, bringing your faith tradition into a non-religious work space, rocks, racial justice, and the holy month of Ramadan...because it's Ramadan.

Amirah and Will play a little one-on-one for old times' sake. It's Ramadan and things are busy at the new farm. They share about their experiences during this holy time, new farm friends, learning with the Keesler land, and what it's like to shop for farm stuff.

Long-time Stony Point Center farmer Matt Zeltzer joins Amirah and Will to talk about the arrival of spring. Their conversation covers erratic spring weather, distinguishing between winds and breezes, songs about wind, their relationships to rocks, and much more. With Passover, Easter, and Ramadan on the horizon, Matt, Will, and Amirah share some reflections about how these holy times are connected to spring for each of them this season.

Former Summer Institute participant Leanna Mulvihill drops by Stony Point Center Farm to chat with Amirah and Will. Leanna shares about her transition from livestock farmer to grad school student, her farm-related research, what she misses (and doesn't miss about farming), and the geography of Roosevelt Island. She also talks about her experiences in Stony Point Center's Farm the Land, Grow the Spirit Summer Institute program (learn more at stonypointcenter.org/summer-institute) and the power of home-cooked meals.

Special guest Sarah Henkel joins Amirah and Will to celebrate the arrival of Amirah's niece into the world and the recent decision by Hudson River Presbytery to give land and former church buildings in Stony Point, NY to the Sweetwater Cultural Center, a project envisioned by Chief Dwaine Perry of the Ramapough Lunaape Nation. Then they all join in a conversation about children's books: which ones thetheythey love and why and which ones don't. And in case anyone is wondering, Sarah is a member of the Community of Living Traditions at Stony Point Center, a Presbyterian pastor, a dear friend of Amirah's, and married to Will.

Drip, drip, drip...Amirah and Will are so excited about maple season. In this episode they have a conversation about all things maple at Stony Point Center: sap, syrup, ceremony, keeping the fire burning and much more.

Amirah and Will play one-on-one using the word "morning" as a theme. Their conversation touches on the joys of farming in the morning, morning prayers, how having kids changes morning routines, and mourning.

Happy New Year! In this episode Amirah and Will reflect on the holy seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany (which Will is calling the "Christmas Triumvirate"). After sharing their regrets from last podcast and a quick check-in about the "one-on-one scoreboard" their conversations touches on appreciating light during Advent, experiencing Christmas as a Muslim, Christmas trees, and much more. They also provide some insight based on their recent participation in "white elephant" gift parties because it's never too early to start preparing for next Christmas. Finally, Amirah shares an epiphany she's had based on her experiences in multifaith community.

Special guest Warren Cooper joins Will for one-on-one. Warren is a musician, producer, and member of the Community of Living Traditions (the multifaith community at Stony Point Center). He and Will talk about Warren's new album "Guitars & Voices: Talking About Choices" which is available for purchase at guitarsvoiceschoices.com, Warren's creative process, and the role of music in the movement for justice. Warren asks Will about the connections between farming and parenting, Stony Point Center Farm's efforts for food justice, and what he loves about farming. Will also shares an important regret: that he didn't share the Alliance for Fair Food's Advent Reflection series during the last podcast. You can find it at allianceforfairfood.org.

Amirah and Will are back! And so is one-on-one! In this episode they look back on their year of farming and share about their greatest accomplishments, major challenges they faced, what they are learning from the land, and the music that defined the year. And since it is the middle of Advent in the Christian tradition, Will offers some reflections on his practice this season.

Amirah and Will are back to eulogize this year's tomato season on Stony Point Center Farm. They share memories from the first planting of the season, the last tomato sandwich, and everything in between including Will's favorite music to listen to while trellising tomatoes and what the tomato fields gifted to Amirah this year.

Amirah is joined by Finnigan and Noam, two of this year's Summer Institute Participants. The Stony Point Center "Farm the Land, Grow the Spirit" Summer Institute is a program for young adults that integrates intentional community living and farming into a multifaith learning environment. The three of them reflect on their time spent farming this summer, share conversation about food, review their experiences interacting with agriculturally-themed sacred texts, and more.

Amirah and Will are back (briefly) to talk about the recent Coalition of Immokalee Workers' action in New York City and their ongoing campaign to Boycott Wendy's until Wendy's signs on to the Fair Food Program. Then, they invite everyone to join them in supporting the Ramapough Lunaape Nation who are facing erroneous fines from the Town of Mahwah for gathering and praying on land that the Ramapough rightfully own. "Court Support" is on Thursday July 26 at 1pm at Mahwah Municipal Court, 475 Corporate Dr. in Mahwah, New Jersey. Wear red in solidarity. We hope to see you there!

Summer is here and Amirah and Will are back to talk about why summertime is "hospitality season" on the Stony Point Center Farm. They share about the groups they have welcomed into their work, reveal a few "podcast secrets," and recall encounters with a few animal friends. Then, Amirah and Will play one-on-one (20:00) and this episode's theme is summer.

Amirah plays one-on-one with Jeff Geary, who is the pastor at White Plains Presbyterian Church (where Will worships). Jeff recently traveled to Palestine and Israel where bicycled and hiked in the West Bank and Galilee. In their conversation, Amirah and Jeff share stories of how they have related to the land there and the those who inhabit it during their recent travels. We hope you enjoy their reflections!

Amirah and Will are back with a quick check in about farming during Ramadan and an update on the new farm. Then they countdown their top 3 most troublesome insect pests and top 5 most bothersome four-legged and winged creatures they interact with in their farming. One-on-One is back, too, but it will be released as a separate episode. And to all our friends who have been observing the holy month of Ramadan: Eid Mubarak!!!

Amirah starts everything off with a Ramadan reflection. Then she and Will share about the progress of getting the new farm ready to plant and a few of the gifts they have received from the new land. They wrap up with some fun updates from Stony Point Center's farm and discuss some spiritual insights they have gained from all the weeding they are doing this week. Spoiler Alert: there's no one-on-one this week.

Amirah and Will recap their recent activities at Stony Point Center's expansion farm site including the challenges that come with embracing an increased amount of mechanization and what a blessing it has been to work with an experienced mentor as the process gets underway. Then Amirah plays one-on-one with special guest Venice Williams (26:00), an amazing farmer and community leader from Milwaukee who Amirah met at the Faithlands gathering in California back in March.

Amirah and Will have some exciting news: Stony Point Center Farm is expanding to an off-site location! The opportunity to expand the farm has made them both realize all of the different skills necessary for taking on this kind of project, which are not necessarily the one's you might expect. They discuss all of the work they have been doing recently to get ready to start farming in the new location. In Amirah and Will's one-on-one conversation this week, the theme is SKILLS!

In this episode, Amirah and Will talk about all the work they have been doing with compost on the farm recently. That includes how it smells, all the unexpected things they find in it, and the folks that have been helping moving compost around the farm. Then they play one-on-one using the word "compost" (of course) as the theme. If you like compost, you should enjoy this episode.

In this episode, Amirah and Will introduce a new segment where they talk about their regrets from the last recording. Then they talk about all the work related to the arrival of spring on Stony Point Center's farm. Finally, they play one-on-one and this week's topic is "transitions."

In this epidsode, Amirah and Will celebrate the arrival of spring and talk about what has been happening in their community. In this episodes "one-on-one" section, the theme is eggs (and chickens) in honor of Easter.

Amirah and Will discuss their participation in the Coalition of Immokalee Workers' Freedom Fast in New York City that took place March 11-15, 2018. Then they play "one-one-one" where they each ask each other 3 questions on a particular theme. This episode's them is the word "fast" in honor of the Freedom Fast. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is a farmworker-led human rights organization that is changing the lives of people who work in agriculture across the United States. Their Fair Food Program raises wages, eliminates forced labor (slavery) in the fields, stops sexual and physical violence, and ensures that people have the right to access to water and bathroom breaks while they work. The CIW's current campaign is calling on Wendy's fast food restaurants to join the Fair Food Program like other fast food outlets such as Taco Bell, McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, and Chipotle. In this episode, Amirah and Will describe their experience participating in the CIW's annual spring action, which took place in front of the office of Nelson Peltz, Wendy's board chair and largest shareholder. Farmworkers and allies fasted for 5 days in front of Peltz's office in midtown Manhattan. The week culminated with a march where thousands of people joined farmworkers in their call for justice. In the second half of the podcast, Amirah and Will play "one-on-one," which is a way they have a structured conversation by asking each other 3 questions on a particular topic. In this episode, the theme for the conversation is the word "fast" in honor of the CIW's Freedom Fast.