Who Are We:
Sisters of the Soil is a start-up growing project created by three soil sisters (Trinia, Michelle and Miriam) who met in a recent ECO City New Farmers’ training class. Their farm was started in March 2021 on a small rambling hillside within ECO City Farm, Bladensburg, Md. They have adopted organic and permaculture-based growing practices, which include no-till. They are currently growing various summer vegetables to include tomatoes, greens, okra, summer and winter squash and sweet potatoes. They are concentrating on developing the land for maximum growing potential and will continue to incorporate sustainable permaculture and organic growing methods. Their growing space is small and compact and nestled amongst supporting trees, bushes and native wildflowers inviting pollinators and beneficial insects to help with enhancing harvest potential and controlling unwanted pests and diseases.
How We Grow: They have adopted a permaculture-based growing space.
They are currently growing various summer vegetables to include tomatoes, greens, okra, summer and winter squash and sweet potatoes
They are concentrating on developing the land for maximum growing potential and incorporate sustainable permaculture and organic growing methods within their small and compact growing space. Their growing space comprises two 65 ft. rows created from an unfarmed raw permaculture tract and is nestled amongst supporting trees, bushes and native wildflowers inviting pollinators and beneficial insects to help with enhancing harvest potential and controlling unwanted pests and diseases.
Challenges:
Clearing the hillside tract was a challenge and took a lot of effort and help from friends and family, but the result is nothing short of outstanding. To see plants growing and thriving in the previously unchartered space in the first year is absolutely wonderful and brought smiles to the sisters’ faces. Although there is still much work to be done, the beginnings seem to be progressive and are indeed a new path to help them reach their long-term goals.
The Future
Their future goal of the farm is to become a productive, reliable source of fresh nutritious produce, herbs and flowers that can be eventually distributed at farmers markets, wholesale or through CSAs to communities in need. Some of their future marketing strategies may are still being thought out and the fruits of their labor may one day show up on the menu of your breakfast, lunch, or dinner table.
Many thanks to Trinia, Michelle, and Miriam for taking the challenge and courage to start this hillside oasis of goodness.
They are all working to become and remain an integral part of the local and regional effort to end hunger in a way which always leads to a better life for all.
After church, Sis. Marietta, blessed me with this sweet potato pie – my first of the season!
But what makes this pie even more special is its ingredients. The sweet potatoes that went into this pie came from a Black-women owned farm in Prince George’s County, Maryland called Sisters of the Soil Community Farm.
Food tastes so much better with farm-fresh ingredients!
Heber B.
Community-based on-farm educational programming is a major goal and focus for Sisters of the Soil Community Farm. Given the history of agriculture in this country, it is crucially important for young folks from the Black Diaspora to see, taste, and experience farming and growing food in such a way that brings joy and nourishment to the soul. The effects of programming like what we collaborated on last fall are far-reaching and intergenerational. One parent and educator who attended the event summed it up well: “Seeing that boy make that beautiful veggie wrap — and enjoy it with the sweet potato hummus dripping out the corners of his mouth — just goes to show you that if the children have a hand in preparing the healthy food, they will eat it!”
OURSPACE World
I’ve worked with the Sisters of the Soil for the last year as they’ve launched their farm-based business at the Urban Farm Incubator at Watkins Regional Park. As founding farmers starting at the initial season of this brand new site, they’ve navigated a challenging environment and demonstrated considerable skill in not only the technical aspects of farming but also in the kind of multi-layered thinking that defines good farmers. Even without basic infrastructure in place yet (such as access to stable water supply, a cooler, or a wash station) they were able to successfully organize their incubator plot and high tunnel space to produce well under those constrained circumstances. At the same time, it should be noted, they have been investing their time in giving feedback and informing the design of the newly formed incubator site while being brand new themselves.
Individually, they are each accomplished people, but together as a group, they are truly a force to be reckoned with. Their keen balance of skills in farm management and business development weaves together a powerful team led by thoughtful planning and supported by a deep community network. Among the farmers growing alongside each other at the incubator and in community spaces beyond, I hear them spoken of as knowledgeable leaders and innovative partners.They are the definition of entrepreneurial and are off to a solid start with planning for this year.
Jocelyn T.
