Field School: Ag History & Food Sovereignty

Join us for an overview of agrarian history and the food sovereignty movement in the United States. Our aim is to situate urban agriculture in Baltimore within the legacy of Black agrarianism and today's work of re-establishing sustainable local food systems. Learn about Black agrarian leaders, the history of land and redlining in Baltimore, and our vision for the Black Butterfly Urban Farmer Academy (BBUFA).

This class is part of the spring session of the BBUFA Field School. If you would like to register for the full spring session, click here.

About the Field School

The Farm Alliance of Baltimore (FAB) is proud to launch Black Butterfly Urban Farmer Academy (BBUFA) Field School. Running from March to December, this series of hands-on workshops is intended to serve as an accessible point of entry for anyone interested in learning the seasonal fundamentals of urban agriculture. No previous farming experience is required to participate!
The BBUFA Field School's schedule is split up into three sessions: spring, summer, and fall. The majority of instruction will take place on site at FAB's teaching farm in South Baltimore, with occasional classroom sessions depending on content.
Learn more about the history of the Black Butterfly Urban Farmer Academy program on our website.

About the Facilitator

Denzel Mitchell, Jr., is the Executive Director of the Farm Alliance of Baltimore. With over 15 years of farming experience informing and enriching his leadership, Denzel aims to ignite passion in the next generation of Black farmers and foster a legacy of stewardship for the land.
Raised a country boy with cowboy roots in Oklahoma, Denzel’s deep-rooted connection to agriculture began early, laying the foundation for his commitment to sovereignty in both the production and consumption of food. Denzel was a founding organizer and member farmer of the Farm Alliance, and completed Future Harvest’s Beginner Farmer Training Program in 2012. Shortly thereafter, he (alongside a farmer friend, a chef, and a food historian) brought a nearly-forgotten heirloom pepper variety, Baltimore’s fish pepper, back to the Chesapeake foodshed’s culinary palette.
Denzel and his family founded Five Seeds Farm in 2008, operating it with a cadre of supporters and volunteers until 2016. Since then, Denzel has done it all: mentored new growers; organized farmers markets; advocated for infrastructure to support urban agriculture; coordinated Baltimore City's cleanup of brownfields sites; provided healthy food education in Baltimore City public schools and after-school programs; advised local farms including Great Kids Farm, Real Food Farm, and Whitelock Community Farm; served on the board of directors for Acres4Change, Belair-Edison Neighborhoods, Inc., and Friends of Great Kids Farm; managed the farm at Strength to Love II for three seasons (2017-2020). In addition to leading the Farm Alliance of Baltimore, Denzel currently serves on the board of Our Common Table and as the proud baba of 5 fantastic humans.

Additional Information

This workshop will be held indoors. We encourage you to bring a water bottle! Extra water, masks, and hand sanitizer will be provided.

• Parking: Parking is available in the lot on the north side of the Union Mill building. Street parking is also available in the neighborhood.
• Restrooms: There is a restroom on site.
• Accessibility: The conference room is on the first floor with ramp access. Seating will be provided.
• Illness: Please do not attend this event if you are sick or experiencing symptoms of illness including but not limited to fever, coughing, and/or vomiting.
• Cancellation Policy: In the event that we need to cancel due to weather or unforeseen circumstances, attendees will receive an email notification.

Questions? Please contact [email protected]

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Host or Publisher Farm Alliance of Baltimore