In the spirit of spring renewal and celebration, SAAFON was honored to host our inaugural General Membership Assembly from March 5-8th on St. Helena Island, SC. Hosted at the historic Penn Center, this Assembly served as the culmination of years of vision, organizing, and dreaming towards the future of Black Agrarianism flourishing across the Southeast.
Celebrating 20 years of SAAFON as a grassroots organizing effort in service to Black farmers, their families, lands, and stories, the assembly offered us the spaciousness to honor the foresight and hopes of our co-founders, Cynthia Hayes and Owusu Bandele, as well as each of the farmers and organizers that have poured into SAAFON over the years. We are grateful for the lands and hands that held us for this mountaintop experience – we want to continue to uplift gratitude and reverence for the Gullah Geechee cultural stewards and lands and waters of St. Helena Island that welcomed us with open arms.
Nearly 100 farmers and their families gathered from 8 states and the USVI to participate in SAAFON’s General Membership Assembly, an event that was intended to hold space for farmers to feel seen, valued, and honored. The space was intergenerational and familial, with farmers linking throughout the days to connect, share their wisdom and vision, and fellowship – sharing food, music, and smiles. SAAFON was honored to have the opportunity to share about the evolution of SAAFON through the years, and to support considering the next two decades of organizing the collective project that is the SAAFON ecosystem. The assembly struck the balance between energizing dialogue and opportunities for joy and reconnection, offering the opportunity to not only refine our skills and technical ability as farmers, but to also simply enjoy time on the land together.
As we continue to integrate and reflect on this experience, we want to offer gratitude for all of the farmers who were able to attend and pour into the space. It is each of your unique perspectives and agrarian brilliance that makes the ever-weaving tapestry of SAAFON so vibrant. It is through experiences like these that help us understand SAAFON as more than just a group. SAAFON continues to be a living, thriving ecosystem of farmers, families, and a shared vision for an expansive and realizable Black Agrarian future.
