Community Events in the Black Agricultural Ecosystem
Join us in our ecosystem of Black farms!
BOLT regularly hosts educational workshops, volunteer days, youth programs, and spirit-centered community building. We also share opportunities to engage at other Black-led farm sites in our Black Agricultural Ecosystem (Feed’em Freedom Foundation, Black Food Sovereignty Coalition, Black Futures Farm, and Black Food Fund). Click the calendar or scroll below to learn more or register for an event!
Land Leasing Workshop
Stay tuned to our instagram @blackoregonlandtrust for registration information!
Gain insights into land leasing opportunities and strategies for community empowerment.
When: June 17th, 10am-12pm
Where: CROPS Farm 1980 West Historic Columbia River Highway
Doomteenth: Octavia Butler Reading & Discussion
Stay tuned to @BlackFutures Farm Instagram for more info!
Engage in a thought-provoking discussion honoring Juneteenth through the works of influential Black thinkers.
When: June 19th, 5pm-7pm
Where: Black Futures Farm 6745 SE 60th st, Portland, Oregon 97202
Activate Portland!
Village Building Convergence
Participate in workshops and activities aimed at activating community action and social justice.
When: June 21st, 9:45am-3:45pm
Where: Leaven Community Center 5431 NE 20th Ave. Portland, OR
Resilience and Resistance: Cross-Pollinating Food Movements Conference
Resilience and Resistance: Cross-Pollinating Food Movements Conference
When: June 22nd - June 24th
Where: Portland State University
A national gathering bringing together food systems leaders, farmers, academics, and advocates to tackle pressing environmental, economic, and health challenges. The event will feature inspiring keynote speakers, interactive workshops, local field trips, and networking opportunities—all designed to strengthen and reimagine our food systems movement. Learn more
June 23 | Rooted in Resilience: Building Black Food and Land Futures in the Pacific Northwest Panel 1:00–2:30 PM
The Black Agricultural Ecosystem (BAE) is a collective of Black-led organizations advancing food and land justice across Oregon and Washington. Over the past three years, BAE has secured five farms and now stewards more than 100 acres of land. In this session, BAE leaders will share how they are reclaiming land, feeding communities, and building regenerative systems grounded in Black sovereignty, care, and collaboration. Through storytelling, strategy, and lessons learned, participants will explore what it means to cultivate long-term resilience by investing in Black agricultural futures and collective land stewardship.Speakers:
Shiny Flanary, Executive Director, Black Food Sovereignty Coalition
Aria Charles, Development & Operations, Black Oregon Land Trust
Malcolm Hoover, Co-Founder, Black Futures Farm
Mirabai Collins, Co-Founder & Director, Black Futures Farm
Shantae Johnson, Executive Director, Feed’em Freedom Foundation
Arthur Shavers, Owner & Farm Manager, Mudbone Grown
Jamese Kwele, Co-Founder, Black Food Fund & VP, Community Resource Mobilization, Ecotrust
Cultivating Connection Part Two
Hosted by: Ecotrust and co-hosted by Black Oregon Land Trust (BOLT) and Black Food Sovereignty Coalition (BFSC)
Cultivating Connection: Community Building Session Part Two
Gather with us on June 22 at BFSC HQ to build relationships, share experiences, and strengthen community among urban farmers, growers, and land stewards.
Through conversation, storytelling, and a shared meal, we’ll reflect on our experiences as producers, the conditions shaping our work, and the possibilities we can build together. This is a space to connect, listen, and imagine what’s needed to better support urban growers across our region.
Event and facilitator details here.
When: Sunday, June 22, 2025
Where: Black Food Sovereignty Coalition Headquarters; 1526 se Elliot Ave. Portland, OR
Community Conversations with Black & Beyond the Binary
Join a dialogue centered on Black trans and queer experiences, fostering inclusivity and understanding.
When: June 29th 4-7pm
Where: Black Futures Farm 6745 SE 60th st, Portland, Oregon 97202
Hosted By: Black Futures Farm
Rooted Resilience: Soil, Water, and Cultural Practice Workshop
Hosted by: Ecotrust and co hosted by Azimi Group and NAYA
Rooted Resilience: Soil, Water, and Cultural Practice Workshop
Gather with us on June 10 at the NAYA Community Garden WAPAS NAH NEE SHAKU for a hands-on workshop exploring how ancestral and cultural practices can guide climate-resilient farming today. Participants will learn techniques for soil regeneration, water management, and crop adaptation strategies for a changing climate. Together, we’ll reflect on our relationships to land, food, and lineage while building practical strategies to care for soil, water, and community. This is the second workshop in a three-part series designed for farmers, gardeners, land stewards, and anyone ready to reconnect with land and lineage while farming in a changing climate. Whether you grow on a balcony, backyard, or acreage, you are welcome.
Event and facilitator details here.
When: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Where: Naya Community Garden WAPAS NAH NEE SHAKU, 5135 NE Columbia Blvd. Portland, OR
Biochar Workshop Pt.2
Please note: Time not set! Eventbrite and details coming soon!
Learn about biochar production and its benefits for soil health in this hands-on workshop.
Where: Black Futures Farm 6745 SE 60th st, Portland, Oregon 97202
When: June 9th Time tbd
Biochar Workshop
Please note: Time not set! Eventbrite and details coming soon!
Learn about biochar production and its benefits for soil health in this hands-on workshop.
Where: CROPS Farm 1980 West Historic Columbia River Highway
When: June 7th Time tbd
Cultivating Connection: Community Building Session Part One
Cultivating Connection: Community Building Session Part One
Gather with us on May 28 at the Redd to build relationships, share experiences, and strengthen community among urban farmers, growers, and land stewards.
Through conversation, storytelling, and a shared meal, we’ll reflect on our experiences as producers, the conditions shaping our work, and the possibilities we can build together. This is a space to connect, listen, and imagine what’s needed to better support urban growers across our region.
Event and facilitator details here.
When: Wednesday, May 28 | 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Where: Redd on Salmon Street, 831 SE Salmon St.
Land Leasing Workshop
Hosted by: Feed’em Freedom Co-hosted by: Black Oregon Land Trust
Navigate key considerations of leasing:
-Evaluating your land for leasing
-Building relationships with farmers
-Understanding contracts and agreements
-Estate planning and farm business resources
Questions? Email andrea@oregonagtrust.org
Register HERE. Free workshop
When: Tuesday, May 20th, 10am-12pm
Where: CROPS 1980 W Historic Columbia River Hwy. Troudtale, OR
Madrona Fellowship Application DEADLINE
APPLICATIONS DUE MAY 16, 11:50PM
The Madrona Fellowship for Food System Leaders is a 12-month leadership development program that supports Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) working at the intersections of food, land, culture, and climate. The program begins in September 2025. Through seasonal gatherings, mentorship, and peer connection, the fellowship nurtures transformative leadership that is rooted in land, community, and collective care. Guided by the rhythms of the bioregion, it offers space for reflection, relationship, and regeneration.
For this year’s cohort, we are expanding the Fellowship’s geographic reach—from the Upper Willamette Valley to the Lower Salish Sea—growing a bioregional network of leaders grounded in place and relationship. The program now brings together Fellows across three regional hubs: Portland, Chehalis, and Seattle. All Fellows gather seasonally for land-based immersions at our central farm site near Chehalis.
Review the fellowship’s:
Rooted Resilience: Land, Legacy, and Climate
Hosted by: Ecotrust and co-hosted by Azimu Group and Black Futures Farm (BFF)
Rooted Resilience: Land, Legacy, and Climate
Gather with us on May 12 at Black Futures Farm to reconnect with ancestral growing traditions, explore Afro-Indigenous farming practices, and exchange knowledge about caring for land and community in a changing climate. Together, we’ll reflect on our relationships to land, food, and lineage while building practical strategies to care for soil, water, and community. This is the first workshop in a three-part series designed for farmers, gardeners, land stewards, and anyone ready to reconnect with land and lineage while farming in a changing climate. Whether you grow on a balcony, backyard, or acreage, you are welcome.
Event and facilitator details here
When: Monday, May 12 | 5:00 – 7:30 PM
Where: Black Futures Farm, 6745 SE 60th Ave
Ceremonial Goat Harvest
Learn the art & skill of ethical goat harvesting and butchering, in the context of ceremony and community. You’ll witness and participate (to your degree of comfort) in the harvest of our dear Billy Goat kin, and learn the process of cleaning and butchering, and the many uses of all the animal parts. Dinner (goat stew) included. Buy your tickets here!
Madrona Fellowship Info Session
May 2, 12:00-1:00pm
Join us for an Informational Online Zoom Session.
The Madrona Fellowship for Food System Leaders is a 12-month leadership development program that supports Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) working at the intersections of food, land, culture, and climate. The program begins in September 2025. Through seasonal gatherings, mentorship, and peer connection, the fellowship nurtures transformative leadership that is rooted in land, community, and collective care. Guided by the rhythms of the bioregion, it offers space for reflection, relationship, and regeneration.
For this year’s cohort, we are expanding the Fellowship’s geographic reach—from the Upper Willamette Valley to the Lower Salish Sea—growing a bioregional network of leaders grounded in place and relationship. The program now brings together Fellows across three regional hubs: Portland, Chehalis, and Seattle. All Fellows gather seasonally for land-based immersions at our central farm site near Chehalis.
Review the fellowship’s:
Flowers to the Folks
🌱 Volunteer Farm Days hosted by Feed’em Freedom Foundation
Come get your hands in the soil and be part of something growing.
Join us for a day of connection, nourishment, and hands-on support at the farm. Volunteer Farm Days are a beautiful way to give back to the land and the community, learn new skills, and share in the rhythms of seasonal life.
We’ll be tending gardens, planting, weeding, harvesting, mulching, or working on simple projects—whatever the land is calling for that day. No experience necessary—just bring your willingness to show up, get a little dirty, and be part of the magic.
What to Bring:
🌾 Clothes you can get muddy
🌞 Hat, sunscreen, and water bottle
🥗 A potluck dish or snack to share (optional)
🧤 Gloves (we have extras too!)
Why It Matters:
Every helping hand makes a difference. These days are about more than labor—they’re about community, reciprocity, and grounding in the earth beneath our feet.
Let’s grow together.
When: Fridays, 10:30am-1pm
Where: CROPS garden - 1700 w historic columbia river hwy
Sign up HERE
Black Sunday - Black Futures Farm - Earth Day
Earth Day: Black Sunday hosted by Black Futures Farm
Where: Black Futures Farm; 6745 SE 60th St. Portland, OR
When: April 27th 12:30pm-3:30pm
It’s that time again! Join us for Black Sunday and let’s celebrate Earth Day the way it’s meant to be—chill, connected, and centered in community. We’re bringing the vibes to Black Futures Farm with a day full of music, delicious food, creativity, and time spent connecting with nature.
RSVP here.
*This earth day is intended for people of African descent. if you do not identify as Black, please do not sign up for this event.
Tending the Light - Flowers to the Folks
Tending the Light: Honoring Spring
A Candle Making Workshop and Herbal Tea Ceremony
(This event is held at BOLT Headquarters farm in Corbett, OR - location address will be sent after registration.)
REGISTRATION LINK: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScH9Oxx2VPytv6064RBC0SD9ULtBrQ-DVjg-iNI0NR5nmbyHw/viewform
Join us for a special gathering at the Black Oregon Land Trust, where we'll explore the beauty and intensity of seasonal transitions. In this workshop, we'll connect with the land and each other, remembering how to breathe and find nourishment amidst change.
Mia will guide us in the art of beeswax candle dipping, a practice that honors the harvest and brings warmth to the turning seasons. As we craft our own candles, we'll reflect on what is growing within us and around us.
Jenny will lead an ancestral TeaJourney, sharing deep knowledge about accessible herbs growing all around us in the PNW. This will be a time to center ourselves and acknowledge that growth, while beautiful, can often feel overwhelming. Together, we'll learn how to orient ourselves to seasonal shifts in a way that nourishes our bodies, minds, and spirits.
Price: $40
Includes candles to take home
**5 scholarships available at $15
Earth Day Volunteer Event
Join BOLT prep the land for Spring! We will be clearing blackberries, laying trails, planting trees, and giving trees away to take home!
Sign up to Volunteer here!