Our Vision
Since 2014, Candace has had one dream, to open a BIPOC Urban Farm and wholeness retreat in Winooski, VT. Seeking out land in Winooski was a challenge but in 2020, Candace pivoted from looking outward for a space to build their vision and decided to convert their own small family urban homestead into a shared space for BIPOC to connect to the land and nurture their individual and collective wholeness.
Why Winooski:
First and foremost we acknowledge that we reside on the occupied lands of the Abenaki people and are committed to doing our part to both practice and teach stewardship that centers living WITH not OVER the land and each other. We are humbled and honored to live in Winooski and have a deep love and reverence for this land. We chose to live here because of its rich diversity in this predominantly white state which for us is a huge value added. Winooski is a small town yet it has the most diversity in the state of VT, and with a population of 7537, it is one of the densest and poorest towns in the state as well. In VT, if there is a space to create a BIPOC healing space it's Winooski.
Why Urban Homesteading / Urban Farming?
For years we've been dedicated to facilitating earth based learning and healing in small, urban spaces; supporting many BIPOC folks in using the space and resources they have available to them to begin to grow food and medicines for themselves. The land is not separate or away from us, it's apart of us and we apart of it; one body. Guiding folks on their journeys of reconnecting to and remembering the land as our kin is a sacred privilege and calling.
It's often misunderstood that to be able to cultivate a connection to land one must have access to huge acres of land. If this were the case, sacred land connection would be reserved for those who are descendants of colonizers alone as they hoard the land as property to be exploited rather than land that is our family to protect. For many BIPOC land access is limited due to colonization, dominance culture and systemic oppression. Centering the land in our collective healing and liberation does not require hundreds of acres of land; it can begin right where you are today, on your front stoop, gazing out of your window, within your body and the space you're living in right now.
Sovereignty and self sufficiency can be built right now, using the resources you have available to you in this moment.
Farming and agriculture have roots in colonization, dominance culture and oppression. Those roots still permeate this industry today. But homesteading (as its most commonly referred to now) or subsistence farming is apart of BIPOC's ancestral lineage. Through subsistence farming we are not only able to provide for ourself individually but collectively through mutual aid. At Conscious Homestead we dare to embody the dream of liberation and wholeness by co-creating a space to practice being in mutual/reciprocal relationship with the land and one another.
The Plan:
We are creating plans to convert our existing urban homestead into the future home of Winooski’s first urban farm and wholeness center for BIPOC. This crowdfunding campaign is going towards the building costs associated with converting our homestead into a learning and healing space for BIPOC in our community.
Wholeness Retreat Space - The vision is to build a four-season geodesic dome in the backyard that will be used to host BIPOC centered workshops, classes, small gatherings, mentorship programs and 1:1 appointments. These offerings will be led by Candace, Tony and in collaboration with many local BIPOC healers, herbalists, educators, artists, land stewards and activists.
Botánica - A botánica is a term for apothecary within the African Diaspora. The vision is to expand our existing in-house botánica and medicinals shop offerings; folks can come to obtain bulk homestead grown herbs, culinary spices and small-batch medicinals. We will also collaborate with BIPOC herbalists, medicine makers and land stewards to offer their creations in our shop.
Urban Farm - The vision is to redesign/rebuild the existing urban homestead gardens layout to create space for more gardens and to allow room for both day and week-long residential BIPOC land-based learning programs like the Recalling Our Landcestors Mentorship Program (we will still make this and other programs/workshops available for virtual learners as well).
We have built / will build:
Chicken Coop & Run (completed) - we tore down our large chicken coop and run to install a smaller one. The smaller chicken coop foot print will enable more space to be used for gardens and gatherings.
Greenhouse (completed) & Gardens (completed) - we worked with Vermont Victory Greenhouses to build an attached greenhouse to expand our grow season and enable us to grow more varieties of plant kin. We tore down our existing personal gardens and are working with BIPOC land steward Lilli of Roots North to redesign our urban homestead gardens for growing everything from vegetables, fruits, medicinal and culinary herbs and flowers for distribution to BIPOC in the format of homestead shares, for sale in our urban farm stand and botanica and in community meals and cooking classes.
Geodesic Dome (completed) - we are seeking to work with a four season geodesic dome company to enable us to have a space to host small groups for workshops, classes and gatherings. This space will allow us to host groups throughout the year and in various weather conditions.
Farm Stand & Botanica Pick-up Shed (completed) - we worked with a young builder named Nick to design and build a small shed located on the homestead that will offer homestead grown veggies, flowers and herbs, small batch medicinals and pasture raised eggs from our flock of chickens for purchase and pick-up.
Outdoor Herb Dryer (to be done) - we are seeking to work with a builder to help build an outdoor herb and flower dryer to store, dry and preserve homestead grown medicinal and culinary herbs and flowers for the Botanica.
Outdoor Shower and Compostable Toilet (completed) - we are seeking to work with a builder to construct a small outdoor shower and compostable toilet. The outdoor facilities will be able to be used by visitors and mentees who will be living on site during our week-long residential mentorship programs.
Outdoor Learning Kitchen (to be done) - The vision is to build a small outdoor learning kitchen space with a wood fire oven and outdoor table(s)/counter(s). This space will enable us to teach ancestral food and medicine-making classes.
How to Help:
Donate - This vision needs capital to come to fruition and make all the necessary additions to create this sacred space for BIPOC folx in our community. Please contribute generously and more than once if possible.
If you want to contribute outside of GoFundMe you can send donations via:
Venmo - @conscioushomestead
Make sure to indicate that this is for the BIPOC Urban Farm and Wholeness Center in Winooski.
Share - This GoFundMe campaign with your circles of friends and family as well as on your social media platforms.
Resource Share - Presently, this is a building project so we are also looking for folks with the skills who are willing to donate their labor to help us build .
Why Winooski:
First and foremost we acknowledge that we reside on the occupied lands of the Abenaki people and are committed to doing our part to both practice and teach stewardship that centers living WITH not OVER the land and each other. We are humbled and honored to live in Winooski and have a deep love and reverence for this land. We chose to live here because of its rich diversity in this predominantly white state which for us is a huge value added. Winooski is a small town yet it has the most diversity in the state of VT, and with a population of 7537, it is one of the densest and poorest towns in the state as well. In VT, if there is a space to create a BIPOC healing space it's Winooski.
Why Urban Homesteading / Urban Farming?
For years we've been dedicated to facilitating earth based learning and healing in small, urban spaces; supporting many BIPOC folks in using the space and resources they have available to them to begin to grow food and medicines for themselves. The land is not separate or away from us, it's apart of us and we apart of it; one body. Guiding folks on their journeys of reconnecting to and remembering the land as our kin is a sacred privilege and calling.
It's often misunderstood that to be able to cultivate a connection to land one must have access to huge acres of land. If this were the case, sacred land connection would be reserved for those who are descendants of colonizers alone as they hoard the land as property to be exploited rather than land that is our family to protect. For many BIPOC land access is limited due to colonization, dominance culture and systemic oppression. Centering the land in our collective healing and liberation does not require hundreds of acres of land; it can begin right where you are today, on your front stoop, gazing out of your window, within your body and the space you're living in right now.
Sovereignty and self sufficiency can be built right now, using the resources you have available to you in this moment.
Farming and agriculture have roots in colonization, dominance culture and oppression. Those roots still permeate this industry today. But homesteading (as its most commonly referred to now) or subsistence farming is apart of BIPOC's ancestral lineage. Through subsistence farming we are not only able to provide for ourself individually but collectively through mutual aid. At Conscious Homestead we dare to embody the dream of liberation and wholeness by co-creating a space to practice being in mutual/reciprocal relationship with the land and one another.
The Plan:
We are creating plans to convert our existing urban homestead into the future home of Winooski’s first urban farm and wholeness center for BIPOC. This crowdfunding campaign is going towards the building costs associated with converting our homestead into a learning and healing space for BIPOC in our community.
Wholeness Retreat Space - The vision is to build a four-season geodesic dome in the backyard that will be used to host BIPOC centered workshops, classes, small gatherings, mentorship programs and 1:1 appointments. These offerings will be led by Candace, Tony and in collaboration with many local BIPOC healers, herbalists, educators, artists, land stewards and activists.
Botánica - A botánica is a term for apothecary within the African Diaspora. The vision is to expand our existing in-house botánica and medicinals shop offerings; folks can come to obtain bulk homestead grown herbs, culinary spices and small-batch medicinals. We will also collaborate with BIPOC herbalists, medicine makers and land stewards to offer their creations in our shop.
Urban Farm - The vision is to redesign/rebuild the existing urban homestead gardens layout to create space for more gardens and to allow room for both day and week-long residential BIPOC land-based learning programs like the Recalling Our Landcestors Mentorship Program (we will still make this and other programs/workshops available for virtual learners as well).
We have built / will build:
Chicken Coop & Run (completed) - we tore down our large chicken coop and run to install a smaller one. The smaller chicken coop foot print will enable more space to be used for gardens and gatherings.
Greenhouse (completed) & Gardens (completed) - we worked with Vermont Victory Greenhouses to build an attached greenhouse to expand our grow season and enable us to grow more varieties of plant kin. We tore down our existing personal gardens and are working with BIPOC land steward Lilli of Roots North to redesign our urban homestead gardens for growing everything from vegetables, fruits, medicinal and culinary herbs and flowers for distribution to BIPOC in the format of homestead shares, for sale in our urban farm stand and botanica and in community meals and cooking classes.
Geodesic Dome (completed) - we are seeking to work with a four season geodesic dome company to enable us to have a space to host small groups for workshops, classes and gatherings. This space will allow us to host groups throughout the year and in various weather conditions.
Farm Stand & Botanica Pick-up Shed (completed) - we worked with a young builder named Nick to design and build a small shed located on the homestead that will offer homestead grown veggies, flowers and herbs, small batch medicinals and pasture raised eggs from our flock of chickens for purchase and pick-up.
Outdoor Herb Dryer (to be done) - we are seeking to work with a builder to help build an outdoor herb and flower dryer to store, dry and preserve homestead grown medicinal and culinary herbs and flowers for the Botanica.
Outdoor Shower and Compostable Toilet (completed) - we are seeking to work with a builder to construct a small outdoor shower and compostable toilet. The outdoor facilities will be able to be used by visitors and mentees who will be living on site during our week-long residential mentorship programs.
Outdoor Learning Kitchen (to be done) - The vision is to build a small outdoor learning kitchen space with a wood fire oven and outdoor table(s)/counter(s). This space will enable us to teach ancestral food and medicine-making classes.
How to Help:
Donate - This vision needs capital to come to fruition and make all the necessary additions to create this sacred space for BIPOC folx in our community. Please contribute generously and more than once if possible.
If you want to contribute outside of GoFundMe you can send donations via:
Venmo - @conscioushomestead
Make sure to indicate that this is for the BIPOC Urban Farm and Wholeness Center in Winooski.
Share - This GoFundMe campaign with your circles of friends and family as well as on your social media platforms.
Resource Share - Presently, this is a building project so we are also looking for folks with the skills who are willing to donate their labor to help us build .
Programs
Conscious Homestead BIPOC Urban Farm and Wholeness Retreat will be launching its first year of programs in late Spring 2021.
We will have an official calendar of events and programs to share with the community coming soon. This will include clear information about such things as our shared community guidelines, daily schedule, on-site parking and COVID-19 related space limitations. We will be requiring all visitors to wear masks properly covering their nose and mouth at all times while maintaining six-foot distance during this pandemic. No one will be permitted inside of our home; thanks in advance for honoring that personal family boundary.
What are some offerings you can expect from Conscious Homestead in the future?
- BIPOC Urban Homesteading Mentorship & Immersions (in-person and virtual)
- BIPOC Yoga Mentorship
- Homestead Community Care Shares
- Homestead Stand
- Homestead Botanica
- Programming done in collaboration with local BIPOC healers, educators, artists, activists etc.
- Moon Gatherings
- Harvest Gatherings
- Food and Herbalism Classes
- Meditation, Movement and Yoga Classes
and more <3
If you are BIPOC and interested in sharing some suggestions of seeds you would like for us to plant on the homestead please fill this form out!
* We ask for the community's patience as we open while still being in the midst of building the space. *
We will have an official calendar of events and programs to share with the community coming soon. This will include clear information about such things as our shared community guidelines, daily schedule, on-site parking and COVID-19 related space limitations. We will be requiring all visitors to wear masks properly covering their nose and mouth at all times while maintaining six-foot distance during this pandemic. No one will be permitted inside of our home; thanks in advance for honoring that personal family boundary.
What are some offerings you can expect from Conscious Homestead in the future?
- BIPOC Urban Homesteading Mentorship & Immersions (in-person and virtual)
- BIPOC Yoga Mentorship
- Homestead Community Care Shares
- Homestead Stand
- Homestead Botanica
- Programming done in collaboration with local BIPOC healers, educators, artists, activists etc.
- Moon Gatherings
- Harvest Gatherings
- Food and Herbalism Classes
- Meditation, Movement and Yoga Classes
and more <3
If you are BIPOC and interested in sharing some suggestions of seeds you would like for us to plant on the homestead please fill this form out!
* We ask for the community's patience as we open while still being in the midst of building the space. *
