International News: The Faithlands Toolkit

A few years ago our good friends in the United States, Agrarian Trust, launched “FaithLands”, an independent 501(c)(3) organization operating nationally.  

FaithLands began in 2017. The idea arose during a conversation between faith leaders and Greenhorns — an organization devoted to promote, recruit and support new farmers. (Greenhorns was also part of the inspiration behind our friends here in Canada, Young Agrarians.)

In their own words, “We are a coalition and learning community seeking to connect religious traditions, agriculture, and ecological stewardship, inspiring a spiritual and ethical revolution in our relationship to each other and the land. FaithLands supports partnerships between farmers, faith communities, land stewards, and food systems in celebration of our interconnectedness to one another and our common home.”

They firmly believe projects that combine agriculture, justice, conservation, and neighbourhood partnerships can embody long-held faith-based values while providing new avenues for relationship, reconciliation, and ecological and spiritual renewal.

Part of FaithLands’ mission is to support a dialogue amongst faith communities to consider options for the future of their land, for example through such means as:

• leasing land for farming
• donating land as an act of healing and reparative justice, and
• creating ecological management plans.

Last month Faithlands published a valuable toolkit, “FaithLands Toolkit – A Guide to Transformative Land Use”. 

An excerpt from the introduction says it all: 

“ . . . Join us in envisioning a world where land held by religious institutions is transformed into sustainable gardens and farms for the greater good of the land and all who depend on its bounty for sustenance and well-being. We believe faith communities are uniquely positioned in community and in their theological foundations to look at the land they own and to ask, How could this land be used to honor our connection to all that is, and our role in supporting a vibrant community? What is the untold story of how this land came to be in our possession? What is its origin? From whom was it taken and from whom was it withheld?”

The FaithLands project is headed by Briana Olson, a writer, editor, teacher, and gardener based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Apart from her role with FaithLands, Briana is also lead editor of the New Farmer’s Almanac. 

While the Toolkit was created in the USA, there are many elements of value for those of us here in Canada.  In the introduction, the editors outline who should use the Toolkit:

• Faith leaders seeking to engage community members in making land available to farmers.
• Faith leaders seeking to engage their communities in reconciliation, reparative justice, and land return.
• Faith groups interested in starting a community garden or other land-based enrichment opportunity for their members.
• Members of faith communities seeking models for land justice and land stewardship to share with their leaders and congregations.
• Members of faith communities seeking tools to persuade their leadership to implement faithlands projects.
• Individuals seeking models for righting wrongs to land and people.
• Communities and individuals seeking inspiration, information, and resources for supporting farming, gardening, and ecological renewal on their land.
• Farmers interested in engaging a faith community in a land access partnership.
• Organizations and individuals who provide land access assistance to farmers and want help thinking through how to approach a faith community.

In closing, a few words about the Faithlands Toolkit from one of the project participants:

“Teachings from multiple traditions invite faith groups to respond to current political, social and environmental challenges in how they use, share and protect their land holdings. 

From redressing ancestral wrongs to healing the soil to increasing food security, this Toolkit sets a spiritual framework for calls to practical action.”  Kathy Ruhf, Land for Good.

Natasha van Bentum
June 2021