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My husband, Marcus Landry, and I started farming in 2021 after he decided to retire from professional basketball. He is a native to Milwaukee and has always carried a passion for farming and community, so investing in our homestead and sharing it with others has been a dream come true.
As Black farmers, we wanted to learn and teach regenerative structures. Our heartbeat is to focus on agriculture within the community because, like plants, farmers thrive better together. This investment gives the opportunity for communities to restore fresh food to their areas, bringing generations and communities together on a solid foundation of compassion. The next generations of farmers who carry compassion for the land and others are desperately needed. Teaching healthy, sustainable practices will help families and communities grow in confidence in what they eat and what they pour into their families.
Benefits of regenerative farming
Black farmers make up only about one percent of farmers, and their families suffer from obstacles and disadvantages because of uneven playing fields. We believe if we educate communities on the benefit of regenerative farming and connect others to resources, we will organically build and strengthen communal support, and the percentage of Black farmers will begin to grow. The benefits of families owning land are tremendous. Farming encourages connection with nature and produces a focus on stewardship in what you have accomplished.
Marcus and I built the mindset of stewardship and ownership into our children before we had land, and as we continue to apply these principles, we are humbled to give these same opportunities and practices to those who come to learn with us at our homestead. We are able to do this through our programs we offer to Milwaukee youth programs and schools. We meet them at Beulah Family Homestead to allow a common ground for healing and growth.
As we connect kids to our Beulah 4H program and the added value opportunities that come through our programs, we are paving a road for diverse employment opportunities for emerging farmers, veterinarians, and agricultural entrepreneurs. We believe that these exposures are the essential stages to rebuilding sustainable communities together and restoring concepts that promote life.
Feed the Change MKE campaign
That is one of the reasons we recently partnered with the African American Roundtable’s Feed the Change MKE campaign. We believe that investing in locally-owned and operated grocery stores, community gardens, farmer’s markets and other food access points benefits everyone. Last month we created an intergenerational space for dozens of people to learn about our homestead, experience the benefits of farming and growing their own fruits and vegetables, and to become one with nature.
For those who didn’t get a chance to join us, we’re hosting Beulah Fest this Saturday from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Beulah Family Homestead in Elkhorn. We’ll enjoy a celebration of community, harvest, and family fun. There will be local vendors, raffles and a farm-to-table community dinner.
I also encourage you to support Feed the Change MKE, which is pushing for a $1 million investment in the Healthy Food Establishment Fund. This fund supports local initiatives like Beulah. Join AART on Oct. 5 at a public budget hearing at City Hall, on Oct. 9 and Oct. 10 for a community canvass, and on Oct. 13 for a virtual community update. Sign up for these events here.
Efueko Landry is lead gardener at Beulah Family Homestead and specializes in bringing together regenerative land practices and human ethics. She is the wife of Marcus Landry, and they have four children: Marcus Jr., Moriah, Makaylah, and Madison. She graduated with a double major from Marquette University in communication studies and sociology.
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