Taking Space, Vermont RELEAF Collective

Tina Picz, a forager, food photographer and food stylist in the Mad River Valley addresses equity and justice in food systems through conversations she facilitates on her social media channels.

These conversations center and uplift the voices of food sovereignty workers, and create space for BIPOC leaders in food systems, land use, and health.   

On this episode of Root Words we’ll explore the importance of affinity spaces for BIPOC Vermonters while experiencing their foodways. We’ll hear from Olivia Pena, founder of Vermont RELEAF Collective, a network by and for Black, Indigenous, & People of Color advancing Racial Equity in Land, Environment, Agriculture, & Foodways and we’ll reconnect with Tina Picz.  

RELEAF practices 3 main initiatives: Building Community, Sharing Opportunities, and Amplifying voices. 

This past November I got a chance to connect with Olivia Pena, Vermont RELEAF’s founder and community organizer, to learn about why she was inspired to launch the RELEAF Collective in Vermont.  

Our connections with the Land, our Environment, Agriculture, and our Foodways are deep in Vermont and deeply tied to quality of life for all Vermonters, though many of the decisions regarding our connections with these things happen in white spaces, and the stories that are shared of leaders in these fields have been pretty whitewashed for a long time. 

But, all that is shifting and networks of BIPOC farmers, environmentalists, and food sovereignty advocates, like the folks of Vermont RELEAF Collective, are amplifying the voices of folks that have a lot to contribute to the future of Vermont’s foodways and land use, while also creating space for folks that break the mould of who a farmer can be in Vermont. 

This episode was produced by Stephen Abatiell

Special thanks to Tina Picz, Olivia Pena, and Vermont RELEAF Collective. 

To learn more, check out Vermont RELEAF Collective at www.vtreleafcollective.org. You can find Tina Picz on Instagram at VermontFoodPhoto.

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