A Farmer's Daughter's Return to the Land:
A Heroine’s Journey Back to their Roots
Like the goddess Persephone—a womxn who surrendered her spirit from the dogmas of patriarchy that rendered her powerless— Jumia’s wisdom reminds us that our inner strength and guidance carries us forward along our desired path and destined purpose.
Jumia happily strolling through the butternut squash patch with a smile on their face & the peace sign
Jumia reflects on their journey back to land stewardship & healing with the Earth
Growing up in Memphis, TN, Jumia spent their days nurturing her seeds of own insatiable curiosity of what lay beneath the topsoil. Digging up the rich, lush dirt in their yard was one of her favorite pastimes growing up. They found comfort, joy, and a deep sense of fulfillment attuning to the rhythms of Mother’s Earth’s life-giving essence.
Upon rediscovering her passion for farming in college, it was their mother that reminded her of their days nurturing Earth’s garden beds in their yard on hot summer days. As Jumia invited space to reweave her ancestral connection to Earth tending, they resurfaced the secret ingredients to nourishing and uplifting the collective spirit - farming & tilling the land.
Following the steps of their ancestresses, they embarked on an agroecology apprenticeship in the Bay Area, where they re-enlivened their spirited connection to fellow Black farmers and farm communities who were tapped into indigenous Earth wisdom. As they nurtured their gifts, they deepened her bond with the spirit of land spoken and understood by they people long ago.
"When I build this land, when I find this land that accepts me and I put roots down, it's going to be for myself first. Because that's the first person that I'm going to be healing, and then it's going to be for everyone with me.”
— Jumia
Image of Jumia outside wearing khaki and rust colored flannel shirt while staking a vegetable row in a garden
Like the resilient matriarchs in their family who tended to the whispers of the land – pressing and rubbing healing salves born of traditional hoodoo/voodooo in the Jim Crow South – Jumia graces all they encounters with generations-long impact on everyone she meets.
As a third-generation Black femme farmer, Jumia nurtures their purpose by tending to the smallest yet mightiest living organisms that make up the intricate ecosystems in the Bay Area, CA.
With this profound embrace to take up the call of fearlessly tapping into their own unique journey as a farmer and healer, Jumia share with us that they is tasked first with freeing herself.
Jumia is the daughter of the soil.
Jumia talks about what it means to be spiritually aligned to our purpose & power in shaping deeper, richer relationships with the land
we are daughters of the soil
𖦹
we are daughters of the soil 𖦹
“We are mythology in the making.”
-Jumia
As the breaking down of age-old systems to liberate ourselves and boldly envision a better world, Jumia envisions a society where care is paramount, enabling everyone to pursue their loftiest aspirations for the liberation of all.
May we honor one another’s’ journeys by by lighting the way – reclaiming our rites of passage toward our purpose and ultimate freedom on this planet.
None of Us till All of Us.
Like Persphone, Jumia reminds us of our capabilities to arise from darkness and rediscover our innate capacity to heal ourselves. By embracing our inspired courage, ferocity, and fearless nature, we recover our profound curative abilities to to pave the way for our own heroine journeys.
Jumia shares about the Persephone, the Greek mythos, through the connection to the pomegranate & the collective of femmes navigating similar journeys.
Digging Deeper
Jumia’s love for the people and fellow plant-cestors runs deep. Follow their musings, attend their future gatherings, and support your wellness by stocking on up on those herbal blends!
Follow
You can Jumia’s cosmic musings in her journey as a land steward, metaphysicist, & one bad mythologian at the following:
Jumia’s IG Page (@jumiacyowayout)
Herbal offerings from Jumia & friends apothecaries at Wellness event hosted by Jumia during Black History Month
Support
In the spirit of Fannie Lou Hamer, Jumia is also is crafting spaces for Black students to feel empowered to learn from nature as our healer, guide, and most beloved companion. Sign up to volunteer at the Fannie Lou Hamer Garden (FLH) at Oxford Tract Farm here!
URGENT! Homies help homies! Support Jumia along with their queer, BIPOC, Indigenous community organizer housemates get some much-needed home renovations done by donating to their fundraiser here!
Image of Jumia smiling while holding collard greens