I have been a faculty member of the Community Health department at CUNY since 2023. I teach food science, nutrition, and culinary arts to kids and adults. In these health circles, terms like food insecurity, food justice, and food sovereignty are frequently debated by examining case studies, analyzing data, and developing grassroots initiatives to address these important issues.
Recently, I interviewed Omowale Adewale, a vegan farmer based in New York who is creating sustainable solutions, from the ground up, with his bare hands. He and his wife, Nadia Muyeeb-Adewale, operate Liberation Farm in South Kortright, N.Y., and are the founders of Black VegFest (or Black Vegan Festival), a festival celebrating veganism and food justice in the Black community.
Omowale’s personal journey to veganism began as a commitment to his own health and well-being. Omowale was born and raised in Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, and has rooted his efforts in these neighborhoods. He was diagnosed with hypertension at 15 and learned the importance of foods like beets, garlic, and other fresh vegetables.
He and his wife realized that as farmers and organizers, they knew a lot about food, nutrition, and medicine. They felt a responsibility to address their communities’ health and stability. At one point, the Adewales had 340 acres of farmland — the largest farmland under Black farm stewardship in New York. July 2024 was the last time Liberation Farm had the land in possession. It is currently on 20 acres of Roots and Culture Farm’s land in the Hudson Valley.
Through their farming efforts and community organizing, the couple has an impact on food insecurity in neighborhoods of need. They currently farm in Orange County, N.Y., focusing on crops and farm education that directly benefit low-income communities in New York City.
Omowale Adewala photos
Liberation Farm began by offering produce in the Bronx and later expanded to Brooklyn. Now, they collaborate with several farms at the Chester Agricultural Center in Orange County. They are also part of an informal Black cooperative project that works to protect food security and living conditions in Ulster County.
“If you have to travel to another community to enjoy healthy, good food, that is a health issue. That should make us rethink our practice,” Omowale said. Liberation Farm embodies this principle by striving to ensure communities have access to nutritious food and making a meaningful impact where it’s needed most.
This commitment does not come without setbacks. They have been displaced twice and have been denied funding by the USDA several times. The U.S. food system is dominated by white farmers who own a staggering 98% of the acres. Discriminatory lending by the USDA and other unfair practices meant to undermine Black and Brown Farmers have been the subject of a class-action lawsuit. The Adewales won their case against the USDA in early 2024, but this does not guarantee funding. Despite these roadblocks, they have pressed forward in their fight for food, land sovereignty, and getting food education into the lives of those who need it most.
As the Adewales optimistically look toward the future, they remember lessons learned from the civil rights era. “Liberation needs optimism and short-term wins to translate into success,” Omowale said. They envision continuing to work with cooperative partners like Roots and Culture Farm and Liberated Lands to begin to appropriate equity in the food system. They “see more loving and sustainable land spaces to rest [our] minds and heal from the past trauma of slavery,” said Omowale. “We see a future where our young understand the importance of developing our community’s food system through workshops, vegan camping trips, farm festivals, and gatherings that center peace and community. We see ourselves stewarding land and creating a Black space that not only addresses our relationship with the earth and food, but with each other. Our goal is to continue to model what safety and good food looks like on Black farmland.”
The Adewales are committed to caring for both the planet and their community. “Food justice is about raising important food and land justice issues while addressing the practical matter of feeding our community.”
Eileen Barett is a private chef, culinary teacher, and owner of Aromas Boutique Bakery in Harlem. She writes about health, nutrition, and how to eat with intention.Questions, comments, requests, feedback, invitations! Email us at AmNewsFOOD@SCHOPnyc.com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @NYAmNewsFOOD.