Fred Carter, Dr. Jifunza Wright-Carter and their son Akin Carter founded Black Oaks Center to steward the land, grow healthy food and to nourish the Pembroke community and greater Chicago area. Black Oaks Center operates a teaching farm on its eco-campus located in the historic Black farming community of Pembroke Township where youth and their families learn to farm sustainably and build resilient communities.

Healing Soils Foundation supports Black Oaks Center in expanding its landbase along the I-57 transportation corridor to bring healthy food to the food desert areas of Chicago.

Click here to learn more about Black Oaks Center.

At Locavore Farm, Rachael and Chris Jones have made it their mission to bring healthy food and community to Kankakee County. They have operated a CSA program and hosted dining events on their 5-acre regenerative farm since 2015. In 2022 , the Jones family purchased Sumac Creek Farm to expand their Dine on the Land events, educational experiences as well as overnight retreat, glamping and farmstay offerings.

Alongside Potlikker Capital, Healing Soils Foundation helped to provide grant funding for critical infrastructure projects and building repairs in order to obtain the occupancy permit for the new farm site.

Click here to learn more about Locavore Farm.

Salvatierra Farms is an evolving 75-acre farm founded by Regi and Amy Haslett-Marroquin that seeks to become a place to learn and experience first hand the beauty of regenerative poultry production in a permaculture model as well as connect people to the land through live community events.  As part of a larger regional and national ecosystem, Salvatierra Farms will operate as a central regenerative poultry demonstration and training farm, highlighting indigenous understandings of regenerative agriculture and supporting indigenous farmers in earning a livelihood through practices that respect communities and the earth.

Healing Soils Foundation supports the construction of three poultry production units at Salvatierra Farms that will be at the heart of the regenerative model.

Click here to learn more about Salvatierra Farms.

Sharing Our Roots advances a resilient agriculture system that demonstrates the power to heal our lands, nourish our communities and prepare aspiring farmers. Given that immigrants, people of color and low-income families are disproportionately affected by lack of access to affordable healthy food, Sharing Our Roots supports farmers and communities in growing nourishing foods in a way that restores soil and water.

Healing Soils Foundation supports Sharing Our Roots by helping to pay off the current land mortgage and to prepare to secure the additional land needed to expand its mission and impact.

Click here to learn more about Sharing Our Roots.