Black joy and agricultural resistance were at the heart of the fourth annual “We Are the Harvest: A Sankofa Celebration of Black Legacy & Joy,” co-hosted by Frog Tree Farm and Three Rivers Park District. Minnesota’s oldest multigenerational Black-owned farm, run by Peace Mitchell and Michael Birchard, partnered with the district to expand the event from a small community gathering into a full day of youth activities, live demonstrations, and panels featuring Black farmers and entrepreneurs.
Framed by the principle of Sankofa, the idea of moving forward while honoring the past, the event offered a rare space where community support counters systemic obstacles. Attendees visited vendor stations, participated in educational panels, and engaged in interactive experiences designed to reconnect with the land, cultivate economic opportunity, and celebrate cultural heritage.
“You cannot move forward in the present if you do not know about the past,” said Nicole Fernandez, cultural liaison with Three Rivers Park District. “This event is about engaging community members, reconnecting, supporting gardens, and networking.”
“We Are the Harvest” began in 2022 as the “Black Microbusiness Event,” emerging from Mitchell’s student retreats at North Hennepin Community College. During the retreats, participants made wreaths, which led a friend, Renee Dosman, to suggest selling them at Midtown Global Market. The small fundraiser quickly proved successful. Originally intended to cover taxes and land expenses, the event grew into a community-centered tradition focused on connection and uplift rather than profit.
“That little suggestion turned into something much bigger than we imagined,” Mitchell said.
Wreath production shifted as the event evolved, from dreaming of selling thousands to crafting around 100 high-quality items that directly support youth and farm programming. “Now it’s a celebration of community, culture, and supporting Black entrepreneurs,” Birchard said.
Frog Tree Farm hosted its Black microbusiness events at the Isaac Walton League building, a small conservation clubhouse in Brooklyn Park. This year, the partnership with Three Rivers Park District allowed the event to move to the new Mississippi Gateway building, expanding space for vendors, panels, naturalists, and even animals, including raptors, for a more interactive experience.
Frog Tree Farm’s roots stretch back decades. Originally part of Mitchell’s family holdings, the farm has grown into a hub for community-focused agriculture. Mitchell and Birchard now operate the farm together, combining tree farming, a demonstration garden, and youth programming with efforts to connect Black communities to agricultural practices. Their work extends beyond production to advocacy for systemic changes that increase access to land, funding, and equipment for Black farmers.
Earlier this year, the pair focused on addressing long-standing inequities in agriculture. The Black Farmers Bill, a package of 2025 Minnesota legislation chief-authored by Representative Mary Frances Clardy and supported by State Senator John Hoffman, sought to expand access to land, funding, and resources like farming equipment for Black farmers.
“You cannot move forward in the present if you do not know about the past.”
“It’s about creating the infrastructure that didn’t exist for us and our ancestors,” Mitchell said. “There is a need for structural support where Black farmers can thrive and sustain generational wealth.”
Birchard emphasized that the bill is grounded in lived experience. “We know what it takes to grow crops, run a farm, and maintain a community space,” he said. “The problem is that many of our peers don’t have the same access to land, financing, or training. This bill is a step toward leveling that field.”
The legislation did not advance this session, but Birchard said it lays the groundwork for ongoing discussions about expanding access to land, funding, and resources for Black farmers. Frog Tree Farm has also collaborated with state lawmakers and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to expand emerging farmer programs and support Black farm ownership. Their efforts have helped increase Minnesota’s Black farm count from 39 to roughly 150.
That spirit of growth and collective uplift was visible throughout “We Are the Harvest.” More than 15 vendors, including Minnesota Africans United, Chocolate Milk Club, MNI SOTA Mortgage Co., Shining Lights Farm, R Roots, Intentions Enrichment Center, and Kalahari Foods, offered herbal goods, homemade crafts, and community resources. Fees were waived for several small businesses at the event.
“We want to lift up people who show up and stand with us,” Mitchell said.
Reflecting on the event and their work, Birchard recalled a lesson from his mentor, the late freedom rider Mark David: activism can feel “selfish,” but when it stems from an internal compass, it is a personal desire to do what feels right.
Both Mitchell and Birchard acknowledged the weight of community trust and the pressure not to disappoint, but they approach it with the same dedication they bring to the land.
Alaysia Lane is a multimedia journalist and commerce writer based in Minneapolis