Becoming Changemakers
We model community-based farming rooted in organic and regenerative practices; our impact captured the attention of Marbleseed, a nationally recognized leader in the organic farming movement, and they awarded us the Changemaker of the Year Award. Our farmer cohort is composed of 11 farm businesses, representing over 40 families, and led by farm manager Alissa Jacobsen. In the past year, Sharing Our Roots has elevated our farm program to strengthen livelihoods, expand market reach, and build business skills. In this moment of recognition and celebration of our cohort, our spirits filled renewed hope that our impact is not only appreciated, but inspiring others to join us in transforming our food system.
Left to right: Khalid Elhassan, Moffat Otwere, Alissa Jacobsen, and Derek Meyers giving our acceptance speech at Marbleseed.
The conference kicked off with the recognition of the changemaker award. We were given the opportunity to share the legacy of Sharing Our Roots and speak to the ways that we have helped transform the livelihoods of our farmers. Our executive director, Derek Meyers, set the stage, uplifting our mission, and sharing our impact from the farm, to community gardens, to mutual aid. From there, Alissa Jacobsen explained the unique nature of our farmer cohort; not only recognizing our multicultural group of growers, but our diverse productions from apiaries, botanicals, mixed vegetable, and halal sheep. She reminded the audience that diversity breeds the most healthy, resilient ecosystems, and land access is the key to nurturing this legacy.
“It is easy to say clean water is a human right, but I also think that having good access to land and growing your own food, especially culturally-important food, is a human right too. Having models for land access that get really creative, like we do at Sharing Our Roots, is important because in Minnesota less than 1% of farmland is owned by farmers of color…There is one of the biggest transfers of farmland coming up in the next 20 years; is that land going to go data centers or development or large conventional farms? Or are we going to keep nurturing resilient communities and get creative with how we own land and share it with everyone”.
Moffat Otwere expanded on the importance of land access to practice organic farming and shared the gratitude he has for Sharing Our Roots.
“Most Africans do organic farming. We believe organic farming is health and is our medicine. So, I do mixed vegetables of which I came to practice at Sharing Our Roots…I am so grateful to join this group, it is an amazing one”.
The night wrapped up with Khalid Elhassan recognizing the way that the Sudanese Farming Group has gained not only land access, but a place of community and belonging.
“This is our third year farming with Sharing Our Roots and we truly run a community-model of farming. Many people have talked about how hard and lonely farming could be. With the help of Sharing Our Roots, they didn’t just help us cross the color barrier, or the accent barrier, but also the isolation and loneliness of farming. It doesn’t have to be that way. We farm together”.
Sharing Our Roots is proud to create change beyond agriculture through nurturing connection across cultures, generations, languages, and experiences.
2026 Changemaker of the Year Award
The Marbleseed Organic Farming conference was a wonderful experience. Coming together as farmers, food and land access policy activists, community leaders, seed suppliers, and agriculture professionals created a palpable buzz of excitement for organic agriculture and healthy communities. During the course of this three-day conference, we all basked in the joy of reimagining our food system, one that was centered in the well-being of people, land, and animals. In a practice of reflection and sharing, we discussed the barriers, successes, tools, and networks that fuel the national organic farming movement. In the exchange of knowledge and resources, there were plentiful opportunities to access learning materials on conservation planning, organic certification, managed grazing, farm policy, tree-fruit grafting, composting, and so much more. These invaluable moments of collaboration build solidarity and uplift an abundance of resources to encourage collective success in organic farming. We are grateful for the opportunity to attend and humbled to receive the honor of being named Changemakers of the Year.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Sharing Our Roots relies on community donations to fund our work restoring land and providing immigrant, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ farmers with essential support. If you are able and inspired, please join us in our work to heal our lands and prepare emerging farmers by contributing a one-time or recurring donation. Thank you!
