Episode 74: Collective Land Access with Farmer Sagan

Farm Commons

Sagan Gray (they/them) is a co-owner of Bramblenook Farm, a small vegetable production farm located in Scituate, Rhode Island on the unceded lands of the Narragansett, Pokanoket, and Wampanoag people. Their farm business has been in operation since 2019, and started fresh on collectively purchased land in 2022. In this episode, they share an honest picture of the underlying power dynamics of collective land ownership, as well as navigating legal barriers as a transgender person trying to move forward with a general distrust of these systems. Sagan’s wisdom is a catalyst of inspiration for how the paperwork process of creating an LLC, including the Articles of Incorporation and operating agreement, provide structure when delving into the shared values of a business. They will inspire you to begin asking the questions of importance to you in your business partnerships, and to begin resourcing for local support to get the assistance you need.

Farm Commons is grateful to have worked with Sagan as a member of the 2023 Collaborative Learning Fellowship.

Find a transcript of this episode here

Here’s what Sagan had to say about their experience sharing their story of legal resilience:

In sharing your farm resilience story, what are you most grateful for from that experience?

Taking the time to craft something to be disseminated or shared really pushed me to consider what I thought was worth sharing, to lean into believing that elements of my story would be worth sharing. I am grateful to have come into a new awareness of what some of those truths are for me. Farming requires such a breadth and depth of knowledge, and there is always so much I don't know! This often makes me overlook what I have learned or disregard what I might have to share. This was a great push and reminder to appreciate my own wisdom.

Did you encounter any challenges in sharing your story? What was that like?

Yes, it was hard to decide how vulnerable to be: what feels safe vs what feels comfortable; how much to share when it might impact others I live and work with; was my hesitation rooted in fear that I might overcome or that I should mind? Acknowledging the fears and insecurities that often hinder me from sharing in the first place was a necessary and helpful step in gathering my thoughts and sharing my story.

What did the storytelling journey illuminate for you? What are you seeing differently as a result of this experience?

My approach to risk management really has shifted. The Collaborative Learning Fellowship gave me the confidence and motivation that I needed to guide our collective group through our own risk management process. We are still in the midst of it, but it would not be happening at all yet without my experiences from the fellowship.

What is your hope for folks who hear your story?

I hope it offers an extra nudge of encouragement to prioritize their own safety and protection amidst our challenging and discriminatory systems. Having the courage to approach a process that you don't understand and you know wasn't built for you to take what you can repurpose it is hard work, and I just hope this offers a little motivation for folks in a similar mindset.

What tool(s) or resource (s) have been key to your sense of resilience?

Access to professional support: a decent insurance agent, a tax preparer, a lawyer, templates to work off of. Financial support to cover professional expenses. Collective support - having friends, family, and community in this process with me and making time for joy and celebration. Alone time to recharge and recenter. Sanctuary from the chaos of the world. A sense of purpose.