Black Farmers Collective YES Farm Ray Williams Seattle Urban Farmer

Who we are We are a group of Black food system professionals: builders, growers, preparers, and eaters We are developing an urban farm and innovation center in cooperation with the SHA, WDOT, and the Yesler community

Why this project We believe one of the best ways to improve your mental and physical health is to grow some of your own food. Serve as an anchor to keep an African American presence in central Seattle Facilitate sharing of cultural traditions of the many ethnic communities in the neighborhood

Meet the Collective Ray Williams and Lottie Cross

Meet the Collective Nyema Clark Ron Harris-White

Meet the Collective Chief Tarik Abdulla Tom and Venice Willis

Our Collaborators Jared from Seattle Housing Authority Student Conservation Association

Our Collaborators Seth with Anything Aquaponics The Common Acre Seattle University Africatown Center for Education and Innovation

Our Collaborators Earth Corps PNW Black Growers Hilltop Urban Gardens Nurturing Roots Farm Antioch’s Urban Environmental Education Clean Greens Farm and Market Black Dollar Days Task Force Seattle Farm Coop Seattle Park’s Urban Food Systems

Our Collaborators Youth & You

What we support Farm Development Youth Programing South Walker St. Yes Garden Africatown Grow Home garden space Yes Farm Africatown Center for Education and Innovation Yesler Terrace

Yes Farm 2+ acre in central Seattle Cooperative farm Great southwest exposure SHA has brought water to the site Pedestrian access from Yesler Way Grow food for the local market Value added products Training and education Community Engagement

Urban Farm at Yesler Way and I-5

YES Farm “before” View from Yesler Way

Questions we have Infrastructure Community How do we mitigate the impacts of the freeway? Electric power Rainwater collection (have city water at site) Farm design Soil remediation How can the farm connect the diverse communities in the area? Including houseless people

Questions we have Farm business Education How do we develop an equitable business structure? How can we leverage our assets? What forms can our education efforts take? What should our primary learning objectives be?

Why should you choose our project? Help your community Help yourself Reduce health impacts of poor diet Create urban oasis for people and wildlife Model for other projects Ground floor project Opportunity to work with POC leadership Connections to our other partners

Thank you Ray Williams Black Farmers Collective swalkerst@gmail.com