Rooted in Heritage, Grown with Purpose
From her family's origins in Palestine to her work at Thurraya, Nadia Barhoum weaves ancestral knowledge, cultural resilience, and land stewardship into a powerful narrative of reconnection.
Seed Keepers Spotlight: Nadia BarhoumÂ
Nadia's journey is deeply rooted in her Palestinian heritage and fueled by a passion for social justice for Palestinians. Central to Nadia's story is her family's history in Al Malha, a village that was ethnically cleansed by Zionist militias in 1948. Her family were fellaheen (peasant farmers), and her father was born as a refugee, thus losing a significant part of their ancestral knowledge and connection to the land within a single generation. Despite her desire to pursue land-based work, Nadia felt this path would not meet the expectations, culturally and financially, to satisfy the needs of her family and community. This tension between familial expectations and personal aspirations led Nadia to grapple with questions of identity and purpose, ultimately fueling her determination to integrate land sovereignty work into her life in a culturally meaningful way, emphasizing the significance of reclaiming connection to it, especially in the face of ongoing occupation, displacement, and erasure.
Nadia's exploration of this path led her to engage in various projects, including agricultural initiatives and involvement in food policy councils in Richmond. However, she felt a growing desire for more practical, hands-on work that directly addressed issues of land access and sovereignty. Enrolling in the agroecology program at UC Santa Cruz marked a significant turning point. Immersing herself in farming practices, she experienced a profound shift in perspective, recognizing the privilege of being able to work the land and the systemic barriers that limit such opportunities, particularly for marginalized communities. Nadia's journey underscores the broader societal challenges of land ownership and access, particularly in the United States, where historical injustices and disparities persist.Â
Through her work at Thurraya, Nadia seeks to create a space of refuge and connection for her community, emphasizing the importance of reclaiming ancestral knowledge and preserving it for future generations. She views this as essential not only for the Palestinian community but for humanity as a whole, recognizing the interconnectedness between people and the land. The name "Thurraya" holds significance, it is the name of the Pleiades star cluster that historically signaled important events to communities. This name is a connection between her work and Palestinian cosmologies, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all lands and people. Her experiences living in Greece, Palestine, and Jordan reinforced this belief, highlighting the shared heritage of Mediterranean cultures and the guiding influence of celestial bodies like the Pleiades star cluster.Â
Nadia's experience with farming intertwines with her Palestinian heritage, marked by the endeavor to cultivate seeds sourced from Palestine, including varieties like maramiyya (wild sage) and za'atar (wild thyme), alongside those obtained from friends. These seeds hold deep nostalgic and cultural significance, evoking memories of a time when her community still lived freely on their ancestral lands. She is growing plants like fakous (a vegetable eaten like a cucumber) and kusa (a variety of zucchini from Palestine), foods cherished by many. Inspired by her family friend and elder, Amo Yasser, who gifted her fig cuttings from the village of Birzeit, Nadia embarked on a journey of planting and nurturing these precious cuttings in her backyard. Despite initial challenges, such as losing some cuttings to deer and gophers, she found solace and connection in tending to the plants, feeling a profound link to her Tayta (Grandmother) Sarah and her Uncle Ahmad who was tragically killed in 1967. Nadia acknowledges the challenges of adapting these crops to the different climate and soil conditions in her local area. She recognizes farming as a humbling endeavor that demands patience and a willingness to learn from each experience. Collaborating with others like Sama and Zee in Petaluma, Nadia aims to scale up her operations to increase the chances of success, while also developing a seed library to preserve biodiversity and ensure resilience against future challenges.
Reflecting on the significance of honoring our familial and communal ties, Nadia emphasizes the importance of preserving cultural heritage through agriculture. She advocates for starting small, reaching out to others for support and inspiration, and recognizing the value of seeds as more than just commodities but as living beings with stories and lineages to uphold. Nadia's advice to aspiring farmers echoes her own journey of patience, resilience, and determination. She stresses the need for creating spaces where communities can cultivate their own narratives and respond to external pressures at their own pace. She envisions an educational space where Arab and Palestinian youth can learn about their culture, cooking, and agriculture, bridging the gap between urban environments and the land of Palestine. For Nadia, farming is not just a practical endeavor but a spiritual one, guided by the stars and rooted in a deep connection to the land. As she sowed sunflower seeds at farm school, she felt the presence of Thurayya, the Pleiades, guiding her path and reminding her of the interconnectedness of all life. Through Thurraya, Nadia seeks to honor this connection and inspire others to reclaim their cultural heritage and stewardship of the land.
You can follow Nadia’s work on her instagram page.
Please consider supporting these efforts in Palestine and Lebanon that are providing essential aid to people as they face unimaginable conditions due to ongoing genocide and violence perpetrated by Israel.
Seed Processing for Abundance: A New Resource for Seed Librarians and Growers
We're excited to share a fantastic online course, Seed Processing for Abundance, perfect for gardeners, homesteaders, and small-scale seed farmers. Whether you're just starting or have been a seed librarian for years, this course is packed with useful tips to help you grow and process seeds for abundance. It's a valuable resource for community-focused seed growers!
And here’s the best part: You can use the code SEEDLIBRARIES to get 20% off the course! The coupon works in both uppercase and lowercase and is valid through December 15. Take advantage of this great offer and dive into the wealth of knowledge offered by this course, and special thank you to Noel and Ann for sharing this wonderful resource with us!Â
Community Tips & Resources: Get Involved!
We're always looking to share tips, tricks, and resources from our wonderful seed library community! Explore our growing collection of Community Tips & Resources by filling out the Airtable form below, where you can see signage examples from other seed libraries and read tips on how to get started.
Do you have your own signage or tips that could benefit others? We'd love for you to share! Simply click on the Airtable form link below to upload your materials, and help us continue to build this amazing resource bank.
Seed Saving Posters: Share with Your Community!
We’ve attached some helpful seed-saving posters for beans and tomatoes that you can display in your seed library. These posters are designed to help your members learn the best practices for seed saving.Â
You’ll also find a general seed-saving best practices poster in the folder below.
In the coming months, these posters will be available on the soon-to-be-updated SeedLibraryNetwork.org website. Right now, the site features our map of seed libraries, network resources, and instructions on how to start a seed library. Stay tuned for more updates!Â
We’d love to offer these posters in other languages! If you can translate any of the seed-saving materials into languages other than English, please reach out to us at hello@seedlibrarynetwork.org. Your help would make this information more accessible to a wider audience. Let’s work together to grow our seed-saving knowledge and community!
Call for Volunteers: We Need Your Help!
The Seed Library Network is a 100% volunteer-powered organization, and we depend on the support of passionate individuals like you to keep the work moving forward. Every month, we'll send out a list of tasks that need to be done to maintain and grow our network of seed libraries and resources.
If you're available to lend a hand, we’d love to hear from you! Simply email us at hello@seedlibrarynetwork.org with the Task # you're interested in helping with. Your contributions will ensure we continue providing high-quality resources to communities looking to start or maintain seed libraries. Thank you for being part of this movement!
Thank you for highlighting this Palestinian Farmer! We should continue to uplift and talking about the long Palestinian struggle.