Ep 17: Cultivating Connection - Reconnecting Soil to Soul (Part 2)

What if your hands in the dirt could change your relationship with the Earth? Environmental scientist, Destiny Allen-Green invites us to reconnect with nature through a revolutionary approach to gardening that transforms how we view our place in the natural world.

Destiny Allen-Green is a proud Black Afro-Métis daughter of The Underground Railroad and the First Peoples of Turtle Island. She is an environmental scientist by trade and a farmer by experience, but maybe not in the traditional way you might be picturing.

Just as Destiny’s ancestors tended to the lands of Turtle Island for generations carrying their Indigenous wisdom across oceans, she too seeks to be in a deep and respectful relationship with the land. With farming roots that stretch across both sides of her family, Destiny proudly identifies as a small-scale, unconventional farmer. Her mission is to help others discover the joys of “everyday farming” as a powerful way to connect with the land, with themselves, and with our shared stories.

Destiny shares her journey from a child fascinated with soil, to pursuing a Masters degree in Land and Water Systems, to co-founding F.A.R.M.E.R.S (Future Agrarians Reciprocity Movement for Earth, Relationships, and Story), a branch of The Empathy Agency Inc.

F.A.R.M.E.R.S was founded by Destiny and her fellow environmental scientist and friend, Maia Somers, with a vision to reclaim and challenge traditional ideas of what farming looks like and who gets to participate. Together, they’ve created programs that help people, regardless of space or experience, develop personalized approaches to gardening and farming that transform how we connect to the natural world.

At the heart of this conversation lies a powerful idea: when we stop viewing the land as a commodity and start recognizing our deep interdependence with natural systems, our behavior naturally shifts toward greater care and responsibility. Expressions of environmental stewardship, when practiced collectively, can generate profound, lasting impact.

Destiny challenges the notion that you need acres of land, years of experience, or complicated crops to be considered a farmer. Instead, she invites us to see growing food as a gift, one that can nourish both our bodies and the environment, no matter where or how we begin.

Destiny’s approach to environmental justice includes universal access to gardening and farming, and helps us rediscover our place in "one collective story" of environmental stewardship.

For those feeling overwhelmed by climate challenges, Destiny offers this perspective: "Don't focus on the scale of the problem, but on what you can contribute to the solution." This practical wisdom reminds us that hope lies in wielding whatever power we have, however small it might seem.

Ready to get your hands in the dirt? Check out F.A.R.M.E.R.S to begin your own journey of reconnection with the natural world.

Learn more about F.A.R.M.E.R.S here: 

Website: https://www.theempathyagency.ca/farmers

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/t.e.a_f.a.r.m.e.r.s?igsh=eWM2ZzVpcHdrMXdl&utm_source=qr

Substack: https://teafarmers.substack.com

Blog 1: https://teafarmers.substack.com/p/seeds-of-justice-answering-change?r=5b3048

Blog 2: https://teafarmers.substack.com/p/join-us-in-the-garden?r=5b3048