Food Sovereignty & Land Stewardship

Reclaiming our roots, nurturing our future

Our Understanding

For generations, our relationship with food and with the Earth has been intertwined with our identity, history, and traditions. Yet, over and over again, systemic injustices threaten to sever this sacred connection, pushing us further from our ancestral lands and practices.

Achieving food sovereignty is more than just accessing nutritious food — it's about re-establishing a relationship with the earth, honoring ancient wisdom, and empowering our community to take control of its health and wellbeing. We are on a mission to transform how we relate to, grow, and share our food - centering respect, sustainability, and intergenerational wisdom.

How We Do This

We increase access through communion with land, gathering outside to relearn the ancient wisdom of our ancestors, and cultivating and caring for the land we live on. Our work centers food-as-medicine, growing and distributing nutritious and traditional foods that nourish our bodies, minds, and souls. We create opportunities for community members to reconnect with land, share knowledge, and participate in growing, preparing, and celebrating culturally relevant food. Through this work, we support not only physical nourishment, but also cultural connection, healing, and a deeper relationship to land, food, and community.

Our Despensa Solidaria - a mobile food pantry - reaches over 300 families bi-weekly in Portland, offering opportunities to gather. By fostering and modeling community care, we bridge immediate necessities with long-term resilience and unity.

Our Plan

 Addressing Immediate Needs

Expanding our Farms Infrastructure

Through our partnership with Land in Common, we've secured a 99-year lease, granting our community the transformative experience of long-term land tenure. We focus on sustainable food production, Indigenous leadership, and community.

Expanding Our Farm Infrastructure

Explore each area to learn more about how we support community health.

  • We aim to reclaim and restore our sacred connection to food, land, and ourselves. By creating opportunities for the community to grow food, connect with “la pachamama,” and relearn traditional food and medicine practices, we seek to transform the way we view our place in the ecosystem

    Despite 85% of farm laborers being Latinx, few have access to the land to cultivate food. Living under food apartheid in a region abundant with fresh produce, we're tapping into ancient wisdom and indigenous practices, choosing nourishing foods and self-sustainability over the limitations of food charity.

    Through our collaboration with Land in Common, we've secured a 99-year lease, granting our community the transformative experience of long-term land tenure.

  • While our focus encompasses sustainable food production, our vision extends far beyond. Our program's core tenets include:

    • Empowering Indigenous Leadership: Elevating the voices and wisdom of our ancestors to lead the way.

    • Promoting Intergenerational Unity: Building bridges between generations, ensuring wisdom transfer and collective growth.

    • Unlearning Progress Paradigms: Challenging hegemonic benchmarks for success, embracing an organic, holistic growth model.

  • In defiance of the European farming paradigm that emphasizes efficiency and output, we embrace a holistic approach. For us, farming isn't merely a means to produce food. It's also:

    • A Sanctuary: The land serves as our refuge, teaching us lessons of patience, resilience, and growth.

    • A Healing Process: Engaging with the soil is therapeutic, offering mental peace and physical wellness.

    • A Return to Our Roots: We encourage those disconnected from their ancestral lands to reclaim their heritage and reestablish their bond as Earth's original stewards.

  • Surviving centuries of systemic and personal oppression, our community's resilience is rooted in deep-seated traditions of collective survival and revolutionary love. By learning and evolving from these traditions, we aim to heal the wounds of colonial trauma and redefine our relationship with both the land and each other.

  • By gaining a piece of land, we produced over 50,000 lbs of food in two years to give back to our community. As our vision continues to grow, every seed sown, every crop harvested, and every hand that tills the soil is a step towards healing and reclaiming our rightful relationship with the land. We're not just growing food; we're nurturing souls, bridging past and future, and fostering unity and resilience in our community.

Nourishing Community

Explore each area to learn more about how we support community health.

  • Since our inception, Presente! has been attuned to the evolving needs of our community. Our journey, marked by persistent battles against economic, racial, gender, and climate injustices, has consistently underscored food as both a point of contention and a treasured source of joy and cultural connection.

    In response to the pressing demands of the present, we launched initiatives like our Despensa Solidaria. Through such endeavors, we are ensuring our community is fed today, while also forging a path towards a brighter, more equitable future.

  • Our approach to food distribution is rooted in nourishing the whole person – mind, body, and spirit. This philosophy has been integral since our inception of the Food Brigade amid COVID-19. Every item, from the foundational staples of rice and beans to fresh herbs, vegetables, fruits, roots, dairy, meat, and maseca, is chosen with intention. Our offerings are curated to provide not just sustenance but also healing, connection, and cultural resonance.

  • Everyone who comes to Despensa Solidaria is greeted with dignity, love, and respect. We've fostered an environment where individuals can find not just food but also a sense of belonging and community. Amidst the challenges our community face on a daily basis, our doors remain open.

  • A fundamental facet of this project has been the creation of spaces that emphasize Black and brown unity. In a world where marginalized groups have often been played against one another, our initiative is a stand against division. We believe in collective strength and in the power of unity and solidarity.