Jessica with one of the many squash grown on site.
Jessica Breznau is one of the most creative and quietly successful community organizers I’ve seen. From launching the All Nations Soccer Cup, to running a women’s outdoor fitness program – Southside Booty Camp, to building a farming community – Southside Smallholding, she has an incredible track record for coming up with great ideas, drawing people to them then getting things done.
I had the opportunity to visit her today at her farmlet in south Seattle where she and five other people are raising 16 chickens, growing lots of delectable food and slowly but surely building a sustainable communal living environment.
Here’s our interview:
UFH – Where did you get your love of gardening and community?
“I grew up in Edmonds, graduated from Evergreen then moved to the south Beacon Hill Neighborhood. I coordinated a P-Patch there and lived in a great little house for about five years. After renting there for a while I really wanted to own a place where I could build up the soil and create a sustainable space. When this 1950’s house came up for sale 9 years ago in the Dunlap neighborhood I bought it, then added the house next door about three years ago. I’ve never had to commute and I like living really local.”
UFH – What do you like best about being here?
Working on the Victory Market project.
“I was raised by my parents to be community oriented and I like sharing daily life with other people. It’s wonderful to see things slowly coming together here; initially people in the neighborhood weren’t all that interested in interacting with each other but now there are little moments of connection and the block feels safer and friendly. This year we had a great block party that was organized by the neighbors. We had good food, music, craft and things for kids to do. People were dancing together in the street.
In addition to the community part, for me gardening is a meditation and I love the daily practice of watching things grow.
UFH – I saw you’ve been working with the Victory Market corner store. How is that going?
“It’s a good project. A group of us got together and we landscaped the area right around the market and added a community bulletin board. I got a small grant from the city but what worked out great was actually going to the big places on marginal way that have sand and gravel and just asking if they’d be willing to donate some. It’s been great; one guy gave us sand, gravel and came out and helped some with the work. It’s good to have a focal place in the neighborhood and I look forward to seeing where it all goes.”
Farm dog Bondo
UFH – What’s your biggest challenge?
I think communication has been the toughest thing. This area has people from all over the world and just reaching out via social media doesn’t work. You need to be very persistent and go door to door.”
UFH – What’s next?
“In terms of the property we are looking to add more committed folks soon. The ideal would be to have individuals that are focused on different skill areas like cooking, building, growing and so on that would like to put roots down for awhile. We are also really having a great time working on the tree house.”
UFH – How can people contact you if they’re interested in Southside Smallholding?
“If people are interested in living in an intentional way they can email me at breznauj@gmail.com. It’s good to have people come over and so that we can work together to see if this is really what they want to be doing.”
Welcome!
Back porch added on this summer just in time to watch the World Cup matches.
Fresh eggs
Bees from the Urban Bee Company.
A future stage area.
Always things to be done.
A tree house is being built here with donated labor and materials.
Outdoor reading area
Yes, it’s a watermelon in Seattle.
Strawberries are still being picked.
From a recent event.
One of several inviting outdoor living areas.
Front yard of the Green House.
Posters from some of the All Nations Cup.
Sweet figs are still ripening.
Good.
How about a story on the urban farm at Yesler Terrace SHA site?
Since 2006, Yesler has had a active farm and demonstration growing site, which has been at the center of food production in the Seattle Yesler Terrace SHA community.
Currently Seattle Urban Ag is controlled by a very small group of select program oriented concerns who operate without any real public oversight or transparency.
The current policy in operation is to give land to small start-up private growers, programs targeted to special populations and very very small p-patch plots.
None of which has any public accountablity or transparentcy in its production, finances or control.
A community owned CSA operating with clearly defined expectations, transparency and accountability would redefine urban food systems and create more sustainable systems.
Seattle deserves a transparent robust diversified food system with more players at the table. Get involved and help create a people owned, people powered farm.
Beginning this fall, as we winterize the farm and in preparation for winter growing of produce in hoop and tunnel plastic houses, I will be leading tours and work parties of the 15,000 sq ft site now in production.
Get involved in creating the Yesler CommunityFarm.
Contact me for more information and direction to the site.
Grow Well,
Mel Cloyd
Land Steward for Yesler Community Farm
why are you not doing stories about persons of color ?
As a person of color and a champion for gender and racial equality, I am deeply offended that the work, the gardens, you cover and support are very white and clearly all about white power and privilege the women version.
Why do you not support persons of color who grow food while also demanding respect and inclusion in policy and leadership ?
When support is finally given it goes to the very small handful of persons of color who very often are the last hired, token hired, self haters, who act as gate keepers to keep persons of color who are active and vocal advocates for real racial and gender equality from access to the system and who themselves are very beholding to the white power structure at tilth or dept of neighborhood in order to keep employment and access.
Ever notice how the very few persons of color who are in your circle, have few to no roots in any communities of color and have little to no history of being advocates or in speaking truth to power about structural gender bigotry and racism ?
Notice too how the persons of color that work for the city or for nonprofits, do not ever challenge nor raise the issue of how the master narrative that white women and men are the face and power in food production and security and intentionally excludes the contributions and hard work of persons of color?
Bigotry based on gender, white power, white privilege and gate keeping are rampant in the food and nonprofit industry here in Seattle.
For those of you who now enjoy and protect white privilege and white power, change will be painful and uncomfortable.
If we are to have true gender and racial equality we must end how gender and race are being used by whites to oppress and deny access and equality to peoples of color.