JohnElla Holmes - Resilience through Community

In Her Boots

Today, we talk to Dr. JohnElla Holmes, executive director of the Kansas Black Farmers Association and part of the wheat farming community in Kansas. She shares a deep-rooted story of resilience from her family’s farming history and building the African American agricultural community in Nicodemus, Kansas. Hear how being proactive, asking questions, and cultivating community add up to strength to stay in farming for the long haul. JohnElla retired from Kansas State University in 2015 to come "home" to historic Nicodemus, Kansas, which is the oldest all-African-American town west of the Mississippi River and now a National Historic Site. She is a 5th generation descendant of these original settlers in a community that today raised wheat, milo, and cattle. This episode wraps up our Resilience series and our In Her Boots podcast for this season. Thanks for listening and subscribing so you'll know when we're back with more episodes focused on inspiring women farmers, educators, and organizers committed to sustainable and organic agriculture.