I find myself playing in the dirt, in what feels like the middle of nowhere compared to the bustle of Capitol Hill. Past the trees, Mt. Tahoma rises strong and steady. From the soil below to the mountains above, I felt held by ancestral power.
Normally, I’m at my desk or running around Seattle fundraising and spreading the good word about the Seattle LGBTQ+ Center. Today, I’m exploring and volunteering at UTOPIA Fa’ato’aga in Kent; much further south than my work usually takes me. So how did the Center end up volunteering with UTOPIA?
UTOPIA (United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance Washington) is a nonprofit serving Queer Trans Pacific Islander (QTPI) people in Kent and the King County area since 2009. UTOPIA Washington has worked to build power and help our community members access resources, employment, stable housing, higher education, culturally competent healthcare, and more. One of the many beautiful programs they offer is their Food Access Network, and Fa’ato’aga (to farm) is a part of helping sustain and build food sovereignty.
I met Tweetie (she/her), an ethereal goddess and UTOPIA’s Community Services Director, a few months ago at Pride Speaks, a Seattle Pride event. We got to talking about how cool it would be for our two organizations to create impact together in community. She wondered if the Center would ever consider volunteering our time. I said yes immediately. Now, I know some of you are thinking “Gays in dirt? Never.” Others might be thinking, “How queer of queers to go garden for volunteering.” But this felt like an opportunity too fun to pass up: a chance to unify our agencies, build as coworkers, and serve and engage community most beautifully.
We spent our first hour together just getting to know one another: the work we each do for our communities, and the threads that connect us: community care, the need for food sovereignty, and the fact that all of our ancestors have, time and again, worked the land. Jay (he/him), the Food Access Network Coordinator for UTOPIA, said it best: “There is a spirit within everything. We have to connect to that spirit and be grateful for it. Talk to the plants, touch the plants. When we’re growing food, we have to thank the earth for what it provides us. The plants feel our energy.”
This program is about “a community-centric approach to farming and sustainable agriculture… Through collaborative efforts, individuals come together to cultivate land, share resources, and promote food sovereignty,” growing “culturally relevant food.” Sadly, while coconuts can’t grow here, of course, Jay shared, “our ancestors had to learn how to adjust to where they were. They had to get used to the climate, the dirt, what was available to them, what survived and what didn’t. And that’s what we’re trying to teach our community here.”
Twenty-three of us laughed, bonded, and grew alongside the plants on the farm. As we gardened, we met the local farmers who share the plot with UTOPIA, and even made friends with a little bird.
Looking over the greenery, it was hard to believe that just a few months earlier, the Green River had flooded this sacred space, leaving many worried about their community. With the support of Mother Nature, Jay, and the rest of the UTOPIA staff, along with the community, the farm has since thrived through companion growing: the practice of growing plants together so they support one another, like a natural garden community. When thoughtfully combined, vegetables, herbs, and flowers can grow stronger and more productively.”
By the end of the day, we’d harvested over a dozen squash, cleared weeds from the beds, planted flowers, and written notes for community members. Each of us played a vital role. In serving the community (and looks too
), we gained a deeper understanding of a community partner’s work and the people whose hearts drive their mission, while living out our own: cultivating connections by promoting self-determination, liberation, and, most importantly, joy in LGBTQ+ communities.
Parting thoughts: Reflecting on our time here, this is what each of our staff shared about their experience, in a word or two:
Selena — refreshed
Charlie — thankful
Jadyn — peace, joy, and grounded
Eloisa — grounded
Zenebech — transported
Jing Jing — rooted
Luis — thankful and grateful
TC — connected
Elle — reconnected
Reily — refreshed
Nakita — refreshed, reconnected, grounded
Zoe — satisfied
River — stoked
Bean — rejuvenated
Maya — lighter
Amanda — vibrant
Maisha — proud
Peter — done, content
Toni — extra
Tweetie — uplifted
Jay — thriving
May — appreciative, good to be outside
Thank you, UTOPIA, for having us. We are so grateful for your hard work in our communities.
Sending alofa (love) and all the best vibes,
Photos courtesy of UTPOIA and Mel Ponder Photography
