Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg (by Food Tank) 521. Stephanie Hsu, Sea Matias, and Karen Washington on Community Land Stewardship and Farming in the Bronx and Beyond.
Sep 27, 2025
Academy Award-nominated actor Stephanie Hsu opens the discussion with her personal journey connecting arts and regenerative agriculture. Sea Matias shares touching stories from his Abuela about food and community, illustrating the essence of culturally rooted food sovereignty. Karen Washington highlights the urgent need for diversity in farming and the devastating impact of federal funding cuts on small farmers. Together, they emphasize the importance of land stewardship, community support, and collective action for a more just food system.
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From Woofer To Food Advocate
- Stephanie Hsu recounts working as a woofer on a small regenerative permaculture farm in upstate New York in 2009.
- She remembers the farm's abundance, reciprocity, and giving produce to neighbors despite little money.
Abuela's Kitchen Led To Farming
- Sea Matias shares memories of his Abuela Maria teaching hospitality and making pasteles in the Bronx.
- He links her lessons to his path into community farming and stewardship at Morning Glory Garden and Serra Vida Farm.
Everyone Is Part Of The Ecosystem
- Sea Matias argues everyone can be an environmental system actor even if they aren't farmers.
- He frames care for land and neighbors as reciprocal acts that build resilience across generations.