Common Good + Halo G.R.E.E.N. Sustainable Agriculture Partnership
Common Good City Farm and Howard University's Halo G.R.E.E.N. student group are working together to support sustainable agriculture education and practice on campus and within our shared Shaw neighborhood community. By growing, cooking, and learning with fresh food together, the partnership aims to nourish sustainable community spaces rooted in equity, Africana cultural values, knowledge, and mutual care.
On Friday, October 17th, 2025, we kicked off the partnership. Farm staff and student leaders described the purpose, as well as their vision for its future. Learn more from the Washington Informer’s feature.
Educational Support for Halo Students
Mini-Course Support: Regenerative Agriculture as Restorative Practice
This mini-course aims to help participants understand the “big picture” as it relates to the importance and significance of regenerative agriculture, especially as it relates to people of African descent in the United States. It introduces 2 overarching concepts, interconnectedness (Ancestry, spirit, culture, and cooperation) and environmental disruption and restoration.
Halo G.R.E.E.N. members engage in group study that consists of several components that are outlined within the curriculum: 1. Individual group review of free and accessible materials, including articles, podcasts, videos; 2. Group discussion on the farm or Halo garden space of information within study materials, 3. Related hands-on activity, such as harvesting and grounding exercises to directly and collectively connect with the land.
This course was designed for Halo G.R.E.E.N. students, however is useful for any group or class that wants to engage in collective study. Learn more about the mini-course and access the curriculum.
Common Good - Halo G.R.E.E.N. Student Fellowship
Some members of Halo G.R.E.E.N. will be eligible to participate in Common Good’s annual Certificate Program in Regenerative Agriculture and possibly to obtain a seasonal farm support job.Through this program, more of the students that manage Halo’s organic garden on Howard University’s campus receive formal agricultural training to help enhance their own garden and greenhouse. They also receive stipends for personal use, as well as to apply towards final projects to enhance either the Halo Garden or Common Good City Farm.
More About Our Partnership
Physical Markers: A reminder of mutual support
As a physical of a physical marker of this mutually beneficial partnership, there are garden totems standing at both Halo Green and Common Good City Farm (a total of 7). Each is designed through cultural and Indigenous influences that reflect unity, balance, abundance, education, and regeneration. They connect the student learning space to the community farming space down the road, as mycorrhizal networks connect plant and microbial life across forests; a living web of mutual support. The totems will remain as markers — to be maintained and revisited by future cohorts.
Our Shared Cultural Values
Asase Ye Duru - “The Earth has Weight”: symbol of providence and divinity of Mother Earth
Mate Masie - “What I hear, I keep and understand”: Symbol of wisdom knowledge and prudence
Sankofa - “Go back to fetch it”: Symbol of Learning from the past to build for the future
Bese Saka - “Bunch of Kola Nuts”: Symbol of affluence, power, abundance, plenty, togetherness, and unity
Mini-Course: Regenerative Agriculture as Restorative Practice
Students of the 2025 cohort of Common Good’s Regenerative Agriculture Certificate Program created this self-guided mini-course, which aims to help participants understand the “big picture” as it relates to the importance and significance of regenerative agriculture, especially in regards to people of African descent in the United States. It introduces 2 overarching concepts, interconnectedness (ancestry, spirit, culture, and cooperation) and environmental disruption and restoration. See below for a short description about each unit.
How to take the course:
This mini-course is intended to be participant-driven; it does not require a lecturer or expert. We highly recommend taking this self-guided mini-course in community, especially if you are less familiar with the subject matter, as it includes a lot of information to digest and process. You could do it with an existing group or organization or organize a small group of friends/colleagues to do it together, as the discussion portion of the curriculum will help participants process a lot of complex information that is presented. However, it could also be done individually if that is not feasible and one could answer the discussion questions on their own. It contains 2 units, each of which consists of a list of materials (free and accessible articles, podcasts, videos, etc.) to review, discussion prompts to support a group discussion, and a hands-on activity.
If you would like to coordinate with Common Good City Farm to request to visit the space for the hands-on portions of the course, please contact the farm. However, please note that this portion of the course could also be done in any green/outdoor and/or gardening space, depending on availability and preference. We consider natural spaces to be sacred and interconnected, and as such, all of the natural world, whether directly human curated or not, is a classroom.
Curriculum
Units
Interconnectedness - Ancestry, spirit, culture, and cooperation
This unit explores the deep interconnection between people, land, spirit, and all living organisms, grounding students in African philosophies of ubuntu—“I am because you are.” Learners will trace cultural links between African and African American agricultural traditions, highlighting local and national Black farms, farmers, and community initiatives. Emphasis will be placed on cooperative frameworks for regenerative agriculture, food sovereignty, and liberation. Students will also examine the natural interconnectedness of life, from microrhizal networks beneath the soil to the relationships humans share with animals, plants, and ecosystems. The unit culminates in an intentional ritual, honoring ancestors and embracing shared kinship with all life.
Disruption and Restoration: Colonialism, corporatized farming, climate change, and the potential of generative farming practice
This unit examines the intertwined histories of land, people, and climate through the lens of colonialism, agriculture, and resistance. Students will study how European settler colonialism disrupted Indigenous stewardship and introduced farming practices that fueled greenhouse gas emissions, ecological imbalance, and harmful narratives that still shape society today. Alongside African and African American agricultural histories, learners will explore the ties between capitalism, corporate farming, and climate change, including cases of environmental racism. By understanding nutrient cycles, climate impacts, and regenerative agricultural solutions, students will gain tools to reimagine sustainable futures. Activities will include practicing how to recognize regenerative processes in the world around them.