Handewa: generational.

Inspiring Generations

Handewa means “generational,” and it is our goal to inspire future generations to better the communities they serve by providing for those in need, connecting with the Earth, and exploring the natural healing found in growing one’s food. Part of our mission is to provide for the citizens that live on our native lands and spread the necessary wealth and health gifted to us through the Earth.
We are honored to be carrying out our operations on nearly two acres of Native American soil, and our goal with the Generational campaign is to purchase the surrounding land and assets to help our farm grow.

See Our Vision

Listen as our board members and team members describe how they were drawn to Handèwa, and what they hope to see for our future.

With your donation, Handewa hopes to:

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Needed upgrades to the home on the land (which will be used as a central location for farm operations, meeting space and a volunteer shelter), such as creating a separate space for volunteers to gather, store their things, and restroom facilities.
Purchase a tractor to perform needed field maintenance ourselves, and assist other minority-owned farms, if needed.
Purchase a Van/truck to transport needed supplies and plants easily.

Conduct educational activities through farm tours, classes, demonstrations. and other activities that promote wellness, nutrition, urban farming, and entrepreneurship.
Purchase a greenhouse to start seedlings for later planting, as well as an additional site to grow crops.
Look into packaging for our end products
Apply for vendor status at local farmer’s markets
Plastic mulch, to deter weed growth without the usage of harmful chemicals.

Handèwa is partnering with Slow Money NC to leverage fundraising efforts
and offer tax exemption for donors and foundations.

Make A Tax Deductible Contribution

Portraits of Handewa

A.Yoni Jeffries

I am A.yoni Jeffries, current project manager for Handèwa Farms. Many know me as a musician and for my artistic involvement throughout NC. When we first embarked on this journey, we had no idea of the love and support that we’d be met with, and it stands true to this day.

We are a strong team of 9 individuals, most of us belonging to Native American tribes from across the USA. In our quest to return to the Earth, grow produce to gift to those who experience food insecurity and live within food deserts, and secure generational wealth for our families, we’ve rallied up so much Love and established a tribe of our own - Handèwa.

Handèwa means generational, and family means a lot to me. I am grateful for this family and our dedication to one another and to our Coop. We began a short time ago, and we’ve grown exponentially within our first 7 months of existing. Our growth is a direct result of our persistence, perseverance, dedication and integrity.

With the presence of Covid-19, we’ve had to dramatically shift our intention while keeping our hearts set on our 2020 goals.

We’ve successfully planted 1,500+ hemp plants, potatoes and corn in our first growing season. I feel empowered in knowing that we get to decide what we grow on this land, which is native to my tribe, The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation. We are home, where we’re intended to be, teaching our youth of self sufficiency and what it means to behold generational wealth amidst a global pandemic. How could you say no to that?

What this is teaching me is that although we’ve our shared intentions set on a particular goal - we’ve no business in deciding how the journey will unfold for us. And that our people have our backs no matter what. We’ve partnered with a plethora of other farms and larger Cannabis establishments in the US to get to this point, and we believe we can take it further!

My mother is purchasing the farm house so that we are able to support ourselves on the land that we’ll be able to use for rest, our weekly team meetings, and fellowship amongst ourselves. We need true support from our community, family & friends to make this possible. While we’ve been able to secure the funds to begin our processes, we’re now seeking to expand our farm to 5 acres of Native land in Rougemont, NC. With this expansion, we are setting a new goal of raising $75,000 by August 31!

I am grateful to you, and to each individual who chooses to pour into us so that we can continue to pour into those of need in North Carolina and beyond. Please share this with your loved ones and those who you believe can help us reach our goal. We are literally nothing without the help of those around us.

Kisha Jeffries

It was as if the Creator allowed me to go back in time and imagine what my great grandfather may have experienced. It was beautiful to imagine and experience, though I am not sure from whence it came.

Here we are today, farming and cultivating the land my ancestors tended hundreds of years ago. Cox, as Steward of the Respite, is donating the land back to us, my family as Occaneechi Saponi and other Afro-indigenous members of Handewa, to plant and grow in perpetuity on this land.

As many may know, farming is a full-time job, and living away from the farm can get quite tiring and tedious. Members of our co-op often drive close to 2 hours to check on the land and tend to plants.

However, there is a silver lining, which is why we are seeking support. There is a house that sits in front of the farmland I am purchasing, but I desperately need help with the down payment, closing cost, and attorney's fees, etc. For those who may have bought a home, you may know the many added fees and seem to appear out of nowhere! The total cost we are seeking is $25,000. The farm is growing much faster than we anticipated, and we need to be at the farm 24/7 at this point. Any help you may provide helps us reach our goal, and we would be eternally grateful.

The house will be my permanent residence as well as home to Handewa Farms and its operations. Handewa has a vision that goes way beyond just a farm. This space will give us a physical place to meet and put our heads together for a common goal. This house will be more than a blessing for years to come, and we hope to pass it down generationally within the farm's many descendants.

We are so thankful for all the help we've received thus far, and we know that our community will support us as we take the next significant leap. We've had quite a journey in the past year, and with your help, we can make Handewa last for generations.

My name is Kisha Jeffries, and I am a mother, sister, and a proud member of the Occaneechi Saponi tribe. I am originally from Brooklyn, New York, and have lived in Durham for 22 years.

As a young girl, I had the pleasure of living with my grandparents. My paternal grandfather was a direct descendant of the Occaneechi Saponi tribe. He told me many stories about my great grandparents and his siblings. While filled with joy and grief, these stories were fascinating as I could hear about family members I wasn't able to meet. He told me my great grandfather was a farmer, and my father would often visit for summers to help at the farm. This memory stuck with me for years, so much that I decided to move to North Carolina.

When I moved here, all I wanted to do is get to know my family and start a better life for myself and my children. Along the way, there were many stumbling blocks that my family endured, but we created stepping stones and moved forward.

One of those stumbling blocks was my father's health. Last year my father fell ill, and we almost lost him. That moment put a fire in each of us and showed us the actual value of time and life. From there, a fire was placed in my heart that is hard to explain. I knew there was more to life than working a 9 to 5.

Last year, my daughters went foraging at The Respite and met Kristen Cox, steward of the land. They kept telling me about how pleasant Kristen was towards them and how beautiful and peaceful it was at The Respite. When I finally visited during the holidays, the passion I felt a few months prior rose. As I sat quietly observing the land, I watched my kids play in the creek and saw my descendants running, walking, and tending to the earth as they did in days of the past.

Kiaro Holts

We are excited to announce our partnership with Slow Money NC, who will provide an option for our friends, family, and supporters to make tax-deductible contributions. With their support, I am confident that Handèwa is able to grow for generations.

With your support, we can expand our farm and purchase much-needed supplies to help sustain the farm. With your donation of any amount, we will be able to buy the following:

Purchase a tractor to continue to till the land, and allow other minority farms to use this equipment.
Install a deer fence to protect our growing crops from wildlife, and to shield from the road the farm is on.
Purchase a greenhouse to start seedlings for later planting, as well as an additional site to grow crops.

With your generous support thus far, we've been able to purchase an irrigation system to help water our 2 acres of plants! We are so grateful to have received this blessing and cannot wait to see how our farm flourishes with this addition.

We are grateful to each and every individual who has supported us throughout this journey. Please consider sharing this message with your networks and those who may help us reach our goal. Thank you for being a part of the Handèwa Family!

I am Kiaro Holts, current farm manager for Handèwa Farms. During the day, I work as an audio-visual technician, and I enjoy producing music for artists in the NC community. However, over the past few years, I reconnected to the earth and found a love of growing and nurturing plants. My passion grew from one tiny garden bed in my backyard, to several, to now managing acres of land in Rougemont, NC. When I was first embarked on this journey, I had no idea how much this would morph into something I love, and the amazing individuals I would interact with along the way.

Throughout this journey, we’ve grown not only as a collective but as a family. I am grateful to work alongside 8 other individuals dedicated to our co-op and share the same traits of persistence, positivity, dedication, and perseverance. This journey hasn’t been easy, as we’ve had to till the land and make it our own, navigate rain and heat concerns, and battle the daily challenges that COVID-19 has brought. These challenges have made us stronger. I’m confident we will be a force to be reckoned within the realm of urban farming, hemp production, and natural medicine.

Will Jenifer Jr.

I am William Jenifer Jr., and I serve as Handèwa's Social Media Director. Professionally, I work as a Maintenance Technician for the city of Raleigh and am a local musician. Being apart of the Handèwa family gives me a sense of purpose outside of my everyday life. I am satisfied knowing that I'm contributing to something bigger than myself.

I believe Handèwa will create generational health and bring people together in peace. As a 1st-time father, I have a lot more responsibility. I want to leave my son generational wealth and something he can continue to build. I desire to leave the impression that if you work hard and stay committed, you can have anything you want in life. I feel very highly favored and humbled to be one of the founders of Handewa and creating a legacy.

It is exhilarating to be learning so many different things all at once. I would have never thought that I'd ever work as a farmer. Everything truly comes full circle - my father and grandfather were farmers, and now I'm taking up the mantle.

Handéwa Farms will open up so many opportunities for people in the future from food, employment, and just a place of refuge. We appreciate all the love and support that we've received. The support we've received has pushed us to make Handèwa the very best we can. I ask that you please continue to show your love and support and donate to our cause if you are able. We still have a long road ahead to make our vision come to fruition!

Chaka Harley

I feel very honored and privileged to be one of the founding members of Handéwa Farms. Each of our founders brings forth unique and exceptional talents. We all share a common goal in building generational wealth. Not only monetarily, but in both experience and health.

Over the last five years, I’ve become very interested in the power of herbs, and their essential oils. It’s been amazing discovering the multitude of plants that exist. Some even grow naturally in our backyards! I’ve also experimented with combining healthy diets, and exercise regimens. I eventually became vegan, so working on the farm has been sort of a natural transition. Farming is hard work, but it’s very rewarding. Humans and plants have a symbiotic relationship, and I’ve really enjoyed the process of reconnecting with the earth.

It’s been a personal dream come true to be able to grow plants that have such a variety of uses and medicinal benefits. Handéwa Farms is a place of spiritual tranquility. It’s important for us to connect to our roots by cultivating sustainable plants, and a strong sense of community.

Now, we are asking for your continued support. We are now venturing into harvest season, which comes with new hurdles. We appreciate the support we've received from volunteers, other farmers, friends, and family.

With the help of your donations, we aim to carry on the Handéwa effort of growing a community to last for generations to come. We are asking for a total of $75,000 to sustain and grow the farm to the potential that we know is possible, and are about a quarter of the way there. If you could find it within your heart to contribute to our community, you would be among the generous individuals at the foundation of this family. We thank you for anything that you can give!

Abbi Jeffries

I am Abigail Jeffries. My role is the Director of Risk Management. I am professionally a local chef in Durham NC. I specialize in vegan and vegetarian cuisine. Aside from that, I am a tribal member of the Occaneechi Band of Saponi Nation.

Amongst all of those things I am a new mom. I recently had a beautiful baby boy that was born prematurely. While dealing with a baby in NICU, Handèwa has definitely been a spiritual outlet for me. Being on my ancestral lands with family and friends starting something bigger than I can imagine has already been an amazing journey. Being a new mom, I feel it’s important to have something for the next generation to carry on. I feel honored and humbled to tap into my roots while growing roots on my family's ancestral land. It’s a privilege to be a part of a team of like-minded individuals that see the future that I see.

My mother “Mama Kisha” is in the process of building a farmhouse that sits directly in front of Handèwa Farms. We plan to use this home to support Handèwa in fellowship, storage, and weekly team meetings. So we are asking for support from our community to make this possible!

Our collective is not that far from the seeds we’ve planted at our farm - we’ve grown through challenges, and we hope to continue to grow for generations to come. The support we’ve received in the few months we’ve been established has nurtured us and allowed us to flourish. We’re preparing to harvest our hemp plants and other vegetables we look forward to sharing with our communities in need. To do that, we need support from our community, family, and friends to help continue this endeavor.

We are grateful to each and every individual who has supported us throughout this journey. Please consider sharing this message with your networks and those who may help us reach our goal. Thank you for being a part of the Handèwa Family!

Chelsey Holts

I am Chelsey Holts, currently Marketing Director for Handèwa Farms. During the day, I work as a Director of Social Media and run my own marketing/public relations company, Nakoma Marketing and PR.

I never thought I would ever work on a farm. If you know me, I'm the individual who prefers wearing heels most days and recently learned how to keep a plant alive longer than a few weeks. How opposites attract, quite literally. My husband, Kiaro, is my "green giant" - and in my eyes, can grow anything. A few years ago, he started studying urban farming as we planted a garden bed in our backyard. Now, he leads the farming endeavors for Handèwa. Handèwa came to me much in the same way. What went from a conversation with close friends one evening to diving right into planting starter clones in a matter of months.

I'm proud to be a part of Handèwa for many reasons. It's refreshing to be a part of an Afro-Indigenous collective where we can truly grow together and tend indigenous land. There's something sacred about growing on land that other indigenous people once tilled and lived on - I feel that our land is truly blessed. Second, I'm passionate about the work we are doing to provide homeopathic remedies to common ailments such as chronic pain, depression, and anxiety. Lastly, our pledge to assist with food insecurity is close to my heart. I and others close to me have dealt with food insecurity firsthand, so the fact that I can personally help others fighting this means so much to me.

Handèwa has truly become my family, and as a member, that extends to you too. Our collective isn't far from the seeds we planted in the spring - we've weathered through many challenges, and we're ready to emerge with a fruitful harvest. After this harvest, I know that we will be a force to be reckoned with in terms of urban farming, hemp production and product creation, and natural medicine.

We're in the home stretch of our first year, and our harvest season is underway. From harvest, we will be working diligently to create products and set up a selling infrastructure. To do so, we will need support from our community, family, and friends to see this endeavor through.

With your support, we can purchase much-needed equipment to help with the harvest, product creation, and preparing for our winter crops. We are grateful to every individual who has supported us throughout this journey. Please consider sharing this message with your networks and those who may help us reach our goal. Thank you for being a part of the Handèwa Family!