Publications

Historic black community ecosystems

In her new book, Tiny Gardens Everywhere: The Past, Present, and Future of the Self-Provisioning City, historian Kate Brown provide a history of urban food production. A striking example in the book is the Anacostia communuty in Washington, D.C. During the 1910s and 20s, black residents there faced systemic neglect from city planners who refused to provide basic infrastructure like sewers or garbage pickup. In response, these residents developed an impressively resourceful closed-loop ecosystem. They managed waste through innovative composting systems and pig farming, and engineered their own water filtration systems using roof runoff and gravel—effectively inventing sustainable urban living. As Brown notes, they “were doing all the things that would be considered green architecture today.”

Community Bulletin Board

See the American landscape through a new perspective in Beronda L. Montgomery’s When Trees Testify. Part scientific exploration and part ancestral reclamation, this compelling narrative reveals how the histories of black Americans are rooted deep within the soil and branches of our most iconic flora. From the pecan trees domesticated by the expertise of enslaved Africans to the sycamores that served as silent sentinels on the path to freedom, Montgomery, an award-winning plant biologist, transforms these "material witnesses" into storytellers. It is a vibrant, soul-stirring look at black botanical mastery and a reminder that while the stories of the past are often hidden, the trees have always been listening—and now, they are finally answering.

Events

134TH ANNUAL FARMERS CONFERENCE

Tuskegee University, February 19 - 20, 2026

Join us on campus for workshops, hands-on demonstrations, tours and a "Taste of the Black Belt". Let's Grow Stronger Together!

The Farmers Conference at Tuskegee University is often cited as the oldest event of its type in the nation. The first Farmers Conference, originally called the “Peoples Conference” was hosted on this historic campus on February 23, 1892. This conference exists today as a two-day educational forum that features tours, panel discussions, interactive demonstrations and concurrent workshops.

Opportunities for nature-inspired writing and environmental justice writing

Panorama journal’s "Reflections" theme seeks essays, poetry, and "new nature writing" from historically marginalized communities to discuss environmental and climate justice. Deadline March 10, 2026. For more info: panoramajournal.org/submissions/calls

Flyway: Journal of Writing & Environment publishes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, short scripts, and visual art that explores the many complicated facets of the word environment and encourages submissions from  from diverse voices and under-represented populations, including — but not limited to — international authors, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, those with disabilities, and the elderly.  Submission for Fall 2026 issue is 2/1/26 – 3/17/26.  For more info: https://flywayjournal.org/about/

The Dodge seeks fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, visual art, and translation focused on the environment. We’re excited by a wide range of forms and approaches, including hybrid and experimental work. We especially seek creative works that imagine a just future for the planet. Given our focus on environmental justice, we’re eager to champion emerging and marginalized voices underrepresented in magazine publishing and eco-writing, including writers and artists who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, people who are trans, gender-nonconforming, and LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, women, and others. For more info: https://thedodge.submittable.com/submit

Ecotheo publishes poetry, prose and visual art explores questions of ecology and spirituality. For more info: https://www.ecotheo.org/submit

Terrain.org  welcomes submissions in English (or translation) from around the world, and particularly Indigenous, Native, Black, Brown, and other historically marginalized and underrepresented voices. They pay $50 for all contributions. For more info: https://www.terrain.org/submit/