Every Seed has a Powerful Story | Elena Terry, Venice Williams, and Jay Salinas

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In 2021 FLOW began documenting a project initiated by Chef Elena Terry of Wild Bearies, who invited Venice Williams of Alice’s Garden Urban Farm and The Table to exchange seeds. As Venice and Elena grew their connection, they discussed parallels in their Indigenous and African-American experiences, using seeds as a form of resistance, and cultural connection through coerced migration and hardship. They laid ground for a literal exchange of seeds, as well as an opportunity to share stories and culture. Elena and Venice also invited Jay Salinas of Wormfarm Institute into the conversation, in part because of his work as a rural grower offering Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) to nearby Ho-Chunk families, and others in Sauk County, WI.

In the spring of 2021, Elena and Jay visited Alice’s Garden in Milwaukee for an Indigenous Unity Fire. The next day, the three met at Venice’s house for a conversation, and to trade seeds from their personal stores. They sat at Venice’s beautiful table, surrounded by books and plants and artworks. The conversation veered in many directions, driven by personal stories, meditations on agriculture, cultural context, race in America, and much more—but at the center: a shared vision to enliven our region by connecting people across geography and history.

Later, on a gorgeous autumn day at a retreat center nestled in Upham Woods, Elena hosted us for a FLOW exchange. The invitees included FLOW network participants and friends from Sauk County, Milwaukee, and in-between. Elena and her daughter prepared a multi-course feast for the group, with crops grown from the bounty of the exchanged seeds.

This video is a window into the perspectives of Elena, Venice, and Jay on the transformative power of sharing seeds. It is part of a documentary project by Milwaukee-based artists Adam Carr, Sara Daleiden, MKE-LAX, and Wes Tank, TankThink. Music performed by Felix Sainz and Jahmes Finlayson and recorded by Josh Evert, Silver City Studios.

© Adam Carr, Sara Daleiden of MKE-LAX, and Wes Tank of TankThink, 2022