YESA Farm is where ceremony, seed, soil, and sovereignty come together.

The 7 Directions of Service YESA Farm—named for the word Yesá, meaning “the People” in our Siouan Tutelo language—is growing as a sanctuary for Indigenous and BIPOC communities to reconnect with ancestral knowledge, food, and the Earth. The name YESA evokes memory, resilience and purpose.

YESA Farm is located in the heart of Occaneechi Saponi territory, on land that our family has stewarded for more than 200 years in what is now Alamance County, North Carolina. Over 16+ seasons, we’ve expanded from 4 Directional raised beds to 13, following the Braiding the Sacred model passed to us by our elders. We grow the Three Sisters (Corn, Beans, Squash), the Fourth Sister (Sunflower), traditional fruits, berries, herbs, and medicines.

At YESA Farm, we support intergenerational learning, inviting youth to sit beside elders and learn not only how to plant but how to remember. Our programming includes seasonal teachings, community celebrations, food sovereignty training, and healing gatherings. We also host recurring Land Days, where folks of all ages and abilities are invited to come out and tend the land with us. 

We have big dreams for this space, including:

Expanding the garden

Building a seed bank

Restoring a historic community space

Growing our cultural programming