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 Crystsal's family has stewarded for more than 200 years in what is now Alamance County, North Carolina. Over 16+ seasons, the garden has 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

As we navigate climate catastrophe and fascism’s grip, the ancient healing strategies of Indigenous cultures are here to guide us. 

The return of land, and the reclamation of our land-based practices, languages and customs are inseparable. 

For our lifeways to flourish and light the way forward, it is crucial to put Landback into Indigenous hands. This process is known as Rematriation.

You can be a part of Landback & Rematriation in the Southeast through our Remembering Forward Fund:

The 7DS Remembering Forward Fund is dedicated to the expenses associated with Indigenous-led 

land stewardship and programming related to the YESA Farm locations in NC and VA.

Contributing = Land Tax

We propose contributing to the fund annually, as a form of land tax, a volunteer contribution that non-Indigenous people living on Indigenous land can make to support our work. Alongside ancestral healing and dismantling white supremacy, embracing land tax is an important aspect of solidarity and accountability that we expect from our settler community members and collaborators. Learn more on our blog.