HVADC Client: Finca Seremos

Finca Seremos, which translates to "We-will-be Farms" in Spanish, is more than a farm. It's a testament to love, community, and the power of mutual aid.

The evocative name, taken from the closing line of Pablo Neruda's "Love Sonnet LXIX" – “And through love, I will be, you will be, we will be” – reflects the deep connection founders Chris Nickell and Brenda González have to each other, their family, the land they steward, and their communities in Inwood, Washington Heights, and the Bronx.

González participated in the HVADC BIPOC Microloan Accelerator program, which focuses on financial literacy, business and marketing plan development, and preparation to access business capital. Entrepreneurs completing the program receive a microloan through the HVADC Agribusiness Loan Fund.

Growing Food, Growing Community

Originally a dream for later in life, Nickell and González accelerated their plans for Finca Seremos after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. They both felt the urgent need to facilitate healing work in their communities.

Finca Seremos provides nutrient-dense, organically-grown vegetables, fruit, and poultry products for farm share subscribers in Northern Manhattan and the Bronx with various incomes levels – focusing on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients – who value fresh, local, and culturally appropriate food.

The farm’s weekly community-supported agriculture (CSA) pickups are spaces of connection.

"When folks come to pick up, we are there every week to connect, get to know them, their skills and talents, and their challenges," explained González. "That relationship building puts us in a position to build community among our members. Someone may come to pick up with a story about a horrible landlord, and then we can introduce them to our members who do tenant organizing."

This community-centered approach will include partnerships with local high schools, providing internships for neighborhood youth – primarily Black and Brown students. These future opportunities will allow students to reconnect with ancestral knowledge while building essential skills for the future.

Finca Seremos’ commitment to fighting food insecurity extends beyond the CSA.

"While our founding CSA community is in NYC, we work closely with food justice organizations [such as Fareground] in the Hudson Valley and Southern Catskills to ensure food gets to people in need upstate," González remarked. Finca Seremos currently offers a CSA in Newburgh and will be launching one in Liberty this season to meet growing Hudson Valley needs.

HVADC Support Makes a Difference

Fellow BIPOC farmers encouraged González to participate in the HVADC Accelerator program, which offered valuable connections and addressed challenges facing Black women in agriculture.

“My background in graphic design makes it easy for us to turn out standard marketing materials and plans, but with our focus on SNAP we needed to tailor our marketing to the unique needs of that community,” said González. “[HVADC advisor] Kim Hickock held space for me to process a lot of nebulous thinking and helped me come up with a clear, solid action plan to attract more SNAP recipients to our CSA.”

González appreciates the program’s holistic approach. "They focused on caring for our mental health as we farm," González noted. "They checked in on me, and my wellbeing."

From Challenges to Opportunities

Land insecurity presents Finca Seremos’ biggest challenge. After leaving unsafe leased land due to landowner behavior and neighbor harassment, they secured a safer location in Sullivan County. González and Nickell aim to purchase a permanent farm home in the near future. When they do, they plan on tapping HVADC resources to help finance the transition with a microloan for legal and bank fees.

Finca Seremos remains committed to growth and building a strong, sustainable team despite these challenges.

“We are really excited to be hiring our first part-time seasonal employee,” shared González. “We believe that people will be the most important investments we make in our business. We know growing our team will allow us to prioritize sustainability for ourselves and the business.” Any readers interested in working with Finca Seremos should email info@fincaseremos.org.

This first hire is the beginning of a larger vision that prioritizes sustainability, long-term economic empowerment, and cooperative ownership.

González reflected, “One of our long-term goals is to create a dignified and reliable cooperatively owned workplace. The shape of our cooperative will be determined by who we ultimately partner with, but we hope to add mushrooms, fruit and berry orchards, and sheep and goat enterprises. We anticipate being able to afford a consistent salary for us and two additional cooperative owner-workers in 2027 and offer full benefits for all co-owners in 2028 or 2029.”

Advice for Fellow Farmers

González advised other BIPOC farmers: "Build community first – don’t try launching a business in isolation. Know who your people are and establish relationships that will support your business before taking the risk."

Additional information about HVADC’s Business Technical Assistance programs, such as the Accelerator, can be found at https://www.hvadc.org/business-technical-assistance.