smgilles80
- Mar 3
- 3 min read

LAA's 1st Inaugural Quarterly Newsletter shared in February 2023! Trailblazing Phase launched!

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Boozhoo Hello & Greetings to the Land Access Alliance Family!

This is our first official newsletter to connect us on the Land Access Alliance’s progress as we pursue our mission, which is to create land access opportunities for women, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, landless farmers and foragers for just participation in our local food system. We intentionally work in the spirit of reconciliation with land and people. To put it succinctly: We create land access opportunities for farmers and foragers for fair participation in our local food system.

In this February 2023 Newsletter issue, we’re sharing updates on:

The LAA’s Official Logo release and story behind it.
Start of the Trailblazer phase (2023-2024) with the hiring of Dani Pieratos.
Re-introductions to our Vision Keepers (aka board), who they are and what they’re passionate about.
New-introductions to our Climate Corp VISTA Helpers shared by the NERSDP

LOGO STORY: Abby Rohweder, our Path Seeker (board chair) led the LAA’s founding team and advisory members through a journey of reflection on our main tenets: food, access, land, and trust. Certain of our conservation principles, we knew it is critical to represent the natural environment to show gratitude for the earth’s bounty. The berries on the right signify the foraging model. The waters below are intended to also appear as stewarded crop rows for our regenerative agriculture model. The strong tree on the left and the birds in the sky are to acknowledge all other relatives that are so critical to the functioning of the whole ecosystem. With the moon in the center, the LAA is acknowledging that the earth is in relationship with the whole cosmos which keeps us all interconnected and united.

THE TRAILBLAZING PHASE: This is only a reality because through the heartfelt dedication of the LAA Vision Keepers (Board): Shannon Walz, Lise Abazs, Abby Rohweder, and newest official members Lucy Carlson & Mathew Unzeitig & our Advisory Council! They have built the LAA’s financial capacity in partnership with colleagues at the NERSDP, Blandin Foundation, and Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation through grant awards.

What excites me is that we get to recreate our cultural norms, that by the nature of the work itself can embolden us to deepen our personal connections with living beings, elements, and systems all around us. We’re creating a new way for the region to live, a way that appreciates, celebrates, honors, and protects with deep connection and compassion. For a long time, historical and intergenerational trauma maintained by institutions have displaced humanity’s relationships with our great cosmos. I feel so lucky to live and work in a time that we have the opportunity to pursue such a cultural shift as this. Miigwech to the ancestors and others who have not had this chance, who with sacrifice prayed for it so that we can be the change. In the next two years, we are piloting our model with 1-3 parcels of land and 1-3 farmers and foragers for local food production to maintain sovereignty of a community governed system. What a journey! For this aim, it definitely takes a village and so I’m looking forward to hearing from you if you have ideas on how to meet this great mission.

My email is info@landaccessalliance.org and my phone number is 218-506-0734.

The LAA is seeking Vision Keepers (board) and Advisory Council members. Please see this link to find our Recruitment Brochure for more information, and complete our Greeting Form that can help get us acquainted. You can complete the PDF version of the form or you can send us your introduction through the Google Form submission portal. Either option has the same questions going to the same place to Dani Pieratos @ info@landaccessalliace.org who will share with the Vision Keepers! We’ll connect back asap regarding your interest.

Meet the Path Seeker: Abby Rohweder