Khuba International is a black-led non-profit organization that seeks to integrate youth education, sustainable agriculture, and community development through hands-on programming and inclusive partnership-building.
We are based in Tompkins County, New York. Our activities particularly seek to engage and empower community members impacted by racism, redlining, and colonization, and families from disadvantaged backgrounds. We support black community members of Central New York that wish to access land and farm.
Our areas of focus include: BIPOC farming, black-led land access, food sovereignty, literacy, and sustainable agriculture outreach. Programming ranges from free and low-cost book distribution to youth of African and/or Indigenous ancestry and students needing expanded access to home libraries, to the installation of raised beds for African diaspora and food insecure families.
Founder Christa Núñez is an African American entrepreneur, researcher, agriculture educator, social justice practitioner, and storyteller.
She focuses her work on creating cooperative land governance models and equitable food systems with African diaspora communities.
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Quarter Acre for the People
Funded by the USDA, Park Foundation, American Farmland Trust, and others
A multifaceted program to nurture and facilitate a return to the land for people who have been affected by systemic urbanization, redlining, colonialism, environmental racism, slavery, land theft, and systemic poverty. Includes the Strong Roots, New Growth Agroforestry Symposium and other initiatives.
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Farming for Freedom Trail
Funded by the Tompkins County Tourism Advancement Grant
The Farming for Freedom Trail is a farm trail agri-tourism network that links farmers of color to one another and to the community at large, uplifting farmers who are contributing at the core of food justice work as well as equitable and ecologically sound land governance endeavors.
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Ubuntu Library
Funded by Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library
The Ubuntu Library is a program for educationally-challenged youth and youth of color to access free, high quality, age-appropriate books. Topics of focus include moral character, environmental stewardship, sustainable agriculture, and human rights. The Ubuntu Library Press supports the publication of works on community, the environment, and cultural understanding.
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Learning Farm Agricultural Education Scholarship
Funded by the Community Foundation of Tompkins County
Equity-based scholarships for participation in the Learning Farm’s Outdoor School. Scholarships support the income-challenged and racially-excluded children to access high quality education based in the natural world.
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Sustainability Sentinel
In collaboration with CAN Cooperative Media, We Are Ithaca, WRFI, and Building Bridges.
A filmed entertainment program that covers issues of sustainability ranging from environmental justice to food equity to community development and human rights of family and their children. Its style encompasses guerrilla documentary films as well as traditional interviews with sustainability luminaries.
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Community CSA
Funded by the Edwards Mother Earth Foundation and CCE Payment for Ecosystem Services
A weekly offering for community members, particularly those facing economic challenges. Ah the Learning Farm, our sister organization, children and families come and harvest a basket-full of vegetables once a week to enjoy healthy food as well as the exercise associated with gardening.
