Jennifer sits down with Radio Milagro Podcast Producer and Host Miguel Acuña Photo by Liset Puentes
Jennifer Rose Marie Serna is a Latina folk herbalist, mother, regenerative farmer, land activist, skill educator, and owner of Wapato Island Farm. Learning from her great Abuelita, Grandma Mary, a Mexican yerbatera and family matriarch, Jennifer began her journey with plant wisdom, healing, and food as nourishment at a young age. She has been learning herbalism for most of her life, which has deepened and grown into a practice of curandera, ancestral healing, and folk tradition practices with food, medicine, and deep soul work. Jennifer’s vision is to continue supporting BIPOC communities within the framework of healing justice, identifying holistic responses to generational trauma and violence. Currently, the farm is focused on working with migrant field workers and black + indigenous farmers to reimagine and build new food systems that foster food sovereignty within these communities. Jennifer is dedicated to honoring and protecting these sacred land she tends with her family and the people that come to Wapato Island Farm for healing, learning, medicine, and wisdom.
(From WapatoIslandfarm.com)
Miguel and Jennifer walk through the Wapato Island Farm. The 32 – acre farm is located on Sauvie Island in Portland, Oregon, and is the only Latina owned farm on the island.
Inside Jennifer’s apothecary where she creates a variety of medicines from ethically grown and harvested plants on Wapato Island farm.
Wapato Island farm houses a 1300 sq. foot event space named Abuela Tecolote (“Grandmother Owl”) named and blessed with its name by Jennifer’s Abuela. This special place is available for workshops and events for “learning, healing, grieving, celebrating, and honoring” according to Wapato Island Farm.
Miguel Acuña interviews Jennifer on Wapato Island Farm. The full interview is available on Radio Milagro SoundCloud.