Ask a simple question—can New Yorkers grow food on public land?—and you’ll find yourself in a bureaucratic loop. Right now, the way our public space is utilized reflects a deeper message—that food is something to be bought, not grown or shared in community.

"Food should be free, the planet provides for us," says urban farmer, food justice advocate, and educator Sheryll Durrant in our conversation on the Voices From the Land series.

In this new conversation, Durrant explains why climate adaptation is directly connected to a more just and sustainable system and how it can begin with food sovereignty. 

Food and medicine are deeply interconnected, but the dominant food policy narrative sees them as inherently separate. Here’s how Amara Ullauri, Ecosystem steward of Ayni Herb Farm, is bridging the two and pushing for pandemic solidarity.