Support Keisha’s Regenerative Residency

Greetings, My name is Lekeisha Simpson, but those who truly know me call me "Keesh.” I have been studying and practicing regenerative land stewardship for the past several years and am fundraising to finish my Permaculture Design Certification with a 21-day immersive land tending residency on an educational farm in Costa Rica.

I have found my passion in land-based service work, despite facing many setbacks and challenges along the way. I feel inspired to keep building my skillset so that I can continue to share what I learn with my community and the students that I serve.

I've been envisioning taking a trip to Costa Rica for the last four years to treat myself after all the hard work of being of service to underprivileged communities during the pandemic and after the loss of loved ones during the last year. The cost of the residency ranges from $3237-$6694. Any support for housing and transportation would be greatly appreciated. I would feel so honored and excited to make this trip happen this summer. Thank you so much for supporting me in making this dream come true. Donations to Venmo @Lekeisha-Simpson are also welcomed and much appreciated.

I am grateful for all of the friends, comrades, and everyone who has assisted me on my journey. Thank you so much for supporting me in making this happen!

Background about me:

My roots are from Mississippi by way of the "Big Easy” - bayou country of New Orleans, LA. I grew up in what most people would call the "country" in a small town known as Canton with my grandparents and relatives who gardened, hunted, and fished every season. I enjoyed my time planting, discovering, and watching Gaia/ Tonantzin (mother nature), creating and giving her best to us all. Most of my summers were spent planting, watering, harvesting, and preserving various vegetables, fruits, and nuts while learning to live in harmony with nature. These experiences seeded a passion and commitment to working and being with the land, the earth, and community.

After graduating from high school and entering college at Jackson State University, my love for gardening, connecting with nature, and music was put on hold. I joined the U.S. Army. During my enlistment and in training, I was physically injured and experienced various forms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Perseverance, dedication, my faith, and love carried me forward. After Hurricane Katrina, I decided to relocate to Dallas, TX, where I met a fellow veteran who worked in a community garden and nutritional health store. I returned to my love for gardening and connecting with nature. I began noticing the therapeutic benefits of my beloved passion. I began studying and researching the benefits of horticulture therapy. I suddenly realized this form of therapy would help people just like me who suffer from traumatic experiences. I wanted to gain more knowledge and skills, so I decided to search for programs that would assist me on my path.

After being accepted into a two-week earth activist permaculture program, I moved to the Bay Area. During my stay, I experienced a lot of adversity, including racism and discrimination. Additionally, someone broke into my friend's car, stealing most of my valuable personal belongings, including my backpack, laptop and military papers.

I persevered despite many obstacles. I have collaborated with several land projects, including the CSA distribution program through Black Earth Farms and Sogorea Te Land Trust, food production at the UC Gill Tract Farm, and organizing land stewardship with undergrad students at UC Berkeley Oxford Tract Farm’s Agroecology program. My work with undergraduates at UC Berkeley has given me a greater sense of purpose and commitment to working towards liberation involving food sovereignty and food and land justice for BIPOC communities. The camaraderie that has grown between myself and the undergrads through our work of harvesting food for CSA distribution is a rewarding experience. I believe it is essential for me to continue building community and brainstorming creative ideas and solutions to better serve BIPOC communities. I decided to broaden my skills/knowledge and was given the opportunity to take a six-month permaculture design course. Hard work, dedication, perseverance and passion propelled me forward in learning.

I recently completed my permaculture design certification with Ecoversity. The next phase of my journey is to incorporate all of the knowledge that I’ve learned into practice. I’ve been offered the opportunity to participate in a 21-day regenerative residency program at the Ecoversity permaculture learning farm in Costa Rica. Some of the skills that I will be practicing include: soil building and composting, herbal medicine making, fermentation, plant propagation and grafting, cob and bamboo building, greywater system installs, community leadership education, and so much more. This feels like an incredible opportunity for me to put all of my studying into action. I intend to bring home all of the skills I learn in Costa Rica and share them with my community and my students. These skills have informed my understanding of the interconnectedness that exists in nature and broadened my commitment to restoring and revitalizing the land and environment while building community and networking systems. These skills will become even more critical in the future as reconnecting to the land and healing the ecosystem is crucial to mitigating climate change and maintaining mental health.