Inheriting the Harvest

About this episode

This episode features Nia Kiara Cole, a fifth-generation farmer, discussing her journey of rebuilding her family farm and the importance of restorative agriculture.

In this summer episode of BRAIDEd, host Keionna Thomas speaks with Nia Kiara Cole, a fifth-generation farmer who transitioned from film to rebuilding her family farm in North Carolina. Nia's journey from Howard University graduate to land steward demonstrates how young Black farmers are weaving together creative skills with agricultural restoration on land with 200 years of family history. EcoWomanist Institute Southeast co-founder Valerie Hill Rawls addresses the narrative erasure that overlooks Southern Black families who held onto their land, emphasizing why the organization champions "restorative" rather than "regenerative" agriculture. Through Nia's story of navigating family expectations, building intergenerational partnerships, and managing the Southern Black Farmers Community-Led Fund, this episode shows how modern farming is an interdisciplinary field where art, storytelling, and land stewardship flourish together. The episode also announces that BRAID program applications have officially closed and the review process has begun. #BlackFarmers #LandJustice #RestorativeAgriculture #IntergenerationalWealth #EcoWomanism

People in this episode

Host: Keionna Thomas

Guest: Nia Kiara Cole

Topics covered

• Black Farmers
• Land Justice
• Restorative Agriculture
• Intergenerational Wealth
• EcoWomanism

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Inheriting the Harvest

Places: North Carolina

More episodes of BRAIDEd

• Sustaining the Steward · April 22, 2026 · 31 min
• Sowing Justice · October 28, 2025 · 24 min
• Seeds of Resilience · May 26, 2025 · 24 min
• Reclaiming Our Roots · April 22, 2025 · 18 min
• BRAIDEd Teaser #1 · March 24, 2025 · 1 min