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The Kansas Black Farmers Association (KBFA) members are descended from men and women enslaved by Kentucky planter and politician U.S. Representative and later Vice President Richard Mentor Johnson. They were the labor force at Johnson’s Choctaw Academy for Indians on his farm near Blue Spring and Stamping Ground, Ky. Their visit to Loretto included a day at the Choctaw Academy location.
Freed at the end of 1865, these ancestors determined to leave Kentucky in 1877, as reconstruction soured into Jim Crow violence. They were among the first settlers in Nicodemus, the first all-Black town in Kansas and the oldest all-African American town west of the Mississippi River.
The visit crowned a three-year friendship between KBFA and the Loretto Land Justice Committee. Two years ago, the Loretto group traveled to Nicodemus National Historic Site for the 147th annual picnic. In 2027 Loretto will again be a proud participant in celebrating the founding of Nicodemus at the 150th Homecoming/Emancipation Day.
www.lorettocommunity.org/lorettos-land-ethic-care-of-land-and-its-many-human-relationships/
#LorettoLandJustice
(Photos by Neil Tucker CoL)
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Special visitors arrived at Loretto Motherhouse on Sept. 20 from the town of Nicodemus in northwest Kansas.
Nine women from one extended family traveled to Loretto to explore how their history overlaps Loretto’s history with both enslavement of Black people and operation of Indian boarding schools. Organized today as the Kansas Black Farmers Association, the group also shares Loretto’s keen interest in regenerative agriculture.
Hear the presentation of their history and work below, given at Loretto on Sept. 20: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmroKqFme5A
www.lorettocommunity.org/lorettos-land-ethic-care-of-land-and-its-many-human-relationships/
#LorettoLandJustice
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There are still a few tickets left! Get yours here! www.lorettocommunity.org/event/farm-to-table-dinner-2026-loretto-motherhouse/
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The Sisters of Loretto, who started their Texas mission in San Elizario, more than 100 years ago, had been given some land there. Recently, because of Loretto’s commitment to land justice, Loretto Sisters Kathleen Corbett, Mary Margaret Murphy and Buffy Boesen were invited to meet Juan Valadez and Ramon Olivares. They were totally amazed by what they saw and learned and were deeply moved by Juan and Ramon’s commitment to respect the land and their compassionate care for those experiencing food scarcity. Juan and Ramon said they want to eventually have 10 acres of land, beginning with two acres and gradually increasing the acreage. Loretto has committed to help expand Juan’s and Ramon’s access to 10 acres as they continue to develop the various phases of their master plan.
Juan’s and Ramon’s decision to begin with a fruit orchard was intentional and strategic. An orchard represents one of the most sustainable and cost-effective agricultural systems for the El Paso desert environment. Fruit trees require a single establishment investment and can produce food for many years with relatively low operating costs compared to annual crops.
Their long-term vision includes a multi-system sustainable food production model, where different systems support each other. Future potential phases may include the following phases:
Phase 1 – Fruit Orchard (proposal for two acres): Planting drought-resistant fruit trees to establish long range long-term food production,
Phase 2 – Aquaculture (tilapia production by authorization): Fish production can generate both food and natural fertilizer through nutrient-rich water.
Phase 3 – Integrated Food System: Organic composting, vegetable production and additional drought-adapted crops.
The organization’s philosophy is based on a closed-loop agricultural system, where the output or by-products of one system help sustain another. For example, nutrients from aquaculture can be used to support plant growth, minimizing waste and maximizing productivity. The orchard is the first and most important step, and they are committed to implementing it responsibly before expanding further.
www.lorettocommunity.org/lorettos-land-ethic-care-of-land-and-its-many-human-relationships/
#LorettoLandJustice
(The signing of a two-year lease agreement between Loretto and Seeds by Canela. From left, clockwise, Mary Margaret Murphy, Juan Valadez, Gustavo Blanco, Buffy Boesen and Kathleen Corbett. Photo by Ramon Olivares)
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Loretto Land Justice Beginnings in San Elizario: Juan Valadez and Ramon Olivares recently started the non-profit Seeds By Canela. Valadez and Olivares are both veterans who witnessed hunger in many parts of the world during their military service.
Said the pair, “As veterans, this mission is deeply personal to us, and we are committed to approaching it with care, transparency and respect for the land and the community. Our goal is to create a sustainable, community-focused food system that addresses food insecurity while promoting environmental stewardship, education and service. As veterans, we feel called to teach, guide and feed those in need, while serving as role models in our communities and across the nation. We are committed to ensuring that the kind of hunger we once saw elsewhere does not take root and grow within our own communities.”
Valadez and Olivares started by studying what kinds of plants and trees flourish in areas throughout the world that have similar climates and drought conditions as San Elizario, Texas, which is where they settled after returning home. They have access to a quarter of an acre of land that they used to experiment with the seeds and trees they were learning about. They planted herbs and learned which ones could be used in lieu of pesticides and use all natural fertilizer and watering techniques that reduce the water needed.
Come back tomorrow to learn how Loretto and Valadez and Olivares connected!
www.lorettocommunity.org/lorettos-land-ethic-care-of-land-and-its-many-human-relationships/
#LorettoLandJustice
(A tree cutting grows roots on a branch cut from the parent tree. The roots are then planted for another quality tree. Photo: Juan Valadez)
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As Friends of Mary at the Foot of the Cross, we are called to care for Earth in its pain, to celebrate its beauty and to create space for its healing. Land is our common heritage, owned by no one, responsibly tended and cared for by multiple generations of diverse peoples. Those responsible for land at any particular time should regard it as a sacred trust received with gratitude, tended with care for its integrity, long-term sustainability and historic connections with peoples now systemically dispossessed from lands.
We in the Loretto Community understand that our mission to work for justice and act for peace must include care of the land, including its many human relationships which are entrusted to us. We therefore commit ourselves to tend the land with respect for its integrity, conscious of:
– The capacity of land to be a sacrament of God’s beauty and goodness, reflecting God’s creativity and bounty in myriad, interdependent life forms.
– The necessity to recognize our human dependence upon the larger whole, and to tend the land in such a way that all life is enhanced and protected.
Read the rest of Loretto’s land ethic here: www.lorettocommunity.org/landethic/
(Cody Rakes discusses Loretto Motherhouse Farm conservation practices during a farmer field day. Photo: Angela Rakes)
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