The Founders

A year before Liberation Farm was born, the global pandemic of 2020 made Nadia and Omowale more uneasy and unstable due to their living conditions and struggle to produce in Brooklyn. Determined to get over their housing hurdle and remain committed during Black solidarity protests and still produce Black VegFest, they stayed faithful. During the presidential election, a Black VegFest delegation countered far right protests in historic North Greenwood, Tulsa, OK with solidarity and vegan food support. Omowale would take a priceless moment to propose to Nadia at the site of the “Black Wall Street” mural. 

Back in Brooklyn, NY, Nadia and Omowale struggled to breathe inside their gentrified neighborhoods and cramped and dilapidated apartment. Nadia was trying her best to grow all their herbs and vegetables on the windowsill and nourish the family. Omowale was attempting to figure out all the tactics and logistics of moving to a rural part of New York. They worked to stay in contact with their children.

For over 20 years, Omowale had organized volunteer artists and doctors, advocated for healthcare policy, developed community programs, supported youth-run produce markets, led social and political campaigns, designed green cooperative tours and other events around healthy food access. He explains his hypertension diagnosis at 15 was the impetus to start solving his own personal problems. His mother’s (Cleo) roots in community organizing with the Black Panther Party would teach him to be an asset to his community.

While immersed in a competitive life of martial arts, he began offering fitness training in 2012. Omowale released “An Introduction to Veganism & Agricultural Globalism” (2015, 2022) and "Brotha Vegan" (2021). He is a NYS 2-time kickboxing and boxing champion and former mixed-martial arts fighter.

Growing up, Nadia was a devout Muslim and traveler of faith. Her family loved visiting Egypt and the Sudan. Nadia was 10 when her mother also named, Nadia left her father due to abuse. Her mom, affectionately called Sis. Nadia raised enough funds to purchase a home in Queens for 4 of her 5 children. Sis Nadia would open her home to women escaping abuse and provide them with food, prayer and other resources. 

Homeless and pregnant at 16, Nadia struggled to find adequate resources to protect her first child. Nadia accepted various jobs usual slated for low-income immigrants, such as child and animal care and house-cleaning. Shortly after mourning the 2010 death of her sister due to a heart condition, Nadia became active in police misconduct protests. Najima was like her best friend. Nadia would later activate and manage the Black VegFest senior food demos with Omowale teaching and cooking in 2019. The memories of Nadia’s mother and sister are woven through her Afro-centric art and the support work because both women worked their hearts to the end. 

Nadia and Omowale have six children between them from marriages and relationships. Usman (28), Iman (26), Rayne (21), Christopher (18), Aziza (15) and Chisore (13) support their farm mission in various ways. They have two cat-children named Sheba and Heathcliff.

Nadia leads Liberation Farm’s exploration in Black art, comfort and land cultivation. Nadia is an advocate for mental health as a warrior of depression and anxiety. Omowale takes the lead on safety, politics and external communications. With that said, the duties and decision-making are fluid and the two operate horizontally to address all matters. 

Liberation Farm operates a vegan space. That means, animals are not exploited or killed for sport, food or other products. That also means we function as an egalitarian eco-system in using best steps to work with the earth organically. We are advocates for animal welfare.