Izula Jade Maximillen (She/They/YeYe) Born by the river in Kansas City, Missouri, in the heart of occupied Missouria-Otoe territory, Izula’s journey of nurturing food sovereignty within Black, African, and Indigenous Diasporic communities has spanned over 2 decades. As a student of Traditional Midwifery, Izula’s passion intertwines with being a co-land steward at Sankara Farm, a 27-acre urban family teaching farm pulsating with art, agroecology, and agroforestry. Here, they honor the diverse legacies of songs, stories, and cultures woven into the very essence of agriculture. Izula extends their impact as a Small Farm Outreach Worker, for the Innovative Small Farmers Outreach Program collaborating with Lincoln University’s Cooperative Extension in Jackson County, Missouri. As a chapter organizer for Hip Hop is Green KC and Herbalist without Borders in Kansas City, they are deeply engaged with mutual aid organizations, cultivating perennial partnerships with pollinators, plants, and people to unite in a symphony of health, harmony, and kinship. In their current chapter, Izula is immersed in the exploration of eco-ethnobotanical foodways and the sacred principles of biodynamics, nurturing the Earth and all its interconnected life. They are often found reading a book or tending to flowers alongside their son amidst the buzzing bees.
Areas of Expertise
Farmer, Creative
Company/Organization/Affiliation
Lincoln University Cooperative Extension
Publications / Website Link
https://flatlandkc.org/news-issues/birthing-battle-labor-pains/