Black to the Land: Community Reclaims 189 Acres in California

When Zappa Montag steps outside his home in Northern California, he sees 189 acres of redwoods, fruit trees, and gardens that represent something profound: a space where Black people can heal, learn, and reconnect with the land.

Black to the Land is an ecovillage in Boonville, about 115 miles north of San Francisco. Six Black stewards live there completely off-grid, powered by solar panels and sustained by well water.

Montag, 57, first dreamed up the project in 2015 with his daughter, Bibi Sarai. Watching gentrification push Black families out of Oakland, they imagined creating something different: a healing space rooted in nature and community.

For years they hosted gatherings while searching for the right place. In 2021, they found it when white activists who had run the Emerald Earth Sanctuary since 1989 offered to transfer stewardship to a marginalized community.

The founders gifted the land to Black to the Land through a written agreement. "It's been a reparations type of project," Montag said, explaining they're investing time learning stewardship instead of paying money.

Tragedy nearly ended the dream when Bibi Sarai died unexpectedly in February 2023. But when visitors that summer reported improved wellness and mood from being on the land, Montag knew he had to continue.

Now the community thrives. Stewards ranging from their late 20s to mid-50s grow squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, corn and peppers in sprawling gardens. They raise funds through workshops teaching building, gardening and foraging skills to other Black and brown people.

African plant medicine practitioners in the group make herbal remedies for members who feel unwell. They've partnered with organizations like Sankofa Roots to learn fire-building and construction, and work with an ecovillage leader from Ghana to create natural clay buildings.

Everyone shares weekly chores like gathering firewood and digging drainage trenches during heavy rains. Some work remotely to cover personal expenses while dedicating the rest of their time to the land.

The Ripple Effect

The movement extends far beyond one California hillside. Since 2020, the Bipoc Intentional Community Council has witnessed what board member Crystal Byrd Farmer calls "a back-to-the-land movement" spreading across Alabama, Massachusetts, and California.

Black and brown communities are increasingly creating these spaces to protect traditional practices and pass agricultural knowledge to younger generations. After enslavement ended, tight-knit Black communities relied on each other for success in business and farming amid racial violence.

Now that legacy continues in a new form. "We want to be able to be independent or self-reliant," Montag said, "because it feels like things are precarious out there these days."

Through partnerships and knowledge-sharing, these communities are building something that can't be gentrified away: deep connection to land, tradition, and each other.