Madrona Fellowship for Food System Leaders

The Madrona Fellowship for Food System Leaders is a 12-month leadership development program supporting Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) working at the intersections of food, land, culture, and climate. Through seasonal gatherings, mentorship, and peer connection, the fellowship nurtures transformative leadership rooted in land, community, and collective care. Guided by the rhythms of the region, it offers space for reflection, relationship, and regeneration.

We are expanding the fellowship’s geographic reach—from the Upper Willamette Valley to the Lower Salish Sea—growing a bioregional network of leaders grounded in place and relationship. The program now brings together fellows across three regional hubs: Portland, Chehalis, and Seattle. All fellows gather seasonally for land-based immersions at the program’s central farm site near Chehalis, Washington.

Over the course of the year, fellows participate in seasonal gatherings, immersive learning experiences, and regional cohort meetings that center land, culture, and relationship. Through these shared experiences, they deepen their leadership practice, build lasting connections, and contribute to a growing bioregional network. Together, they cultivate the relationships, skills, and vision needed to transform systems from the ground up — centering care, courage, collective responsibility, and healing.

New name. Same roots. Wider canopy.

Formerly the Viviane Barnett Fellowship, we’ve chosen a new name rooted in place and reflective of the growing network of leaders and communities we support.

The madrona tree, native to the Pacific Northwest, is known for its deep roots, vibrant red bark, and graceful resilience. It’s a fitting symbol for the kind of leadership this fellowship nurtures: transformational, grounded, and interconnected.