Madrona Fellowship for Food System Leaders
Project partners:
- Climate resilience, Intergenerational wealth-building, Stewardship of lands & waters
- Oregon, Washington
2021 – Present
- Climate resilience, Food systems, Indigenous leadership, Racial equity, Storytelling, Training & education
Viviane Barnett Fellows. Photo credit: Jason Hill
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 justice. 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 our central farm site near Chehalis.
Over the course of a year, fellows engage in peer learning, mentorship, and the co-creation of land stewardship projects. 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.
Seasonal Arc of the Fellowship
The Madrona Fellowship is shaped by the natural cycles of the Pacific Northwest, offering a rhythm of leadership development that mirrors the seasons. Each phase invites fellows to deepen their connection to self, community, and the broader movement for food, land, and climate justice.
- Fall: Grounding & Gathering
Fellows begin by connecting to land, lineage, and values—building trust within the cohort and rooting in shared purpose. - Winter: Reflection & Visioning
This quieter season supports inner work and strategic visioning. Fellows reflect on their leadership, explore systems change, and engage with tools for collaboration and conflict transformation. - Spring: Action & Collaboration
As the days grow longer, fellows focus on collective learning, skill-building, and practicing facilitation, storytelling, and community engagement. - Summer: Integration & Harvest
The final season is a time for reflection and celebration. Fellows integrate what they’ve learned, share insights, and prepare to carry their leadership forward beyond the program.
Applications open now
This application is for the 2025-2026 cohort, which will begin September 2025 and end August 2026. Applications close Friday, May 16 at 11:59pm Pacific. Before applying, review the application guidelines to confirm your eligibility, availability, and interest in the program.
Contact us if you have any questions or need support with any aspects of your application: madronafellowship@gmail.com | (503) 467-0763
Viviane Barnett Fellows esperanza spalding and Herbert Young. Photo credit: Jason Hill
Viviane Barnett facilitator Preet Gujral. Photo credit: Jason Hill
Ecotrust Project Team & Services
Want to learn more? Check out the full Ecotrust Staff & Board and all of our Tools for Building Collective Change.
Ecotrust project team
- Community Outreach Coordinator
- VP, Community Resource Mobilization
- Farm to School Fellow
- Program Manager of Food Systems Equity
services
Leadership development
Storytelling
Amplifying messages
Partner
The Black Food Sovereignty Coalition (BFSC) mission is to ignite Black and Brown communities to participate as owners and movement leaders within food systems, placemaking, and economic development. They serve as a collaboration hub for Black and Brown communities to confront the systemic barriers that make food, place and economic opportunities inaccessible to us. BFSC is focused on meeting these barriers with creative, innovative, and sustainable solutions.
Viviane Barnett fellows, program partners, and Ecotrust staff at the celebration dinner that concluded the inaugural cohort in 2022. Photo credit: Jason Hill
Resources
Past Project
A cohort-based program designed for aspiring and experienced leaders of color working to build equitable, climate-resilient food systems in Oregon.
