Elkanah Abobo

Elkanah Abobo grew up farming on his family's tea plantation in Kenya. "Most Kenyans, we are farmers, naturally," he said. "We have been brought up in hardship. There are things that you learn when you are young, and then you grow and grow a family, and you continue doing what you know." In 2020, Elkanah began farming again in Prior Lake, MN. When he found that the environment he was growing in was not suitable for his crops, his sister, Lina (Sharing Our Roots Community Connector, lovingly known as Mama Tshutshu) introduced him to Sharing Our Roots.

Elkanah joined the landshare cohort in 2021 and began growing tomatoes, beans, Kenyan corn, managu, and chinsaga. During the 2021 season Elkanah shared all his harvest with family, friends, and his church community. This season, he plans to bring his crops to the Minneapolis Farmers Market. He sees a large market in the region for the cultural Kenyan crops that he grows, most notably chinsaga and managu. "There are so many people who want to access the land and food, so breaking into the farming community and getting access to land is extremely important." If he is able to access more farmland, he would like to fully concentrate on farming. In addition to his farm business, Elkanah owns and runs his own mechanical shop in Shakopee.

"My farm cannot shine without Sharing Our Roots. I want to uplift Sharing Our Roots. If I am shining, it is because of Sharing Our Roots."