We had the good fortune of connecting with Siri Lorece and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Siri, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have spent adulthood utilizing my natural talents and learned skills as an influence on my career choices. Having been raised primarily my a single mom, I learned early on to be adaptable and resourceful with my time and talents. Upon cultivating Creative Arts Farm, my goal from the beginning has been to continue utilizing my natural talents and learned skills to help support familial and community wellness with the very things that add to my personal family wellbeing – music, food, and movement. Our mission Sowing Seeds of Wellness through Music, Farming, and Yoga is intended to unify communities by healing from the ground up – from the inside out. Our family is passionate about raising awareness of sustainable living in an urban environment, while assisting others in their holistic wellness goals.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Spending my time tending to Momma Earth farming and working with others in music and yoga wellness is pure joy. Creative Arts Farm is very different than any other farm I am aware of, as it has been carefully cultivated and based around my personal lived experiences, wellness needs, and talents. I believe if there is another farm who has a similar mission, it should be looked into how they came to that conclusion. Though community wellness is not a unique notion – Creative Arts Farm is truly one of a kind.
I am proud of embracing who I am as a Black Woman. As a Black Female Urban Farmer. As a Black Yoga Teacher. As a Black Singer and Musician. As a Black Healer. In life, labels are placed upon us sometimes inadvertently, other times intentionally. I do my best to not place labels upon myself that limit who I am – I am a whole Black Woman and that in itself is expansive. For me that means acknowledging boundaries and moving about community in a way that is always authentic to me. You can’t fake your natural light as a human. We can try, but ultimately our genuine joy will shine through. I am honored my genuine joy and journey is in direct correlation with the wellness of all living beings.
My entire career has been based around music wellness. Be it performing, teaching, or as a student – in some way, music has always been involved in my day to day life. A career in music can be difficult and comes with an ebb and flow of a lot of work and then on the flip side being unsure where your next job will be. I had a huge turning point when I decided I wanted full control of my time, how I share music wellness, and most of all how I interact with other living beings. Having an incredible support system (friends and my immediate family) to bounce ideas off of, share in joy, and mentor me along the way has made a somewhat scary journey more within ease – I am very grateful. I truly believe we are stronger together when we share what we know to assist others thrive. I think that is key component in community wellness. When I consider community one of the first places I believe that brings people together are farms. Farming and music is a natural partnership, the harmonies in nature speak for themselves. Movement and music go hand in hand as well. Though convincing others of my vision (which is crystal clear to me) has been challenging, those who embrace full throttle holistic wellness completely understand the importance of music, farming, and yoga as a foundation of familial and community thriving.
I am excited as my family and I continue our path forward crowdfunding (GoFundMe) towards our land purchase and start-up expenses to expand Creative Arts Farm. We are on the path to bring our full off-grid urban homestead to life, provide locally grown produce, and serve as an educational source for our community how they can live more sustainably in an urban environment, grow more and buy less of their day to day food needs, and live an all around life of wellness supported by community.
This summer Creative Arts Farm has a Virtual Music Concert Series where we are offering streamed music events that can be viewed from anywhere in the world through www.creativeartsfarm.com and Instagram @creativeartsfarm.
We have a “Virtual Concert Choir” featuring talented musicians from around the world presenting beautifully written choral music, “Garden Grooves” which features Siri Lorece and the Creative Arts Farm Band jamming Pop, Rock, Soul, R&B in a beautiful permaculture garden, and we have “Vocals & Keys’, which features Siri Lorece and her closest friend and music partner in a piano and singing serenade. We are also very excited to have upcoming community sound healing and yoga workshops that will be available virtually as well.
We excited about our recent partnership with Prosperity Market, which is a Los Angeles based mobile pop-up Farmers Market who features Black Farmers, Growers, Food Producers, and businesses – owned by two incredible Black Women. Creative Arts Farm is offering our delicious unique collard varieties and seedlings through Prosperity Market. We are so excited for this partnership and opportunity to meet in wellness safely with our community. The market is unique and truly has the community in mind, offering a virtual market (shop online and pick-up in person), and in person market, and a free produce bag available to local residents. This partnership is another stellar example of community wellness and being stronger together.
The biggest lesson I have learned on my urban farming and small business journey has been to be willing to pivot, but in those pivots always remain authentic to myself and my personal mission. What is meant for us on our unique journey is exactly that – unique and for us. Though others may be driving in a similar lane, as long as you’re focused on your individual coordinates all is well. I am looking forward to continuing my journey and Sowing Seeds of Wellness through Creative Arts Farm with Los Angeles, and beyond.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite spots in the Los Angeles area to visit our surrounded by nature, animals and nature loving humans. There is an unbelievable community of urban farms and gardens in the Los Angeles area like flower farms, animal sanctuaries with cow cuddles, and community gardens. I think any day is best started in nature with the sunrise, pick a spot, any spot! Really, our sunshine is abundant and I believe in accepting her brightness. My favorite place to sun gaze is Long Beach, pretty much anywhere! After a sunrise, think visiting some of the amazing growers in our community is exciting! A few of my favorites are: Moonwater Farm (Compton), Farmlot 59 (Long Beach), Adventures to Dreams (kid-friendly – Long Beach), The Gentle Barn (Santa Clarita), and Organic Harvest Gardens (Long Beach). After a day of any of those beautiful adventures I would enjoy a bike ride along the beach and watch the sunset. California’s sunsets are unbeatable!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A huge shoutout to the Black Girls with Gardens @blackgirlswithgardens (Jasmine Jefferson) community for being a constant uplifting educational space for Black women to thrive through plant well-being, sisterhood, and community.
Website: www.creativeartsfarm.com
Instagram: @creativeartsfarm and @sirilorece
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sirilorece