help Stephanie fund their medicinal herb farm

Hi fam, I’m Stephanie, a Black Indigenous queer non-binary chronically-ill bb from New Mexico. I’m a certified reiki practitioner, community organizer, artist and herbalist. My wellness practice, Serenus Wellness, is where I share herbal medicine and energy healing.




In my practice I prioritize fellow queer, Black and brown, chronically-ill, mad, sick folks and our closest allies. I offer sliding-scale (and when possible, free) healing reiki sessions to QTBIPOC folks and sex workers. Due to Covid, I've been unable to see clients in-person since March 2020, but have taken the time to focus on expanding my herbal education and providing medicines through my website.


-- What's the plan? --

I’m raising funds to create the holistic space of my dreams. This will include a  farmhouse for living, land for growing organic food & medicinal plants + seed keeping, and a welcoming, safe studio space to treat clients in. My goal is to sustainably source all of the herbs I use in my tinctures and various herbal medicines, and to be a steward to the land I will be inhabiting. I plan to honor those original peoples whose land I will be on, and actively work to give back in whatever ways I can.

In addition to moving and opening my wellness studio, I will be continuing my plant medicine education in order to become a clinical herbalist. My long term goals include: studying acupuncture and adding this to my list of community offerings, hosting community gatherings on the property (workshops, fundraisers) and creating generational wealth that can be passed on to my Black and brown family members after I’m gone (a first in several generations for my family). I grew up and continue to live with super limited resources, so dreaming this big feels like a luxury!


-- Where at? --

After a year of searching (and several let downs), as of May 2021 I'm now under contract for 40 acres of land + a small unfinished house in Mountainair, New Mexico. The house was never finished and will require a lot of work to get it up to code. My partner and I plan to do the majority of that work, with help from some friends. Once we close on the property, we plan to camp on the property while working on the house and prepping the land for 2022's growing season. We will have a well, but no running water or electricity until we can pay to install those.




-- Why the fundraiser?--

- Reparations are past due
- Reclaiming traditions of land stewardship
- Creating generational wealth
- Achieving autonomy
- Sanctuary
- Purpose
- Joy!

(my current studio setup)


All $$ raised will go towards:

- The down payment on land and house
- Initial building expenses (solar, running water, insulation, tools, supplies, etc)
- Expanding my herbalism training w/ a Black-owned herbalism school
- Soil/water assessment of the land
- Sustainable farming & building courses
- Moving costs (from upstate New York to New Mexico)


-- When will this all go down? --

ASAP! As of the beginning of June 2021, we have raised enough money to cover the down payment for the land & house. I need to raise another $20k in June to make the emergency fixes to the house, so that my time spent living in a tent on the property can be as short as possible. As a disabled person with chronic illness, it's crucial that we get the house livable ASAP.




I'm so grateful to anyone who invests in this project and/or shares it with their networks. Thanks for supporting me on this journey!

xx Stephanie
@m0stefinitely