Ta'rin'ii Shanai

(she/her)
Board Member

Tarinii Shanai is a mother to a beautiful young fairy, land steward, and educator. She is also an African scholar who focused her master’s thesis work on the traditional, women-based sustenance gardening systems of the Mossi people in Burkina Faso and their relevance to future sustainability initiatives around the globe. Her commitment to women, wellness & sustainability drives her work as an advocate in community circles between West Africa and Southern Appalachia. Tarinii has experience in both home and farm-scale food production. She co-founded rural farmsteads in Tennessee to North Carolina. When she moved to Marshall, NC, she co-managed Abha Farms, a social enterprise producing specialty greens, botanical products, medicinal herbs, and seeds to support women's centric endeavors & community programs. She is currently involved in the Utopian Seed Project mentorship program paving the way to help others understand the critical importance of seed saving on a regional level. Tarinii has also worked with Organic Growers School since 2017 as a track leader, educator, and facilitator for the Spring Conferences and has continued to play a significant role as a Board member serving on the social justice committee.