M. Dominique Villanueva (she / her) is a dedicated advocate for health and justice in marginalized communities. As the Co-Founder at Fountain Heights Farms, a Black-centered urban farm in Birmingham, AL. Dominique extends her impact by guiding farmers through the intricate NRCS application process, emphasizing a holistic sustainable approach to farm business. During the height of the pandemic, she co-founded the BIPOC-centered #WeAllEat Food Cooperative, connecting Black and Brown farmers to BIPOC consumers through an innovative sliding-scale system; fortifying community resilience and food security.
As an inaugural fellow of the Braiding Seeds Fellowship sponsored by Soul Fire Farms and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, her roles on the Southern Region SARE Administrative Council and the Rural Advancement Foundation International – USA board, and as a cohort member of Southerners on New Ground’s Free From Fear Campaign; her dedication to food and land justice is further amplified. Ms. Villanueva is also a proud member of the National Black Food and Justice Alliance, underscoring her allegiance to Black food and land sovereignty. In the heart of her community and home, Dominique is a creative, a warrior, a loving wife, and proud mother of four urban farm-raised children.
The fund now welcomes funding from a broad array of donors to continue to support rural Black community self determination throughout the Black Belt region.