Eco Week: Level Up Equipment Training - Multi-Day Workshop Recap

Joshua McCoy
2 hours ago
3 min read

Industry House:

Eco-Building/Housing

Key Takeaway:

Current and future Black landowners can adopt conservation and land management practices recommended by NRCS, which are deeply connected to ancestral knowledge and practices.

On April 2, 2026, Black Sustainability, Inc. kicked off our Eco Week with a Level Up Equipment Training. This multi-day training was a hands-on experience where attendees learned about the recommended practices of the Natural Resources Conservation Services’ flagship conservation program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (NRCS EQIP), and how those practices are rooted in the ecological knowledge and practices of our ancestors.

Part of our AfroEcology series, Eco Week was designed to introduce various equipment used for managing land and farm spaces, like sawmills, forestry mulchers/chippers, skid steers, and trenchers. Attendees became familiar with the safe operation of these machines and how to best utilize the natural materials that are available on site. The weekend was a great opportunity for attendees to learn foundational skills of conservation and land management.

We are grateful to all of our attendees, especially our presenting partners: Eco-PARADIGM’s Founder and Director of Greenspace Management Charles Greenlea, Rural Training and Research Center Director Freddie Davis III and Regional Outreach Forester JB Pegues from the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, and Black Sustainability’s Ecosystem Director Raina Turner-Greenlea.

Black Sustainability’s Program Specialist Ariel Doty found it eye-opening to see how much we can use the trees and open green spaces available on the land. “There are different ways to manage land, whether you're gardening or doing irrigation. If you're deciding to use the trees that are on the property to build, you can use any available timber, cutting it into the right dimensions for your projects. Also, the USDA provides resources towards NRCS recommended practices. This was a great hands-on demonstration of what is possible using local materials.”

Much progress can be made in short periods of time using heavy machinery. Freddie Davis III and his team shared the depth of knowledge on which materials were better for certain projects. For example, you might use certain types of wood for a building project because it is sturdier and dries faster than other species of wood. JB Pegues gave many hands-on demonstrations with the machinery, showing all the capabilities of the equipment, some they brought and some that was already on site. Attendees were thrilled for the experience of trying out different machinery and getting their hands dirty while learning the possibilities of implementing these practices on their land, whether they are current farm owners or they are interested in purchasing space in the future.

Other demonstrations included clearing of space, prescribed burns, mulching wood from harvested trees, planning and building a bridge, and planting in raised gardens under a high tunnel. Some attendees helped to start a fencing project, and others learned how to run irrigation.

Eco Week was hosted at G4 Farm, ancestral land that Charles Greenlea and Raina Turner-Greenlea preserve and manage as a family legacy, for their children and generations to come. The G4 Farm stands as a working training center, space for the collective development of an Afroecology that reaches across family lines and generations for a Black and Green future. Raina’s father and his siblings grew up on the land, and it was special to see her daughters active and engaged with the other attendees. Accommodations at G4 Farms included a nearby cabin and a lot of space for enthusiastic campers to pitch tents.

Much gratitude to all who attended! Special thanks to the Atlanta Community ToolBank who provided rentals that helped make Eco Week a success.

Our AfroEcology series continues with our AfroIndigenous Rice Planting Class. Sign up or learn more: