Staff
Ray Williams, Director
Ray honors his farming roots from the Black experience in Virginia and the white German immigrant experience in New York. Born in Seattle and raised in nature, he understands the healing power of connecting to the land. As co-founder of BFC, his mission is to improve community health by supporting Black leadership on the land and the development of a Black led, local food system.
As a former science teacher, he brings a systems approach to this work and is always eager to explain the natural world on the farm.
Masra Clamoungou, Farm Manager
Masra Clamoungou was born and raised in the south end of Seattle. Growing up, he never had any exposure to farming or agriculture, other than a typical idyllic red barn and huge golden fields of wheat seen in commercials or popular media. While attending classes at Seattle Central Community College, he took a few courses offered through the SAgE Collaborative, and also participated in the Seattle Youth Garden Works program where he began to gain hands-on farm experience on a small market garden. These experiences ignited a passion within Masra and gave him an appreciation for the engagement with the wider ecosystem and the sense of meaningful work, physicality, and tangible results from the work of farming. Until the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, Masra was studying Sustainable Agriculture in Kentucky with the Wendell Berry Farming Program of Sterling College. After coming home and raising a small group of pigs, he connected with BFC and began work on the Small Axe Farm site. Masra is excited to bring more farmers into the collective and is looking forward to a future in farming, supporting farmers, and growing with BFC.
Taj (Tajinique) Ruffin Hinderlie, Farm Crew
Greetings everyone! My name is Taj (Tajinique) Ruffin Hinderlie. I’ve lived in the Seattle area for most of my life now and through my life I've developed the sweetest connections with the folks around me. I hold my community in high regard. My community has led me with kindness, and gentleness helping me acquire tools to accomplish things I never saw in my future. I just want to make that a reality for all BIPOC around me. When I’m not at the farm I’m either in bed watching anime, in my room dancing or trying to find something sweet to eat lol!
Yeawa Asabi, Farm Crew
Ife Asabi, Farm Crew
Ife Asabi is an Oakland, California native who moved to Washington in April 2021; with the intentions of expanding their horizons, tapping into new interests and overall becoming more connected with nature and the earth beneath their feet. Ife has interests in food sovereignty and clean eating; and is passionate about holistic health and herbalism. One of Ife’s long term goals is to become more familiar with herbs and plant life of all kinds in order to have access to treatments and remedies that could heal their loved ones long term. One of Ife's favorite things about working within the Black Farmers Collective is witnessing black people of all ages coming into the farm space for the first time and connecting with their roots in more ways than one. The natural curiosity of all the crops, how things operate, and how they can get further involved warms Ife's heart and reminds them of how we are life long learners. Their favorite comfort food is anything with potatoes; specifically home fries. Somethings that make Ife smile are: witty jokes, laughter of loved ones, music, nature, and art of all mediums.