The Cincinnati Permaculture Institute aligns to the principle of diversity with the volume and variety of guest speakers in our classes. The summer intensive program has been privileged to receive the joyous wisdom of farmer Donee Boykin for the past three years.
Donee is owner/manager of Endigo’s Herbals and Organics, a 0.5 acre farm in Trotwood, Ohio, northwest of Dayton. Inspired by growers in their family, but particularly concerned about her children’s diet as a young mother, Donee has had keen interest in farming for most of her life. She was particularly focused on bringing healthy food to her children’s school. With support from the incubator farm program of Ohio’s Central State University, she received training and assistance. She continues to work with the community as an ambassador to Black Food & Farm Network (BFFN), founder of Seven Seed Sowers co-op and a member of the Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association.
Donee is an enthusiastic speaker!
Clearly a very busy woman, Donee‘s passion is infectious when she presents to the Permaculture class. Most recently, she spoke to our 2026 summer intensive class on “Why seed sovereignty matters in a changing climate.“ But her message went beyond the science of adapting plants to local climatic changes.
She encourages us to adapt ourselves by tuning in to our passion, our personal history; to create a legacy for our future. Her instruction of seed sovereignty overflows into a lesson of personal sovereignty. She instructs us to nurture next generations with compassion, care and a connection to the natural world, for this is critical for us to thrive. She presents this all with humor and love.
The Permaculture class was wisely instructed to carry on family traditions. To keep alive memories of youth, or, to start new traditions to bestow upon our youth. After sharing her own thoughts of what is an important and necessary legacy, Donee asked us to write on a leaf-shaped note something we want to leave for future generations. Be that seeds from our favorite food, or an ambition for what we feel is most important. We posted the leaves on a class tree for a beautiful sharing.
Donee can be reached by email at donee@sevenseedsowers.org
Donee’s TREE of sovereignty on which we posted ‘leaves for future generations’