Shephali Patel

Shephali Patel is a farmer, educator, and writer. Her work is split between building models that display the interconnections between soil, agriculture, and ecological health; and empowering others to use this knowledge to create positive changes in their communities and in their own lives. Over the past seven years, Shephali has worked with plants and people at The Youth Farm, Snug Harbor Heritage Farm, The Jane Goodall Institute, Hilltop Hanover Farm/SUNY-Westchester, Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, Eagle Street Rooftop Farm, Farm School NYC, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Working with the wisdom of the natural world has reconnected Shephali to the elemental and revolutionary dimensions of the yogic, healing, and devotional traditions of her ancestors. More importantly, it continues to teach her how to reclaim the dignity, humility, and mystery of being a human being on this planet. She is progressively working on refining her ability to express and share the experience of coming alive through the living world with others. Her latest published essays include “Darshan” in Spiritual Ecology (2nd edition, 2016) and “Sacred Soil” in Parabola Magazine (Fall 2017).