Tending The Soil–Lessons For Organizing (Zine plus free PDFs)

What questions do we need to ask, and what principles must we keep in mind, to make our movements for systemic, transformative change fruitful? Originally created in 2020, “Tending The Soil” has since been used by countless study groups, social justice organizations, and activists to guide their work.

This 24 page zine/pamphlet featuring Ricardo’s words and art contains 8 short lessons, drawing on his over five decades of organizing. The lessons began as a series of short videos produced by Line Break Media. In zine format, the compilation is 5.5×8.5″ with each spread featuring full color artwork relevant to the text.

[For another formatting option, we also previously formatted each “lesson” into its own one-page small pocket-sized zine; links to each one, plus the accompanying videos, all offered for free download, are below.]

FULL ZINE/PAMPHLET: Tending The Soil [Parts 1-8] | 8.5×11 2-sided Printable PDF
(1) A 2nd Grade Liberation Program | 11×17 Printable | Screen-View PDF | Video
(2) Moon Spaces, Sun Spaces and Community Power | 11×17 Printable | Screen-View PDF | Video
(3) Organizing With Kindling | 11×17 Printable | Screen-View PDF | Video
(4) The Enemy Advertises Their Weak Points | 11×17 Printable | Screen-View PDF | Video
(5) The Soil is More Important Than the Seeds | 11×17 Printable | Screen-View PDF | Video
(6) Organizing On the Titanic | 11×17 Printable | Screen-View PDF | Video
(7) Tactics Are All About Context | 11×17 Printable | Screen-View PDF | Video
(8) The Empire Trips Itself | 11×17 Printable | Screen-View PDF | Video
Instructions: How to Fold & Cut Printable Pocket Zines

We hope this series proves a useful resource for you and your colleagues and comrades, and we welcome you to copy and share widely.

24pp full color zine/pamphlet: $6 each