Edible Activist

Big City Gardener's creator, Timothy Hammond, stands by his motto: Just Grow It! As a kid, Tim was surrounded by gardens, but as early as elementary school, he knew he wanted to become a marine biologist, exploring dolphins and whales. Crafting his expertise at his Texas-based home garden, which became his little known secret, organically led to the creation of his platform. In this episode Tim pr...

What does it mean to be black with plants? D'Real Graham, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, has been exploring his relationship with the plant kingdom since 2018. In this episode we learn about the birth of D'Real's @blackwithplants platform, one in which he uses to not only showcase his botanical journey, but to address issues of racism, cultural identity, and to send a message of decolonizing social pract...

Need a jolt of energy or some good vibes? In need of healing? Calabash, the award-winning plant-based tea shop, is the ultimate immune booster of the city. Founded at the hem of her activist parents and elders, Calabash's founder and operator, Sunyatta Amen, has cultivated a beautiful hub for healing in Washington, D,C. In this episode, Sunyatta takes us back to her parents Harlem-based herbal sho...

New Orleans native and District resident, Dominique Charles, found her love for growing back in 2013 when a friend gifted her with a gardening set for her house. But Dominique is no stranger to agraian life; she spent her childhood driving tractors and watching her "maw maw" and "paw paw" grow food in the country. It was just the way of life. As the creator of Plots and Pans, she documents her gre...

The impacts of COVID-19 were devastating. We acknowledge that at the time of this recording, we were unprepared for the unprecedented challenges it brought. Thousands of lives were lost, businesses severely affected, and the lockdown unleashed a wave of mental health disturbances. While some thrived—and we celebrate their resilience—many struggled, and we hold space for them.

Aleya Fraser has been farming for the past seven years in and around Baltimore (and beyond). Navigating nature's grid with intention, Aleya has a deep appreciation for agriculture and the resources she uses to steward the land. In this episode, she walks us through her origins in Baltimore, the decision to study neuroscience and biology, farming on the ancestral lands of Harriet Tubman, and we als...

In this series we continue to feed listeners Black History 365, and those making it. We are joined by senior planner and special assistant with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning, Molline Jackson, who brings a unique perspective to our history conversation. Tune in! Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

From music, art, and reading, these are just a few ways in which we honor our Black History beyond the confines of February. In this episode we continue conversations from Part I with herbalist and acupuncturist, Geoff Edwards, who believes that our genealogy is the only history we need to focus on. Tune in! Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

Black History is American History, just plain facts! And for decades we have only gotten one month to honor our stories. In this episode we share how we celebrate our black history, heritage, culture, and servant leaders. We also crush on some of our elders, ancestors, food heroes who are planting the seeds of our future. Tune in! Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

The word "holistic" may seem unfamiliar to some, and even sound a bit foreign, but this is a practice that has been around for centuries, curing the most debilitating diseases, ailments, and even cancer. Meet Dr. Ruby Lathon, the founder of Roadmap to Holistic Health, a certified holistic nutritionist and plant-based chef who supports clients in their pursuit to living an abundant and healthy life...

Big Ma, the daughter of a sharecropper and homemaker, hails from Mt. Olive, Mississippi. Soft spoken (like her mama Louvenia), but full of character, she relished her childhood in Mt. Olive on the farm where they lived. In this episode, Big Ma talks about her role as the water girl, runs down a list of crops her dad grew that included sugar cane, and reminds us of this: "I didn’t pick no cotton."...

Big Daddy grew up in Canton, MS and was a hunter: rabbit, squirrels, raccoons-- this was a way of life in the country. And at an early age he took to truck driving because he knew farming was no joke, and not optional if he stayed in Canton. In this episode you’ll hear Big Daddy’s trucker stories and enduring racism in the south, how folks used to locate wells tree limbs, and he shares how everyon...

Our history is filled land loss and discrimination amongst black families and farmers, but this story reflects rejuvenation. Ms. Felicia Bell, a Mississippi native, mother, traditional farmer and operator of RD & S Farm, LLC was born into agriculture. Her family’s land has sustained them for generations, being able to feed themselves, homestead, and launch businesses. In this episode you will hear...

Born in a small Alabama town, Grandma Catherine remembers having all the food she and her family needed on the land. Surrounded by muscadines, peach trees, and pecans, nature’s seed bloomed right outside her home in Butler. And though Grandma has been living in Jackson, MS for more than five decades, the remnants of her country upbringing remain. In this Part I series, Grandma shares fond food mem...

In this season finale, host, Melissa L. Jones and guest Jeremy Carry talk gratitude, vision and purpose! Powered and distributed by Simplecast

Black Food Justice is a fight for our health, wealth equity, access to greener environments, and our land. In this episode, Asha Carter, deputy director with the National Black Food and Justice Alliance, shares what black food justice means to her, details her relationship with nature, and provides a basic understanding of land trusts and how we can use land to build systems for survival. Tune in!...

Food isn't linear, and for artists like Krystal Mack, this means using food to tell our history, build community, and as a tool for social design. In this episode we explore Krystal's culinary entrepreneurial journey as a business owner and baker, breakdown Baltimore's food landscape and how this has impacted her work, the importance of language and controlling our narratives, and her most recent...

Fresh-pressed juice is for everybody, literally. We all need nutrients and vitamins from leafy greens, citrus, and fruits, it's nature's medicine. In this episode we sit down with DC native, Najee Ellerbe, who is a certified juice therapist and owner of Everybody's Juice, a delivery company that offers juice subscriptions to customers. In 2016, Najee contracted the flu and came across juicing whil...

What does land mean to you? And if you inherited it, how would you steward it? This episodes continues conversations from last week's episode, Reflections of the Land, with host Melissa L. Jones and guest co-host, Jeremy Carry. The top of the episode starts with farming ninja, Jay, sharing how he would cultivate the land if he inherited five acres, then segwaying into stigmas that many black peopl...

In this episode, host Melissa L. Jones takes time to share reflections of the land, along with guest and farmer, Jeremy Carry. Land has been a significant topic for the Edible Activist podcast and at two recent events attended by the hosts. Tune in to hear Melissa's personal view of what land means to her and Jeremy's perspectives on how people should be stewarding nature's grid.  Powered and dist...

DMV Black Restaurant Week is building bridges in the black hospitality world, while paying homage to black mixologists, chefs, and restaurateurs that came before us. With a 60 billion dollar food industry, African-American/Black restaurant owners and managers only represent a small piece of the pie. In this episode we explore the statistics around ownership in the food and beverage industry, creat...

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Powered and distributed by Simplecast

Powered and distributed by Simplecast

Powered and distributed by Simplecast