Edible Activist Podcast

Gabrielle Knox, the Professional Neighbor is a Detroiter, farmer and builder. In this episode, Gab talks about activating space for growing food, engaging with neighbors in her Detroit community, creative land use, and the model behind her business, Build Cooperatively. Tap in!

Bryan Epps, New Jersey native, is a returning farmer with an extensive background in organizing and community building. In this episode, Bryan shares the legacy of his family's land: Eester Farm, held for 200 years and how he's been called back to the agricultural grid and what the transition has been like. He also shares his perspectives on food and nutrition and his devotion to disrupting food apartheid. Tap in!This program was brought to you by Freight Farms.https://www.freightfarms.com/edibleactivist

Lincoln University's Food Service Director, Nafessah Bush, is a Philly native with a love for community. In this episode, she kicks us off sharing how she got her career started in the hotel industry, now working for Thompson Hospitality, the largest black-owned food company in the nation. Nafeesah had the honor to lead a Garden Give Back initiative this year at Lincoln (the FIRST HBCU) with faculty and students that sprung forth enthusiasm and gratitude from the campus community. We also chat about food insecurity on campuses and Nafeesah leaves us with a tip on the best cheesesteak in Philly! Tap in to listen!

This very special episode is an author talk featuring Chef Matthew Raiford & Amy Paige Condon in celebration of their new cookbook Bress 'N' Nyam: Gullah Geechee Recipes from a Sixth Generation Farmer! As CheFarmer Matthew shares the history of the Gullah Geechee, we explore rich Coastal Georgia, along with recipes, stories, and heirlooms that Matthew inherited. Amy also provides context to shaping the cookbook and working with Matthew to publish a creative piece filled with legacy, honor and awesome food. Grab a copy and tap in!

Edible Activist popped up at FishScale to chat with co-owner and chef, Brandon Williams. When we first had Brandon on the show, back in 2019, he introduced us to his amazing fish burger concept and shared his culinary journey. As the FishScale team closed up shop for the night, Melissa caught up with Brandon to talk about how his team has been able to push through the pandemic, supporting the local economy through food, activating buying power, and of course all-things wild-caught fish. Tap in!

In this episode, we chat with Patrilie Hernandez, founder of Embody Lib, to unpack how food insecurity and eating disorders are connected. Patrilie breaks down the definition of disordered eating, talks about dismantling beliefs around food that are tied to white supremacy and colonization, and we discuss the work that she does to apply a body liberation framework to various environments. Tap in!

Taking a moment to pause for Ma'Khia Bryant. May our princess rest in peace.

In this brief episode, Melissa L. Jones shares a personal piece on transcendence and the black agricultural experience, a reflection of the past, present and future. Tap in!

It all started with planting a few flowers before Tamara Elmore, of Richmond, VA, would find herself fully immersed in the garden! In this episode, we chat about the beginnings of Tam's gardening venture and attending farming school, she speaks on dealing with chronic pain and healing in the garden, and we discuss her two most recent projects: Bring on the Seeds and Tomatoes. We also couldn't conclude the show without Tam dishing on her must-have garden tools. Tap in! Sponsored by Hello Fresh. 

Humanity and environmentalism go hand-in-hand. And for Detroit Dirt's founder, Pashon Murray, the two remain at the center of her mission! In this episode, Pashon paints her story of witnessing entrepreneurship at an early age with her dad who owned a landscaping business. This experience ultimately led her down a path of discovery, lobbying, and eventually birthing a compost company. We unpack Detroit Dirt's business model, talk climate + food, address food insecurity, and discuss showing up in a white space, as a black woman, authentically. Tap in!

Sankofa: go back and get it! Kamal Bell, CEO of Sankofa Farms did exactly that when he and his family acquired 12 acres of farmland in Cedar Grove, North Carolina. In this episode, Kamal walks us through the USDA process, one that brought forth discriminatory challenges along the way, but ultimately ended in victory! Kamal also shares his insight on opportunities beyond farming, being transparent about agriculture life, and how he's rooting for young black men (the Sankofites) to attain the skill of farming. Oh, we also share laughs about Sankofa's beekeeping experience. Tap in!Sponsored by Hello Fresh.

We welcome our very first international guest to the show, Benjamin aka The Roots Farmer, based in London. In this episode, Ben unfolds his journey, taking us from his long-life career in music to starting an off-the-grid farm right outside of London. Agrarian life had been whispering to Ben for some time, and when the pandemic hit, he found refuge and peace on the 2.5 acres that he currently farms with the help of his two sons. Learn how Ben was able to attain the acres through a unique opportunity made available to residents in the UK, his vision for collective land ownership, and the plans he has to offer his community organic, farm-fresh food. Tap in!Sponsored by Hello Fresh.

What do you do when dad purchases a plot of land and says this is your legacy? You transform it into a little green space for growing food! After taking a sabbatical from her teaching job in New York City, Marilyn Griffin returned to Detroit where she would end up diving all the way into her genealogy. In 2020, Marilyn started Griffin Gardens and coincidentally made the decision to remain in the 'D' when the pandemic hit. This episode reveals some fascinating findings about her family lineage, Marilyn talks educating youth about knowing where they come from, and of course we dig into her garden and what she has learned during the process. Tap in! Sponsored by Hello Fresh.

The Edible Activist Podcast kicks off its new season and 100th episode with gardener extraordinaire, Brandy Strickland of Easy Living Gardens! At the helm of two grandmothers, Brandy pulled invaluable knowledge from her divine matriarchs who farmed the land. In this episode, she takes us back to her childhood farm experiences in North Carolina, talks growing in Green Cove Springs, Florida where she resides and has managed to build a beautiful garden mix of vegetables and flowers, and dishes about her garden inspiration and raising two kings. Tap in!Sponsored by Hello Fresh.

We wrap this edible season and year up with reflection and joy. This episode highlights some of our favorite conversations that nourished minds and souls during an emotionally-filled year. Peace and blessings. New season will launch in February 2021!

We celebrate ten divine black women in food and agriculture who have been charting territories unapologetically. These women are farmers, business owners, and artists building from the ground up, getting their hands dirty, serving their communities, and preserving black food history, all while representing the beauty of our culture. Listen in as Melissa L. Jones highlights the women she admires in this space!

Three Part Harmony is going solar at that their 2-acre, off-the-grid farm in Washington, DC! In this episode we chat with Gail Taylor, owner and operator, about 3PH's vision and how they have been sustaining the farm with the support of their staff, volunteers and community. We also discuss farming operations and the lift and economical support that is needed, especially for BIPOC farmers/growers, to run a farming business. Let's support this black-woman-owned farm and help 3PH go solar! Tune in to learn more!

This episode unveils a critical set of food system recommendations for the Chesapeake Region, a report and blueprint produced by the Chesapeake Foodshed Network's Community Ownership Empowerment and Prosperity (COEP) action team. Asha Carter and Dr. Sade Anderson-Brown, COEP members, breakdown the groundwork strategies in this report as they speak truth around our monopolized food system. This blueprint will challenge institutions and those with power to help transform systemic change in the Chesapeake Region. Tune in!

Tag along with Melissa, her two aunts and Big Ma as they visit Mt. Olive, MS, a small town outside of Jackson, to explore the land where her greats called home and farmed on. In this brief episode you'll hear conversations from the car as Melissa's family treks through town, making a couple of stops along the way, while she questions family land ownership. Listen in on the start of this explorative journey to uncovering her agricultural roots in The Sip!

Surrounded by herbs, tea blends, and healing energy, Melissa chats with co-founder and attorney, Yasmin Collins, of Herbal Blessings about the vision behind her family's medicinal business. In this episode, we explore Yasmin's journey to decolonizing her diet, black history in the Farish Street Neighborhood Historic District (Jackson, MS), and we get to hear from the CEO: Eric T. Collins, Jr. aka EJ, their plant-based baby boy who loves sea moss! Tune in!