(BIRDS CHIRPING) (BIRDS CHIRPING) - MY NAME IS JAMILA NORMAN.

I'M AN URBAN FARMER IN THE CITY OF ATLANTA AT PATCHWORK CITY FARM.

I HAVE BEEN WORKING THIS PROPERTY FOR FOUR YEARS.

IT'S 1.2 ACRES.

IT'S MY FARM.

(GENTLE MUSIC) THE NEIGHBORHOOD PATCHWORK CITY FARMS IS IN IS CALLED OAKLAND CITY.

A HISTORICALLY BLACK COMMUNITY.

IT'S A PART OF TOWN THAT HAS SEEN A LOT OF DIVESTMENT.

FOR ME IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO GROW FOOD HERE BECAUSE I'M PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.

AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE REALLY GOOD FOOD ACCESS AND WE HAVE ORGANIC FOOD THAT'S GROWN BY PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY AND REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY.

- MY NAME IS EVA DICKERSON, AND I'M THE FARMER AT THE THOMASVILLE HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FARM.

ALL OF THE FOOD GROWN THERE IS GROWN BY ME ALONGSIDE MY STUDENTS.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT OUR CITY IS PLAGUED BY THE ATLANTA WAY WHICH IS AN UNHOLY UNION BETWEEN THE BLACK ELITES AND THE WHITE CAPITALIST CLASS, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT UNDERDEVELOPMENT OF SOUTH ATLANTA.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE MY STUDENTS LIVE AND THRIVE AND GROW AND LEARN HAS BEEN LEFT BEHIND, UNDERDEVELOPED AND FORGOTTEN BY THE CITY.

TO HAVE A FARM OUT THERE WITH BABIES LEARNING HOW TO GROW FOOD AND TAKING THAT KNOWLEDGE AND SHARING IT WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND BUILDING A NEIGHBORHOOD WIDE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FOOD SYSTEM AND WITH OUR PLANET IS AN ACT OF RESISTANCE AND AN ACT OF REVOLUTIONARY BLACK LOVE .

HEARING YOU TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT YOU INTRODUCE YOUR COMMUNITY TO.

I FEEL LIKE IT ALIGNS REALLY CLOSELY TO THE THINGS I'M WORKING WITH MY STUDENTS AROUND.

- BEING IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT JUST EXPOSES PEOPLE TO AGRICULTURE THAT THEY OTHERWISE JUST WOULDN'T BE CONNECTED TO.

IT WAS OUR ANCESTORS THAT BROUGHT THAT KNOWLEDGE HERE THAT BUILT AGRICULTURE IN THIS COUNTRY.

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHITE MALE REPRESENTED AS FARMERS IN AMERICA.

AND SO BEING HERE IN THE CITY, BEING BLACK, BEING FEMALE BEING CARIBBEAN IS JUST RECLAIMS THAT TO SAY LIKE, HEY, WE HAVE THIS KNOWLEDGE WE KNOW HOW TO DO IT, AND WE'RE GONNA BE PART OF AGRICULTURE, NOT JUST IN A NEGATIVE WAY, BUT ALSO IN A POSITIVE AND EMPOWERED WAY.

- IN MY DEVELOPMENT OF A FARMER, I'VE STARTED TO LEARN THAT THE MARK OF A GOOD FARMER ISN'T NECESSARILY THE CROP THEY GROW OR HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY FEED BUT HOW MUCH INTENTION THEY PUT INTO REPRODUCING THEMSELVES, RIGHT?

SO I THINK ABOUT YOU AND WHITNEY AND KEISHA AND MAMA HAYLENE, AND Y'ALL KIND OF HAVE LIKE THIS SISTER OF THE YAM VIBE GOING ON, WHERE I LOOK TO YOU AS LIKE ALL OF Y'ALL AS LIKE NOT ONLY MENTORS BUT LIKE OLDER SISTERS AND LIKE THIS VANGUARD OF BLACK WOMEN WHO ARE NOT ONLY GROWING FOOD BUT ARE GROWING FOOD IN THE SOUTH.

THERE'S LIKE AN ELEMENT OF HEALING PAST TRAUMAS THERE AND BRINGING PEOPLE BACK TO THE SOIL.

AND JAMILA IS A GIANT YOU KNOW AND THEY SAY, WE STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS.

AND IT'S BECAUSE OF WHO JAMILA IS, THAT I AM ABLE TO SHOW UP IN MY WORK AND SHINE IN MY WORK.

- WE'RE RESILIENT PEOPLE YOU KNOW, THROUGH ALL THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH, WE'RE STILL HERE, STILL CONNECTED AND STILL WANT TO CONNECT AND KNOWING THAT OUR LIBERATION AND OUR FREEDOM IS CONNECTED TO THE LAND.

- SEEDS GO ON THESE INCREDIBLE JOURNEYS FROM BEING PRODUCED TO MAKING THEIR WAY TO THE GROUND, TO BECOMING A PLANT EVENTUALLY ONE DAY.

WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SEEDS OF RESILIENCE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE.

NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, LIFE WILL CONTINUE TO GROW, CONTINUE TO EXIST, CONTINUE TO REPRODUCE ITSELF.

(GENTLE MUSIC) - MY NAME IS HAYLENE GREEN, THE GARDEN QUEEN.

- MY NAME IS FILOMENA, EVERYBODY CALL ME MENA.

(GENTLE MUSIC) - I WAS BORN IN PORT ANTONIO, PORTLAND, JAMAICA RIGHT UNDER THE BLUE MOUNTAIN.

- I'M FROM CAPE VERDE.

IT'S ON THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA.

- I MIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES WHEN I WAS ONLY 13.

- COMING TO THE UNITED STATES IS A NEW LIFE.

YOU COME FOR OTHER DREAMS OR WHERE YOU KEEPING YOUR MEMORIES FOR YOUR COUNTRY.

- MY FATHER IS A DESCENDANT OF THE MOORE TOWN MAROON CULTURE.

WE HAD TO FARM, FISH AND HUNT.

I DIDN'T DO THE HUNTING PART VERY MUCH.

I DID SOME FISHING, BUT MY MAIN PLEASURE IS FARMING.

GROWING THINGS, WATCHING A LEAF GROW OR A SEED.

- I'VE BEEN A FARMER MY ENTIRE LIFE.

SINCE I REMEMBER MY NAME, MY FATHER, HE WAS A FARMER.

I NEVER COME TO THE UNITED STATES, TO THINK ABOUT TO TO BE A FARMER IN THIS COUNTRY.

I WENT AND BOUGHT MY HOUSE.

I WAS JUST THINKING IT TO BE A GARDEN, NOT A FARMER.

- I HAD A FLOURISHING GARDEN FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS OVER ON RALPH ABERNATHY BOULEVARD.

AND WITH ALL OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WEST END AND AT THE MOMENT, I HAD TO ABANDON MY GARDEN BECAUSE I COULD NOT AFFORD THE PRICE THAT THEY WERE ASKING FOR THE PIECE OF LAND.

WHEN FILOMENA CAME OVER TO THE GARDEN, ON THE WEST END, WE SHARED THE GROUNDS AND SHE WAS TEACHING ME SOME OF HER CULTURE.

SHE GOT DOWN IN THAT SOIL AND SHE MOVED THAT SOIL AWAY SO FAST AND GOT THOSE SEEDS, THE BEANS IN THERE AND THEN WE SHARED.

SHE'S ONE OF THE FASTEST SEED SOWERS AS A HUMAN THAT I KNOW OF.

SHE HAD AN ABUNDANCE OF DAIKON RADISH.

I THOUGHT THEY WERE WHITE CARROTS.

SHE WANTED TO FIND SOME MARKET FOR HER PRODUCE.

AND I INTRODUCED HER TO PATCHWORK CITY FARMS, AFTER THE INTRODUCTION, WHICH WAS SHORTLY AFTER WE GOT INTO KNOWING EACH OTHER, SHE STARTED SELLING HER DAIKON RADISH.

I WAS HAPPY TO HAVE ANOTHER SEMI-SENIOR PERSON THAT WE COULD COMMUNICATE BECAUSE I WAS LACKING THAT THE ONLY OTHER ONES THAT WERE DOING FEMALE FARMERING WAS CEE CEE AND JAMILA.

- THIS PAST YEAR TO LIVE HERE IN ATLANTA, I VISIT PEOPLE, YOUNG PEOPLE, DIFFERENT GENERATION, BE INVOLVED IN THE FARM.

I'M VERY GLAD THEY DID, BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE.

WE NEED TO DO MORE TO TEACH PEOPLE, THE FOOD DOESN'T COME FROM THE SUPERMARKET.

IT'S COMING FROM THE LAND.

- I LOVE TO TEACH THE YOUNG ONES HOW TO GROW AND TO CARRY ON.

IT'S GOING TO COME A TIME, RIGHT NOW THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE THE GENERATION TO KNOW HOW TO FEED THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITY.

- IF EVERYBODY START PLANT ONE SEED AT A TIME YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE.

ONE SEED, YOU CAN FEED MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND YOURSELF AND ALL YOUR NEIGHBORS AND YOUR FAMILY.

WHATEVER YOU PUT FROM YOUR HEARTS IS GONNA PRODUCE.

WE HAVE TO LOVE OUR SOIL.

- GOOD SOIL, GOOD SEED, CONTINUALLY PRODUCE GOOD FOOD.

IT'S A JOY TO GROW.

AND IT'S A THERAPY TO PLAY IN THE SOIL.

- TO BE A FARMER IN THIS COUNTRY HAS BEEN BRINGING ME A LOT OF GOOD THINGS IN THE LIFE.

BECAUSE OF THIS PIECE OF LAND, I HAVE MET SO MANY INCREDIBLE PEOPLE IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

THIS IS MY PLACE.

(GENTLE MUSIC) - SO WE ARE IN THE BEAUTIFUL HABESHA GARDENS.

HABESHA IS DEAR TO MY HEART.

- [KHARI] THIS GARDEN I THINK HAS BEEN HERE SINCE 2003, 2004, SHE'S 16, 17 YEARS.

THIS GARDEN HAS BEEN HERE, WHICH IS AMAZING TO ME.

- I THINK THE BEAUTY OF SOME OF THESE SPACES THAT ARE GROWN, THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SIT AND FIND PEACE AT.

AND ALLOW SOME LIKE PURE JOY AND LOVE RISE TO THE TOP IT'S ALLOWED US TO INTERACT WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE, INCLUDING EACH OTHER.

(GENTLE MUSIC) - I'M ANDREA BLANTON.

I'M THE OWNER OF FOOD EARTH FIRST.

I HAVE VARIOUS ROLES HERE IN ATLANTA, ONE BEING A FOOD EDUCATOR.

ANOTHER ROLE IS FOR MY OWN BUSINESS FOOD EARTH BIRTH WHERE I'M A DOULA AND SEASONAL CATERER AND ALSO A TEA MASTER, SO TO SPEAK.

SO USING HERBS TO TEACH PEOPLE HOW THEY COULD HEAL THEMSELVES, MIND, BODY, AND SOUL.

- MY NAME IS KHARI DIOP.

I'M A GROWER BASICALLY, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES.

I FEEL LIKE I'M A STEWARD OF THE EARTH.

MY JOURNEY WITH FOOD BEGAN IN THE WOMB.

MY MOTHER WAS A VEGETARIAN WHEN SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH ME.

MY PARENTS BOTH ALSO HAD GARDENS, WHEN I WAS A CHILD.

SO, I SPENT MANY SUMMERS DIGGING IN THE DIRT, MOVING SAND, COMPOST, PLANTING, CLEARING BEDS.

- SO IN HIGH SCHOOL I DECIDED TO BECOME VEGETARIAN CONTRARY TO MY FAMILY'S DESIRES, 'CAUSE THEY'RE HEAVY ON PORK AND BEEF.

ACTUALLY AT THE TIME I WAS BECOMING ILL FROM SOME OF THE CERTAIN FOODS THAT THEY WERE MAKING.

AND I LATER FOUND OUT IT WAS BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE SEASONINGS AND ADDITIVES THAT WERE FOUND IN OUR FOODS.

AND SO FROM THERE MY JOURNEY TO ACTIVELY HEAL MYSELF STARTED.

- I CHANGED MY DIET TO A PLANT-BASED DIET BACK IN '97.

AND THAT'S COINCIDENTALLY, WHEN I FIRST KIND OF BEGAN MY FORAY INTO THE URBAN AGRICULTURE WORLD.

WEIGHED THROUGH A HORTICULTURAL LENS, ONE OF MY FIRST JOBS WAS IN '96, AT ZOO ATLANTA.

I WAS WORKING IN A HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.

THAT CHANGE IN MY DIET I THINK REALLY CHANGED MY MINDSET AND MY OUTLOOK TOWARDS WHERE FOOD WAS COMING FROM.

WORKING IN THE PRODUCE DEPARTMENT AND HAVING SOME INTERACTION WITH GROWERS BACK IN THE MID '90'S AND LEARNING WHAT ORGANIC FOODS WERE, HOW THE PRODUCTION OF ORGANIC FOODS WAS BENEFICIAL TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT OUR BODIES, OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR SPECIES.

NOW I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I SAW YOU.

I REMEMBER US MEETING AT TRULY LIVING WELL, WE MET THERE A COUPLE DIFFERENT TIMES.

BUT ONE TIME IN PARTICULAR, I KNEW I WAS GOING THROUGH A ROUGH PATCH AT WORK.

YEAH, I WAS STRESSED OUT AND YOU SAVED MY LIFE.

- OHHHH-OOUUU... - YEAH, THAT'S HOW I THINK OF THAT.

LIKE YOU OFFER ME SOME LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS.

AND THAT WAS AT A GARDEN.

- TRUE, WHICH THAT GARDEN SAVED MY LIFE.

- REALLY?

- YES.

- I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

- A PART OF MY FOOD STORY, EVEN THOUGH I STARTED BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL IN MY FAMILY'S HOME, THERE WAS A POINT IN MY LIFE AFTER I HAD MY FIRST TWO CHILDREN THAT IT WAS EMOTIONALLY HARD AND I HAD A FRIEND WHO NOTICED THAT AND SHE WAS LIKE, "HEY, I WANNA TAKE YOU TO THIS COMMUNITY GARDEN THAT I KNOW ABOUT IN ATLANTA IN THE CITY."

AT THE TIME I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT MAGIC WAS GONNA HAPPEN IN MY LIFE.

I KNEW I WAS AT A LOW POINT EMOTIONALLY AND JUST KIND OF FEELING LIKE I GAVE UP ON LIFE IN A WAY.

A PART OF ME WAS DEAD AND SO WALKING THE GROUNDS OF THE FARM, IT WAS LIKE, WHOA I USED TO JUST SIT AT THE MARKET AND JUST WATCH PEOPLE OUT IN THE FIELDS AND NOT REALLY STEP OUT INTO THE SPACE BUT JUST KIND OF BE THERE AND KNOW THAT MY CHILDREN CAN RUN FREELY.

IT WAS SAFE.

WE CAN INTERACT WITH PEOPLE.

WE CAN TALK ABOUT FOOD.

SO, ONCE I FINALLY STEPPED OUT AND ACTUALLY TASTED THE HERB OFF THE PLANT, THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT LIKE WENT THROUGH ME AND THEN YOU COULD SAY, IT'S THE DNA OR THE GENETIC CODES THAT'S IN THESE SEEDS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF BEING PLANTED AND PRODUCING AND CULTIVATING AND SERVING OTHERS IN SO MANY BEAUTIFUL WAYS.

SEASON RESILIENCE IS PRETTY MUCH JUST WHAT IT IS.

LIKE THESE SEEDS HAVE GONE THROUGH SO MUCH AND THEY'RE GIVING OUT SO MUCH AT THE SAME TIME.

- YOU KNOW I'M LOOKING AROUND AT THIS BEAUTIFUL GARDEN.

THIS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE ORIGINAL GARDENS THAT I HELPED TO CULTIVATE.

SO THAT'S WHY I'M LOOKING AROUND.

BUT YEAH, IT'S BEEN CHALLENGING ESPECIALLY THE PIECE AROUND, NOT NECESSARILY HAVING A LAND AND A SPACE THAT, I CAN CALL MY OWN.

BUT KEEPING THE WHY IS CRUCIAL BECAUSE NO MATTER WHICH WAY THE WINDS OF LIFE BLOW, THE WHY IS LIKE A NORTH STAR.

IT'S ALWAYS SORT OF REFRESHING AND REINVIGORATING TO CONNECT WITH THE REASONS FOR DOING THIS WORK.

THE GENESIS OF IT AND FOR ME, THAT WAS WANTING TO SEE OUR PEOPLE BE FREE.

AND WE KNOW THAT FOOD IS A KEY TO FREEDOM.

IN FACT, IT MAY BE THE KEY, YEAH.

(GENTLE MUSIC) - PEACE, MY NAME IS REINALDO HOLMES.

- MY NAME IS RAS KOFI KWAYANA.

RAS IS A TITLE.

IT COMES FROM AN AMHARIC TRADITION IN ETHIOPIA.

KOFI IS FROM THE AKAN TRADITIONS, IT REPRESENTS GROWTH.

AND KWAYANA IS A NAME THAT MY FATHER ADOPTED IN THE '60S WHEN HE CHANGED HIS NAME FROM SYDNEY KING, MEANS BLACK MAN OF GUYANA.

- I GROW FOOD IN EAST POINT.

THE NAME IS ANCESTRAL FARMS AND THAT'S ACTUALLY AT OUR RESIDENCE.

NOT ONLY DO WE TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO GROW FOOD WE TEACH THEM THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THEIR CULTURE AND THIS THING THAT PEOPLE CALL GARDENING.

THERE IS NO CULTURE WITHOUT AGRICULTURE, MAYBE A HUNDRED, 200 FEET FROM THAT SPREAD, WE HAVE A QUARTER ACRE LOT, THAT WE CALL PEACE IN THE TRAP.

THE REASON WHY WE NAMED IT THAT, BECAUSE IT'S LITERALLY NEIGHBORING THE MOST POPULAR TRAP HOUSE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE URBAN FARMER URBAN GROWER WE HAVE LIMITED SPACE.

WE DON'T HAVE ACRES LIKE LARGE FARMS.

SO WE HAVE TO MAXIMIZE THE SPACE THAT WE HAVE.

AND HOW DO WE DO THAT?

WE GROW IN CONTAINERS.

WE GROW IN KIDDY POOLS.

WE GROW IN SHOPPING CARTS.

SO THESE ARE SOME THINGS WE ALSO GROW ON THE ROOF TO MAXIMIZE SPACE.

- WHERE I GROW FRUIT PRIMARILY IS A PLACE CALLED SHAMBA.

SHAMBA IS LOCATED IN EAST POINT, GEORGIA.

SHAMBA IS A KISWAHILI WORD WHICH MEANS FARM.

NOT JUST TO GROW FOOD, BUT TO HAVE COMMUNITY.

IT'S LAND OWNED BY A BLACK WOMAN, A BLACK WOMAN WHO WAS VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT CREATING SPACE FOR BLACK FARMERS TO GROW FOOD.

IT'S 1.5 ACRES.

WE ARE ONLY SCRATCHING THE SURFACE IN TERMS OF THE POTENTIAL OF USING ALL THE LAND TO GROW FOOD.

AND I THINK THAT THE TIMES THAT WE'RE LIVING IN RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE RETURNING TO THE LAND.

PART OF THEIR RETURN IS ENHANCING OUR INGENUITY, OUR CREATIVITY, KNOWING THAT REALLY WE CAN'T DEPEND ON ANYBODY ELSE BUT OURSELVES.

AND WE'VE BEEN GIVEN WHAT WE NEED ANYWAY, IN THE LAND.

- AS A FARMER, WE'RE NATURAL NURTURERS, NURTURES OF THE EARTH, NURTURES OF THE LAND.

AND SOMETIMES WE PLANT A SEED, IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE RUNT IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE SMALL, BUT YOU STILL PUT IT IN THE GROUND.

WE'RE JUST STEWARDS TO THE LAND, BUT REALLY MAMA EARTH, THAT'S THE ONE.

- ANYTHING YOU GIVE A WOMAN, SHE GONNA MULTIPLY IT.

IF YOU GIVE HER SOME FOOLISHNESS SHE GONNA MULTIPLY THAT TOO.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

BUT OUR MAMA, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

THAT'S WHAT SHE DO.

YOU GIVE IT TO HER MAN AND SHE TAKE CARE OF THE REST.

SO MAMA NATURE ALWAYS GOT THE CURE, PERIOD.

- ONE OF MY GO-TO HERB FOR JUST MANY THINGS AND ILLNESSES, BURDOCK ROOT, IT HEALED MY FATHER.

KEPT HIM OFF OF DIALYSIS FOR SIX YEARS BECAUSE OF THAT, I'VE IDENTIFIED THE POWER OF BURDOCK ROOT.

- FARM LIFE IS COMMUNITY LIFE.

YOU KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR COMPANY ON THE FARM, ONE OF THE MANTRAS THAT WE KIND OF PROPAGATE IN THE WORLD IS THAT LIFE IS A FARM.

YOU KNOW, IT'S AN EXTENDED METAPHOR.

IN MY OTHER LIFE, I WAS ACTUALLY AN ENGLISH TEACHER IN HIGH SCHOOL FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.

LIFE IS A FARM.

YOU KNOW YOU LOOK AT THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF AGRICULTURE AND YOU SEE THOSE ALL DAY LONG IN THE PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY.

SO, THAT'S THE FIRST THING, JUST THE THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATION.

WE TALK ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIPS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CULTIVATE, I'M VERY GRATEFUL.

- I ALSO SEE AS SOMETHING TO EDUCATE OUR PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, HOW TO HEAL THEMSELVES IS BEFORE YOU JUST GO TAKE A WORD FROM WHAT SOMEBODY TELL YOU, TAKE A WORD FROM WHAT YOUR SPIRITS SAY, REACH THERE FIRST.

BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GET TO THE HEALING OF YOURSELF, YOU DO WANT TO CHANGE YOUR DIET, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY... YOU'RE PUTTING LIFE INSIDE OF YOUR BODY, THINGS THAT YOUR BODY RECOGNIZE, THAT YOUR DNA RECOGNIZES IS FOOD IS GONNA GIVE YOU NUTRITION.

A LOT OF THESE COMMUNITIES ARE OVERLOOKED, ARE OVERSHADOWED BUT IF YOU REALLY JUST INVEST SOME TIME, SOME ENERGY SOME LOVE INTO THE PEOPLE IN THESE COMMUNITIES I BELIEVE THAT THEY WOULD FLOURISH JUST LIKE THE RUNS OR JUST LIKE THE PLANTS THAT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THEY WAS GONNA MAKE IT.

- YOU KNOW RESILIENCE IS A THING THAT HUMANITY HAS DEMONSTRATED.

AND I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S UNFAIR TO SAY THERE'S NO GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD TO DEMONSTRATE IT MORE THAN AFRICAN PEOPLE.

IF YOU USE LOGIC, WE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE RIGHT NOW.

LIKE THEY CAME AGAINST US WITH EVERYTHING LIKE A BIG OLD MAC TRUCK.

THEY CAME AT US WITH EVERYTHING AND WE STILL HERE.

SEEDS IN THEMSELVES HAVE A SPIRIT OF RESILIENCE.

THE SEED COMES THROUGH DARK.

IT'S PLANTED IN THE DARK.

SO METAPHORICALLY OR PHYSICALLY, IT'S PLANTED IN THE DARK AND FINALLY FINDS THE SUNLIGHT.

AND BECAUSE OF THE CODE THAT'S BEEN PUT IN IT BY OUR CREATOR, YOU KNOW.

- TO ME, THE GREATEST SEEDS THAT I'VE EVER PLANTED HAS BEEN IN THE MINDS OF FAMILIES AND CHILDREN AND PEOPLE.

(UPBEAT MUSIC) - IF WE CAN GET SO INTELLIGENT THAT WE SEE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN US AND DIRT THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO TREAT IT WELL BEFORE IT BIRTHS HUMAN BEINGS AND CREATE THIS KIND OF COATING AROUND OUR CHILDREN THAT WOULD PROTECT THEM EVEN FROM TRAUMA.

"I LOVED YOU," I SAY TO MY SON.

"YOU WERE INTENTIONAL.

I SPOKE TO YOU IN MY LAND BEFORE YOU WERE EVEN BORN.

I SANG TO YOU."

THEY GROW UP AND THEN THEY LOOK AT THE LAND AS SOMETHING THAT WILL BRING LIFE TO THEM AND TO THEIR CHILDREN.

ACTUALLY, THEY'LL LOOK AT IT NOT JUST TO BRING LIFE BUT THAT'S THE LIFE.

(GENTLE MUSIC) - I AM ELIYAHU BEN ASA AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS ELIYAHU, SON OF ASA.

I'M A SECOND-GENERATIONAL FARMER, I'M A PHOTOGRAPHER, I'M AN ARTIST.

I'M A SON, I'M A SERVANT.

I DO WHAT'S NEEDED TO PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY, FOR MY COMMUNITY SO THAT I CAN BEST LEAVE THE NEXT GENERATION AND BE A LIGHT.

I'M COMING DOWN FROM SCHOOL AND COMING TO FARM WITH MY FATHER AND PRETTY MUCH TAKING OVER AND EXPANDING THE BUSINESS THAT WE'VE CREATED DOWN HERE.

A 15 OR SO ACRE FARM IN ELLENWOOD, GEORGIA CALLED ATLANTA HARVEST.

AND WE PRODUCE FRUITS, VEGETABLES, MEATS.

WE PRODUCE EGGS AND HAVE A FARM STAND PRETTY SOON, OR SOON COMING, THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SELL FOOD DIRECTLY TO CUSTOMERS AND CREATE A SPACE FOR OUR COMMUNITY WHERE I WANNA TEACH PEOPLE AND JUST HELP PEOPLE THRIVE AND UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT AGRICULTURE IS TO OUR BEINGS.

- MY NAME'S ASA BEN YSRAEL.

I AM THE FATHER OF THE HOUSE OF ASA, WHICH CONTAINS MANY OF US.

WE'RE INDUSTRY PEOPLE.

WE'RE CARPENTERS.

WE'RE ELECTRICIANS.

WE'RE PLUMBERS.

WE'RE MECHANICS.

WE ARE FARMERS, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS ALL ENCOMPASSING OF ALL THAT.

BUT THERE'S A NEW DEFINITION FOR INDUSTRY, BUT I HAVE AN OLD DICTIONARY AND IT SAYS, "THE ABILITY TO CREATE FROM NATURAL RESOURCES."

THAT MEANS THAT YOU CAN GRAB SOME RAW MATERIAL AND MAKE IT INTO SOMETHING THAT'S WORTHY OF BARTERING.

EITHER BARTERING IT FOR MONEY, OR BARTERING IT FOR OTHER GOODS.

AND THAT'S WHEN YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR SOCIETY.

YOU KNOW?

OR YOUR MICRO SOCIETY.

- EVERY CIVILIZATION OR SOCIETY HAS TO HAVE FARMERS, HAS TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO GROW FOOD.

RIGHT?

AND IT'S SO POWERFUL THAT IT CAN BE THE DETERMINING FACTOR ON WHETHER YOU SURVIVE OR NOT.

WHEN WE GOT THE PROPERTY, I WAS ABOUT 13 YEARS OLD.

AND AT THAT TIME I WAS REALLY JUST FOLLOWING MY FATHER.

WHATEVER MY FATHER WAS DOING I WAS DOWN FOR.

AND SO HE GOT THE PROPERTY AND SAID, "I BOUGHT IT.

WE'RE GOING DOWN TO SEE IT TODAY."

SO I GOT ON A PLANE, CAME DOWN, DRIVING THROUGH, I THINK WE HAD A SEDAN AT THE TIME, DRIVING THROUGH THE DIRT ROADS ON A LOW-RIDING CAR.

IT WAS A TOTALLY NEW EXPERIENCE.

AND PULLING INTO THE LAND, IT WAS SO VAST, IT WAS SO LARGE.

I VIEW GROWING FOOD AND CULTIVATING LAND AS A TOOL TO HEAL MYSELF BY UNDERSTANDING, FIRST OF ALL, THAT FOOD IS LIFE.

THE WAY THAT PLANTS GROW, THE WAY THAT FOOD GROWS, THE WAY THAT THE WORLD WORKS, DOES IT IN SUCH A WAY WHERE THE THINGS THAT WE CONSUME REGENERATE OUR BODIES.

THEY GIVE US LIFE.

TREES GIVE US OXYGEN.

EVERYTHING IS IN A CYCLE.

WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR BODY IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE.

AND THAT EXTENDS PAST FOOD, THAT'S ABOUT THE WORDS THAT YOU SPEAK, THE WORDS THAT PEOPLE SPEAK TO YOU, THE THINGS THAT YOU SEE, THE THINGS THAT YOU ENGAGE WITH, WHAT YOU PROVIDE YOURSELF WITH, WHAT YOU EXPOSE YOURSELF TO HAS GOTTA BE CLEAN.

IT'S GOTTA HAVE LIFE.

AND SEEING THINGS GROW, AND SEEING THE POWER OF SOIL, AND SEEING THE POWER OF LIFE COMING FROM SEED GAVE ME THE INSPIRATION TO FOLLOW ALONG AND WORK MY HARDEST AT WHAT WE WERE DOING.

IT WAS REALLY MY FATHER'S INSPIRATION TO COME DOWN HERE AND BUY A FARM AND BUY SOME LAND AND START FROM SCRATCH.

AND WE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT FARMING, BUT THAT INSPIRATION TO WANT TO HEAL OURSELVES AND HEAL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE AROUND US HELPED US TO KEEP GOING AND PUSH THROUGH ALL THE ADVERSITIES AND PUSH THROUGH ALL THE TRIALS THAT IT TOOK TO GET THE FARM STARTED, AND START MAKING A BUSINESS OUT OF IT SO THAT WE COULD MAINTAIN A WAY OF LIVING.

- [ASA] A SEED LITERALLY HAS TO DIE IN ORDER TO BE REBORN AS A TREE.

AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, THEN THE ACT OF SACRIFICE COMES NATURAL FOR ALL LIFE, EVERYTHING THAT WE DEPEND UPON.

- WHEN WE WERE EVOLVING ATLANTA HARVEST, AND YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU NEEDED ME HERE, IT WAS A MATTER OF ME DECIDING WAS I GOING TO LEAD A LIFE THAT I HAD TO START FROM SCRATCH AND MAKE MY OWN PATH?

OR WAS I GOING TO TAKE FROM WHAT YOU HAD CREATED, WHAT YOU HAD DEVOTED YOUR LIFE TO DEVELOPING, AND ALL THOSE RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU HAD, AND EVERY SINGLE THING THAT YOU HAD DONE THAT HAD CREATED ESSENTIALLY THE LIFE THAT WE LIVE NOW.

- IT'S A MINDSET.

WHAT YOU DID WAS SACRIFICE, BUT YOU DIDN'T SACRIFICE FOR ME.

YOU SACRIFICED FOR YOUR SONS.

AND YOU SACRIFICING FOR YOUR SONS, I WAS ABLE TO GIVE YOU EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE AND PROVIDE FOR YOUR SONS.

IF WE CAN TRULY ENCAPSULATE THAT, WE CAN REPAIR A BREACH- - [ELIYAHU] YEAH.

IN HOW OUR PEOPLE SEE INHERITANCE.

- [ELIYAHU] YEAH.

MY HEART LIES IN GROWING FOOD AND SEEING LIFE COME FROM THE SOIL, AND SO I WILL CONTINUE TO PASS THAT ON.

I WILL CONTINUE ON IN THAT BUILDING OF GENERATIONAL WEALTH TO PASS ON TO MY KIDS, AND THEY'LL CONTINUE, AND THEY'LL CONTINUE.

AND MAYBE WE'LL STAY IN FARMING FOREVER, BUT OF COURSE WE'RE GONNA BRANCH OUT.

YOU KNOW, I HAVE DREAMS AND VISIONS OF MY SEED IN THE FUTURE, BUT THAT'S MY SEED OF RESILIENCE.

BREAKING AWAY FROM THE SYSTEM IN A WAY TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT MY FAMILY CAN ACTUALLY THRIVE ON.

- THIS MORNING I HAD THIS IN DEPTH CONVERSATION WITH MY WIFE, AND I TOLD HER, "YOU ARE THE CORNERSTONE OF MY HOUSE."

MY WIFE WILL TAKE CARE OF MY MOTHER.

SHE'S LIKE MY ADMIN ASSISTANT.

(LAUGHS) SHE'S MY COOK.

(LAUGHS) SHE CLEANS UP FOR ME.

SHE RAISES MY CHILDREN AND PROCESSES THEM.

MY SON SPEAKS THREE LANGUAGES.

HE'S ONE YEARS OLD.

WELL, YOU KNOW, HE'S SAYING WORDS FROM THREE LANGUAGES.

TO HAVE A WOMAN LIKE THAT IS SUCH A GIFT.

WHEN I LOOK AT THAT I SAY, "YOU CAN'T LEAVE THAT TO CHANCE."

(UPBEAT MUSIC) - [ASA] A SEED IS A BYPRODUCT OF SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN MATURED.

AFTER IT'S MATURED, IT CREATES A SEED.

THE SEED DIES TO CREATE ITSELF BACK AGAIN, AND HOPEFULLY WITH BETTER SOIL.

(LAUGHS) (UPBEAT MUSIC) - FOR ME WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GETTING A START, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN LIKE A ARTIST-LEVEL.

RIGHT?

WELL, I DO MUSIC.

I MAKE JEWELRY.

I USED TO REALLY MAKE A LOT OF SOAP TOO, AT ONE POINT.

DOING THE HIP HOP, DOING THE FREESTYLES.

STREET ENTREPRENEURIALISM WAS A BIG PART OF THE CULTURE, AND WAS THE ACTUAL NINTH ELEMENT BEFORE THE TENTH ELEMENT.

SO THE TENTH ELEMENT OF HIP HOP IS HEALTH AND WELLNESS.

AND NOW THE CULTURE IS ACCEPTING THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES.

IT'S THIS PERFECT SEGUE FOR ME TO KIND OF JUST DO WHAT I'VE ALWAYS DONE.

MY NAME IS CHEF ZU, AND THE NAME OF MY COMPANY IS KING'S APRON.

AND I CONSIDER MYSELF A HOLISTIC HEALER.

SO OVER THE YEARS I WENT FROM BEING CERTIFIED AS A HOLISTIC NUTRITIONIST, TO PREPARING FOOD, TO FARMING THE FOOD, AND RECENTLY I GOT MY CERTIFICATION AS A HERBALIST.

- [YOLANDA] HMM.

- SO I JUST TRY TO USE THESE DIFFERENT MODALITIES, THESE DIFFERENT SPACES THAT COME TOGETHER CAUSE THEY DO WHEN YOU FIND THE INTERSECTION.

IT'S LIKE A BEAUTIFUL TIME IN SPACE.

AND A BIG KICKER IS I REVERSED MY DIABETES THROUGH DIET ABOUT CLOSE TO 10 YEARS NOW.

SO THAT'S REALLY HOW I GOT MY REAL START.

- [YOLANDA] I'M YOLANDA OWENS, KNOWN AS THE "SKINCARE FARM CHEF."

THE REASON WHY THAT IS IS BECAUSE I PARTNER WITH LOCAL FARMS HERE IN ATLANTA AREA WHERE I HANDPICK ALL MY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

I BRING THEM BACK TO THE SPA WHERE I JUICE THEM, I MIX THEM, AND I MAKE SKINCARE RECIPES.

AND I TAKE THOSE RECIPES AND I APPLY THEM TO SPA SERVICES.

I A SPA CALLED IWI FRESH FARM TO SKIN SPA WHERE WE CALL IT OUR "SKIN FARMING SPA" WHERE WE ACTUALLY ARE FEEDING YOUR SKIN THE TRUTH, STRAIGHT FROM THE EARTH.

I GO AND I PULL THE CARROTS, I BRING THEM HERE, I JUICE THEM, I PUT THEM IN MY JUICER, I MAKE CARROT JUICE, AND I TAKE THAT JUICE AND CREATE THOSE PRODUCTS OUT OF IT.

- [CHEF] SEE IF YOU'RE WITH THEM, FOR ME, I THINK THE MAIN ONE IS THERE IS NO CULTURE WITHOUT AGRICULTURE.

AND THE CULTURE CONNECTION BETWEEN PEOPLE PEOPLE OF COLOR AND THE LAND AND THE OWNERSHIP OR THE LACK OF.

TO ME, YOU SUPPOSED TO SHOUT OUT TO PEOPLE THAT CAME BEFORE YOU EVEN.

SO WE COULD DO DOCTOR SEBI AND LLAILA AFRIKA, BUT I'D LIKE TO GO AS FAR BACK AS IMHOTEP.

HE BUILT THE FIRST PYRAMIDS IN EGYPT, BUT THEN HE WAS LIKE, A RELIGIOUS SCHOLAR AND THEN HE WAS INTO METAPHYSICS.

HE WAS INTO ART AND WRITING AND ALL OF THESE THINGS, BUT HE WAS REALLY GOOD AT THEM.

FOR ME IT'S JUST ALWAYS LOOKING AT PEOPLE THAT CAN DO DIFFERENT THINGS WELL, AND JUST USING THAT ENERGY THAT THEY'RE GIVING ME, LIKE THEIR INSPIRATION, FOR ME TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE DIFFERENT PARTS OF A HEALING SYSTEM IN THAT SAME WAY.

A CRITICAL PART OF THE BUSINESS THAT I DO IS DIRECTLY INVOLVING FARMERS... - MM-HMM.

- URBAN GROWERS, OF COLOR.

- YES.

- AND PREDOMINANTLY BLACK.

YOU KNOW, SO I WOULD SAY, I DON'T KNOW, 80% OF THE FOOD THAT I SOURCE FOR CATERING ARE COMING FROM LOCAL BLACK FARMERS.

- WHY IS THAT?

LOCAL BLACK FARMERS?

- WELL, I MEAN, WHEN WE KNOW ABOUT JUST EQUITY, AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT AGRICULTURE AND EQUITY OR FARMING AND EQUITY.

SO WHEN THIS TERM "EQUITY" COMES UP, IT'S THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE AS MUCH AS THEY SHOULD, OR WERE NEVER GIVEN WHAT THEY NEEDED.

- YES.

- SO THEN FROM RIGHT THERE, IT'S LIKE, "OKAY WE KNOW INCOMES AND WEALTH GAPS- - YEAH.

YES.

THAT THE BLACK FARMERS ARE MAKING MUCH LESS.

RIGHT?

- LESS.

YEAH.

SO IT JUST MAKES SENSE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THEM.

- I KNOW.

THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT MOTIVATES ME TOO, TO CHOOSE- - [CHEF] AND IT FEELS LIKE FAMILY TOO.

- YEAH.

YES.

IT'S FAMILY CAUSE WE'RE SUPPORTING EACH OTHER.

AND I LOVE THAT.

I'M VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT GOING TO THE BLACK GROWERS.

GROWING UP IN A URBAN COMMUNITY, IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR ME TO SUPPORT MY URBAN GROWERS.

AS A LITTLE GIRL, I DIDN'T HAVE THAT.

- THAT'S RIGHT.

- YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?

I DIDN'T HAVE THAT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND SO, TO ME, TO HAVE THE BLACK FARMERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IN THE COMMUNITY, OH MY GOD, THAT IS EXCITEMENT FOR ME.

AND SO I HAVE TO SUPPORT.

I DON'T HAVE ANY CHOICE BUT TO SUPPORT THAT.

YEAH.

SO IT'S A WIN-WIN.

I GREW UP WITH MY GRANDMOTHER, WHO WAS THIS HOME REMEDY QUEEN.

ALWAYS LOVED MAKING HER OWN PRODUCTS.

SHE USED TO LITERALLY GO IN THE BACK PORCH AND TAKE HER SEEDS AND LITERALLY THROW IT ON THE SIDE OF THE PORCH, AND THINGS WOULD GROW.

AND AS A LITTLE GIRL, THAT WAS JUST SO AMAZING FOR ME TO DO THAT WITH MY GRANDMOTHER.

AND IT JUST NEVER LEFT ME.

WELL I HAD ECZEMA AS A LITTLE GIRL, AND MY GRANDMOTHER HEALED ME THROUGH ALL TYPE OF HOME REMEDIES FROM THE ECZEMA.

SHE USED TO LITERALLY PUT ME IN THE BATHTUB, AND PUT GARLIC AND ONIONS AND GREENS IN THE BATHTUB AND SET ME IN THERE.

AND IT LITERALLY HEALED MY ECZEMA.

I HAVE A SON, AUSTIN, WHO HAD ECZEMA, AND I WANTED TO HEAL HIS ECZEMA.

SO I, AT THAT TIME, I STARTED GOING AND GETTING PRODUCTS OFF THE COUNTER, I WAS GOING TO DERMATOLOGISTS, AND WAS REALIZING THAT IT WAS GETTING WORSE.

THE PRODUCTS THAT WERE ON THE SHELF WERE ACTUALLY FULL OF SO MANY CHEMICALS AND THERE WAS NO FDA REGULATIONS.

THERE WERE REGULATIONS AROUND FOOD, BUT NOT AROUND TOPICAL THINGS.

MANUFACTURERS AND PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO, IF WE'RE MAKING A PRODUCT, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE TO TELL YOU WHAT'S IN THE PRODUCT.

I MEAN IT COULD BE DOG POO-POO.

IT COULD BE ANYTHING IN THERE, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT THAT ON THE LABEL.

JUST REALIZING HOW IMPORTANT THE SKIN IS AND HOW PRODUCTS ARE ABSORBING INTO OUR SKIN, TO OUR BLOODSTREAM, AND HOW IT'S IMPACTING OUR ORGANS, I WAS ABLE TO HEAL MY SON'S ECZEMA AND JUST REALLY STARTED REALLY CONNECTING BEAUTY, OUR SKINCARE AND FOOD.

AND REALIZING HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS FOR US TO REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT WE'RE PUTTING ON OUR SKIN BECAUSE SOCIETY IS NOT.

YOU KNOW, THE MARKETING IS NOT.

AND I KNOW YOU PROBABLY CAN RELATE TO THAT, CAUSE YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT YOU HAD DIABETES AND YOU WERE ABLE TO REVERSE THAT THROUGH YOUR FOOD.

- YEAH DEFINITELY.

JUST EATING OFF THE LAND, AND REALLY DOING THAT THOUGH.

LIKE IN THE SENSE OF BEING ABLE TO TRACE THE FOOD.

THE TRACEABILITY BEHIND, WHETHER I'M FARMING MYSELF OR MY FRIEND IS FARMING, BUT THE FACT THAT I CAN TRACE THE FOOD, POSSIBLY EVEN THE SEEDS, I THINK IS THE KEY.

AND THAT'S WHAT REALLY HELPED ME.

- IT'S JUST SHOCKING BECAUSE OF THE PRODUCTS THAT ARE INSIDE THESE PRODUCTS JUST TO MAINTAIN SHELF LIFE.

SO THEY CAN SELL A LOT, MASSIVE IN PRODUCTION.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REALLY DEALING WITH.

THERE'S SO MANY CHEMICALS IN THERE JUST TO GET THAT DOLLAR.

AND THAT'S WHY I CAME UP WITH IWI FRESH, BECAUSE "IWI" STANDS FOR "IT IS WHAT IT IS."

AND SO "IT IS WHAT IT IS" MEANS THAT WHATEVER IT IS, THAT'S WHAT IT IS, IF IT'S CARROTS, IT'S CARROTS.

IF IT'S SQUASH, IT'S SQUASH.

IF IT'S LETTUCE, IT'S LETTUCE.

IT IS WHAT IT IS.

- [CHEF] AND BEING BLACK AS A CHEF IN ATLANTA, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO SAY, "WELL I WAS EXECUTIVE CHEF AT SO AND SO HOTEL FOR 17 YEARS" OR- SO I COME FROM MY GRAND-MAMA TOO.

- ALL RIGHT NOW!

THEM GRAND-MAMAS IS ON POINT.

- BUT THEN FROM THERE, IT'S JUST TAKING WHAT SHE HAD SHARED AND FLIPPING IT TO THE WAY IT MADE SENSE FOR ME.

IN THE BEGINNING IT WAS THIS PUSH BACK OF JUST, "WHO IS HE?"

AND THEN I WOULD JUST LET THE FOOD SPEAK FOR ITSELF.

- [YOLANDA] THAT'S RIGHT.

- AND THEN IT'D BE LIKE, "OH," WHEN THE CROWD BE LIKE, "WHOA."

(YOLANDA LAUGHS) - [YOLANDA] FOR ME WHEN I FIRST STARTED MY BUSINESS, ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES WAS THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN ALL SKIN.

IF YOU GOT SKIN, THEN I'M INTERESTED ABOUT FEEDING THE SKIN THE TRUTH.

EVERYBODY WANTED ME TO PUT PRESERVATIVES IN MY PRODUCTS.

CAUSE IT WAS LIKE, "HOW LONG YOU GONNA STAY ON THE SHELF?"

I GOT A SHELF LIFE, AND A LOT OF MY PRODUCTS YOU GOTTA REFRIGERATE.

SO PEOPLE ARE LIKE, "WELL HOW ARE YOU GONNA BE IN THE STORE IF YOU GOTTA DO THAT?"

SO I REALLY HAD TO BREAK THROUGH THE BARRIERS OF BEING VALUED AS A VALUED PRODUCT OR A VALUED BUSINESS, BECAUSE I WANTED TO CREATE A TRUE, RAW SKINCARE LINE.

SO I HAD TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF THOSE TYPE OF CHALLENGES OF STAYING TRUE.

- [CHEF] RIGHT NOW, I'M JUST FOCUSING ON HOLISTIC HEALTH.

- [YOLANDA] HMM.

- [CHEF] BUT IT'S FOCUSING ON LITERALLY SEVEN STREAMS OF REVENUE.

THROUGH HOLISTIC HEALTH THOUGH.

- GOT YOU.

- SO NOW IT'S LIKE IF ONE THING'S CAUSE LIKE COVID- - HMM.

- IT SWIPED A LOT OF STUFF, RIGHT?

- HMM.

(LAUGHS) YES IT DID.

- SO I HAD ALL TYPES OF GIGS ON MY CALENDAR, LIKE I'M GOING TO THE MOUNTAINS, CATERING, GOT MY OWN CABIN, ALL I GOTTA DO IS COOK FOR PEOPLE THAT'S DOING YOGA ALL DAY.

THEY WANNA EAT LIGHT, AND THEN THEY JUST SAY, "EVERYTHING'S DONE, WE DON'T NEED YOU RIGHT NOW.

WE'LL HIT YOU WHEN WE NEED YOU."

- I HAD A BRICK AND MORTAR, (LAUGHS) WHICH I'M NOT SAYING- I THINK THAT HAVING NOT A BRICK AND MORTAR PROBABLY WAS PROBABLY BETTER THAN HAVING ONE, BECAUSE WE HAD OVERHEAD.

AND WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN FOR ABOUT FOUR MONTHS.

AND I HAD TO REALLY PUSH MORE TO ONLINE AND PUSH MORE FOR OUR PRODUCTS.

AND THEN I ALSO WAS IN THE PROCESS OF OPENING UP ANOTHER LOCATION.

SO WE OPENED UP, WE HAVE A WELLNESS CENTER AS WELL AS IWI FRESH FARM OASIS, WHICH I HAVE ABOUT 21 SUB-LEASERS THAT ALL HAVE HEALING MODALITIES FROM REIKI TO SOUND THERAPY, TO ACUPUNCTURISTS.

YOU NAME IT.

AND I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF OPENING THAT, LIKE LITERALLY IN FLIGHT OF COVID.

AND COVID HIT, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF PIVOTING AND JUST STOPPING AND PAUSING.

WE WERE ABLE TO COME THROUGH THAT.

IF YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO, WHICH I DEFINITELY CAN TELL THAT YOU ARE, YOU BECOME AN EDUCATOR.

AND BECAUSE YOU CARE, IT'S WHAT YOU DO BY NATURAL, BY DEFAULT IT JUST COMES OUT.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT DOES.

AND I LOVE THAT.

I LOVE THAT.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE DO.

I THINK WE'RE HEALERS.

- [ASA] THERE IS SO MANY LAYERS TO SPEAKING ABOUT SEEDS OF RESILIENCE.

NOW WHEN I FIRST STARTED GARDENING, I WAS SO DELICATE WITH EVERYTHING.

JUST LIKE, "OH MY GOODNESS."

(GIBBERISH) PLANTS ARE RESILIENT.

THEY'LL KEEP COMING BACK, OR THEY'LL GIVE OFF SEEDS AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOU HAVE MORE OF A PLANT.

SO WHEN I THINK OF SEEDS OF RESILIENCE, I THINK OF PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS NO NEED TO STOP.

WE ARE THE ONES THAT WE ARE WAITING ON, AND IT'S TIME TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

- [TENISIO] A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT, YOU KNOW OUR PEOPLE CAME OVER HERE AND WERE FORCED INTO LIKE ACQUIRING SOME SKILLS TO ALL OF A SUDDEN DO WORK FOR OTHERS.

- [J. OLU] RIGHT.

- [TENISIO] YET WE KNOW NO, THEY WERE ALREADY MASTERS.

- [J. OLU] AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF OUR INNOVATION AND HOW IT GETS REPLICATED IN SEVERAL WAYS.

YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT THE URBAN AGRICULTURE BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOOD ALL AROUND.

SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMS AND THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY, WE TALK ABOUT EXTENSION.

AGAIN, WE HAVE THIS HISTORY OF INNOVATION EVEN WHEN THE ODDS HAVE BEEN STACKED ASSETS.

- RIGHT, NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION, YOU KNOW?

ABSOLUTELY, THE ACTUAL WAGON WAS LITERALLY JUST THAT.

- [J. OLU] AND DR.

CARVER.

- YEAH, SO GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER WAS THE LEADER.

THIS WAS HIS PROGRAM, IF YOU WILL.

HE WAS TAKING THE ACTUAL STUDIES THAT THE STUDENTS DID IN THE SCHOOL AND THEN PROVIDING THAT TO THE FARMING COMMUNITY.

SO OF COURSE WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, HE'S THE ONE THAT POPULARIZED CROP ROTATION.

- YES.

- YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE STILL USING RIGHT NOW, MANY OF THE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS THAT HE MADE OF COURSE WE KNOW.

- ABSOLUTELY.

- WERE, YOU KNOW GROUNDBREAKING PRODUCTS.

- RIGHT.

- BUT HE WAS BRINGING THESE TO THE PEOPLE FIRST.

SO EVEN THOUGH WE HAIL 'EM UP AS LIKE THESE GREAT INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED INDUSTRIES, HIS FOCUS WASN'T REALLY ON THE INDUSTRY.

- NO.

- AS MUCH AS IT WAS GOING TO THE COMMON MAN.

- WHICH GOES BACK TO WHERE WE SAID, STARTING FROM WHERE YOU ARE.

- EXACTLY.

- AND THEN BRANCHING UP WIDE.

- THAT'S RIGHT.

GREETINGS MY NAME IS TENISIO, NASE TENASEANIMA I AM A FARMER I FARM WITH NATURE'S CANDY FARMS.

I AM THE GREAT GRANDSON OF AUGUSTA LONG A FARMER WHO HAS BEEN VERY INFLUENTIAL ON WHY I DO THE WORK THAT I DO BECAUSE HE STARTED FARMING AT 12 YEARS OLD IN GAUSE, TEXAS.

THE LAND THAT HE FARMED ON HAS BEEN IN MY FAMILY FOR ALMOST 140 YEARS.

AND SO HERE I AM THE NEXT GENERATION JUST CONTINUING ON HIS WORKS.

I AM ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO FEELS LIKE MY ROLE IS TO BE A LAND STEWARD, TO SUPPORT MYSELF MY FAMILY AND MY COMMUNITY THROUGH MY ABILITY TO TAKE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A SEED PUT IT IN THE GROUND, TURNING INTO SOMETHING OF SUBSTANCE THAT BEING FOOD AND BE ABLE TO OFFER THAT TO THE PEOPLE AND A WAY THAT CAN SUSTAIN US, ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO LIVE GROW HEALTHILY, HAPPILY, AND EMPOWERED.

THAT'S MY FOCUS, I'M A POWER BROKER.

PREPARED TO ALWAYS BE GROWING PREPARED TO ALWAYS BE, YOU KNOW LEARNING SOMETHING NEW PREPARED TO ALWAYS SHIFT WITH THE TIME.

- ITERATING.

- [TENISIO] YES, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, NO DIFFERENT THAN PEOPLE COULD HAVE PROBABLY NEVER PREDICTED THAT THERE WOULD BE SUCH A THING AS LIKE URBAN AGRICULTURE.

YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD JUST STAYED STUCK IN ONE MINDSET, WE WOULDN'T EVEN BE HAVING, YOU KNOW, THIS CONVERSATION.

- RIGHT.

- CONTEXTUALLY.

- RIGHT.

- YOU KNOW, SO I ACTUALLY LOVE HOW THIS WORK KEEPS YOU CONSTANTLY ON YOUR TOES.

YOU'RE CONSTANTLY INNOVATING AND YOU'RE NEVER JUST STUCK IN ONE SPACE.

YOU'RE ALWAYS EXPANDING, GROWING AND COMING UP WITH NEW IDEAS.

- WHEN WE THINK ABOUT IT, EVEN AS YOU SAID, I MEAN THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE POSITIONS THAT YOU'RE IN PROFESSIONALLY AND THE POSITION THAT I'M IN PROFESSIONALLY DIDN'T EVEN EXIST.

- [TENISIO] RIGHT.

- SO AGAIN, YOU CAN'T JUST LOOK AT IT AS WHAT IT'S GONNA BE TODAY.

YOU GOTTA THINK ABOUT IT LIKE WHAT CAN IT BECOME?

- YEAH.

- AND THAT'S WHY, AGAIN IT STARTS WITH THAT IDEA, THAT ASPIRATIONAL AND THEN YOU PUT A LOT OF FAITH IN, YOU KNOW TECHNICAL EFFORT AND TECHNICAL SKILL SET, THEN YOU GOT SOME BEAUTIFUL THINGS LIKE THIS GARDEN RIGHT HERE, YOU'RE NOW ROCKING WITH THE BEST.

NAH,OKAY.

J. OLU BAIYEWU CITY OF ATLANTA, URBAN AGRICULTURE DIRECTOR.

I AM A BLACK MAN, A SON A FATHER, A HUSBAND, LOVE WARRIOR, URBAN AGRICULTURALIST.

PEOPLE ARE MY PASSION, FOOD IS A CURRENT CONDUIT.

SO TODAY AS WE STAND ON THIS LAND ORIGINAL MUSKOGEE CREEK TERRITORY, MUSKOGEE CREEK LAND WE ARE AT THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY CENTER IN SOUTHWEST ATLANTA.

IT'S LOCATED IN THE BUSH MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY HAS A VERY LONG AND DEEP HISTORY AS BEING ONE OF THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS IN THE CITY OF ATLANTA, EVEN PREDATING THE CITY OF ATLANTA BECOMING THAT AS AN OFFICIAL CITY.

WE ARE ALSO HERE AT THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY CENTER WHICH IS HOME OF THE ATLANTA BLACK CRACKERS PRACTICE BASEBALL FIELD.

THE ATLANTA BLACK CRACKERS ARE RECOGNIZED BY MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AND ALL AROUND THE WORLD AS THE FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM FOR THE CITY OF ATLANTA A TEAM THAT ORIGINALLY STARTED IN THE NEGRO LEAGUES.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THIS WAS THE LAND THAT IS STEWARDED BY OUR WONDERFUL PARTNERS, THE WEST ATLANTA WATERSHED ALLIANCE ALSO KNOWN AS WAWA.

YOU KNOW, I SAW THE NEED AND THE INTEREST FOR MYSELF TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS FOOD IN A WAY THAT I JUST WASN'T ABLE TO DO IN CERTAIN AREAS THAT I WAS LIVING IN.

I REALLY WANTED TO HAVE AN HEIRLOOM TOMATO AND I WANTED TO HAVE IT AT ANY MOMENT IN TIME.

HOWEVER, SO I REALIZED LIVING IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES I JUST DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE.

SO ONCE I LEARNED HOW TO GROW IT THEN I FELT MYSELF FEELING REJUVENATED AND REGENERATED BY BEING ABLE TO GROW THAT KIND OF FOOD.

I REALLY WANTED TO GAIN ACCESS TO CERTAIN ITEMS THAT I WAS ACTUALLY SELLING IN RESTAURANTS.

SO HEIRLOOM TOMATOES, ROMAINE LETTUCE THAT WAS GROWN YOU KNOW, RIGHT HERE LOCALLY FRESH RED ROMAINE LETTUCE, OKRA OF COURSE, BURGUNDY OKRA, SO I SAID, HOW CAN I GET THAT INTO MY SYSTEM IN A MORE FREQUENT WAY?

THEN I SAID, LET ME APPLY THAT TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL BECAUSE I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON WHO LIKES HEIRLOOM TOMATOES, I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON WHO LIKES CRIMSON OKRA, SO WHAT ARE THE WAYS THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT ON SIDEWALKS, COMMUNITY GARDENS, URBAN FARMS, ET CETERA.

SO THAT'S WHAT JUST KIND OF KEPT ME MOTIVATING, AND THAT'S HOW I'VE HEALED MYSELF AND ALSO HEALED COMMUNITY AS WELL.

BUT I COME FROM A LINE OF TEACHERS, SO THE IDEA WAS HOW CAN I SHARE THIS KNOWLEDGE AND THIS SKILLSET WITH OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL.

AND THAT'S WHAT LED TO ME KIND OF BEING MORE EXTERNAL WITH THE WORK THAT I DO AND THIS CONSTANTLY BEING READY TO YOU KNOW, SHARE THE INFORMATION, SHOW IT IN TECHNIQUES, SHOW IT IN PRACTICE.

MY VISION IS CONNECTED TO, YOU KNOW THE SAYING ABOUT THERE IS NO CULTURE WITHOUT AGRICULTURE.

SO EVEN IN MY ROLE RIGHT NOW, I'M ALWAYS LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE URBAN AGRICULTURE INTO CITY PARKS, HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE IT INTO RIGHT OF WAYS, HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE IT INTO PEOPLE'S BACKYARDS, GARDENING HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE, YOU KNOW, CITY, PROPERTY THINGS OF THAT NATURE TO EXPAND COMMUNITY GARDENS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES AND MOST IMPORTANTLY FELLOWSHIP, YOU KNOW WHERE THAT WE CAN ALL GET TOGETHER.

SO IF WE CAN COME TOGETHER, BREAK BREAD, GROW FOOD TOGETHER SHARE FOOD TOGETHER, SHARE THE WISDOM, SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE.

THAT'S THE DEFINITION OF IT.

SO MY VISION HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT OF TO LEARN AS MUCH AS I CAN AND THEN TO REFLECT IT OUT.

AND I CONTINUE TO DO THAT AT THE CITY.

AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT FOR THE CITY OF ATLANTA.

- YOU KNOW, WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT ATLANTA IS LIKE WE GOT A LOT OF VERY UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS HERE.

I THINK ABOUT HISTORY OF THIS PARTICULAR AREA.

NUMBER ONE, LET'S JUST START WITH THE 1970S, MAYNARD JACKSON, YOU KNOW, AND SO FOR HIM TO RECOGNIZE THAT LIKE WE HAD SKILLS.

- [J. OLU] RIGHT.

- THAT WERE TOPNOTCH SKILLS, AND HE BASICALLY SAID, LOOK, WE'RE HERE.

LIKE WE AIN'T GOING NOWHERE.

- RIGHT.

- YOU CAN EITHER TRY TO JOIN US, YOU KNOW OR YOU GOING TO GET RAN OVER.

THAT'S HOW I GOT INSPIRED, JUST THINKING ABOUT HIM AS HE HAD THE AUDACITY, IF YOU WILL.

- YEAH.

- TO CLAIM A POSITION AND HERE WE ARE NOW WE'VE BEEN A BLACK MUNICIPALITY YOU KNOW, FOR OVER 40 YEARS.

SOMETHING ABOUT THAT IS VERY INFECTIOUS, I THINK AND THE ATTITUDE AND JUST THE TONE OF HOW WE DO THINGS IN ATLANTA TO WHERE EVEN WITH AGRICULTURE, IT WAS JUST LIKE AIN'T NOBODY ASKING PERMISSION TO DO THIS WORK, WE'RE GONNA DO IT, WE ARE DOING IT.

THE KSHAWN MYERS OF THE WORLD, THE KARRY DE OPS OF THE WORLD THE RASHD NURI OF THE WORLD.

- [J. OLU] RIGHT.

- [TENISIO] BOBBY WILSONS OF THE WORLD, THE REVEREND BRIGHTS OF THE WORLD ON AND ON AND ON.

I'M ALMOST REMINDED OF THE FACT THAT MANY OF THESE PEOPLE HAD TO JUSTIFY THEIR WORK WHEN PEOPLE WOULD COME AT 'EM.

'CAUSE KSHAWN USED TO TELL ME THAT PEOPLE WOULD ASK HIM, WELL WHO GAVE WHO HAVASHA THE AUTHORITY TO CERTIFY PEOPLE AS MASTER GARDENERS.

AND HE WOULD SAY THINGS LIKE, WELL, WHO GAVE THE MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM IT'S AUTHORITY.

- RIGHT.

- LIKE YOU STAND ON YOUR SQUARE AND YOU DO WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO.

AND THAT HAS BECOME INFECTIOUS, MAN, IT'S INSPIRED A LOT OF US JUST TO JUST SAY, WE'RE GONNA DO IT.

- YOU THINK ABOUT THE LEVVY GILLUM'S, JAMELE NORMAN, MAMA HALENE, MAMA PHELOMENA, YOU CAN'T DENY WHERE WE ARE RIGHT, AS WE SIT IN THIS CEDAR TERRITORY WHICH IS MUSKOGEE LAND AS CHEROKEE LAND, RIGHT, PEOPLE ARE FROM HERE.

BUT THE OTHER THING ABOUT ATLANTA IS IT BRINGS PEOPLE FROM ALL ACROSS THE WORLD, RIGHT.

WE GREW UP WITH HIP HOP MUSIC, WE GREW UP WITH THE RISE OF LAFACE RECORDS, WE GREW UP WITH ALL OF THAT STUFF.

AND SAME THING IS HAPPENING NOW WITH URBAN AGRICULTURE, SO YOU HAVE THIS DIVERSITY OF CULTURE, PEOPLE WEST AFRICAN DESCENT, ALL COME INTO ATLANTA, WHETHER IN ONE OF THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES ARE RIGHT THERE IN THE CITY CORE.

AND THEN WE'RE BRINGING OUR KIND OF UNIQUE CELLS OUR FULL CELLS AND OUR CULTURAL CELLS, SO WE'RE GROWING PEPPERS UP BEFORD HIGHWAY AND WE'RE GROWING SWEET POTATOES DOWN IN RIVERDALE, AND THEN WE'RE GROWING EVERYTHING IN THE CITY BECAUSE THAT AGAIN REPRESENTS THE DIVERSITY OF ATLANTA.

WHAT MAKES ATLANTA WHAT IT IS?

- YEAH.

- YOU KNOW, LAST BUT NOT LEAST WE CAN'T FORGET ABOUT FOLKS WHO ARE FROM HERE.

- [TENISIO] RIGHT.

- RIGHT SO WE HEAR THIS TERM, WE USE THIS TERM BIPOC, BLACK INDIGENOUS AND OTHER PEOPLE OF COLOR.

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THAT BLACK AND INDIGENOUS, WE KNOW AND YOU KNOW, THROUGH YOUR FAMILY, YOUR TEXAS ROOTS RIGHT, THAT, THAT EXISTS HERE.

SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING IN ATLANTA AND IN OTHER PLACES AS WELL IS THAT RESURGENCE OF THE LOCAL TALENT.

- [TENISIO] YES.

- THE NATIVE TALENT, WHO IS ALSO SAYING WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS, WE'VE BEEN GROWING FOOD IN OUR BACKYARDS, FRONT YARDS ROOFTOPS.

AND THEN YOU BRING IN ALL THIS MULTICULTURAL EXPERIENCE AND IT JUST BECOMES THIS UNIQUE THING THAT IS VERY ATLANTA WHERE YOU'RE SEEING IT IN OTHER SPACES AS WELL.

IT SHOUT OUT TO TRUE LIVING WELL AND HAPPY WHICH ARE BOTH PART OF OUR FOUNDATION.

- YES.

- YOU KNOW, THIS WHOLE THING, LIKE WE MET THE TLW.

- YES.

- BUT AGAIN, EVEN SOME OF OUR AGRICULTURAL TRAINING COMES DIRECTLY FROM THE TWO OLDEST ORGANIZATIONS IN THE ATLANTA METRO AREA THAT ARE BLACK LIVE.

- THAT'S RIGHT.

- FOR EVERYBODY OUT HERE, UNDERSTAND IF WE DID NOT MENTION YOUR NAME, IT IS NO LOVE LOST.

- YOU AIN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT.

- WE AIN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT, AND IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME.

- YOU GO FIND HIM DON'T COME LOOKING FOR ME.

- AND THEN I'M GONNA SEND 'EM TO YOU.

(BOTH LAUGH) - THIS PARTICULAR SYSTEM IS ONE THAT THEY'VE DEVELOPED IN LESOTHO AND THEY USE IT IN LESOTHO AS WELL AS IN ZIMBABWE KNOWN AS THE KEYHOLE GARDEN.

- [J. OLU] RIGHT.

- [TENISIO] BECAUSE IT ALLOWS YOU TO OF COURSE BE ABLE TO GROW YOUR PLANTS IN A TIGHT SPACE, OF COURSE, FEED THEM THOUGH.

- [J. OLU] RIGHT.

- [TENISIO] WITH COMPOST THAT IS CENTRALIZED.

AND SO WHAT I REALLY LOVE ABOUT THIS SYSTEM IS IT ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE BASICALLY THREE BEDS IN ONE A COMPOST SYSTEM AND A LOW MAINTENANCE DESIGN.

- RIGHT.

- AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S NO WEEDS IN HERE, I HAVEN'T DONE ANY WEEDING.

- RIGHT.

- SINCE THIS BED WAS BUILT.

- RIGHT.

- SO I REALLY JUST LOVE ITS ABILITY TO KEEP PRODUCTION HIGH, BUT MAINTENANCE LOW.

- [J. OLU] IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE TOO, OF SHOWING HOW THE PLANTS FEED OFF OF EACH OTHER, AND THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE WEED SUPPRESSION.

- [TENISIO] RIGHT.

- AND IT REALLY BECOMES LIKE A SELF-SUSTAINING SYSTEM.

- EXACTLY.

- LIKE RIGHT THEY'RE FEEDING THEMSELVES WHEN THESE PLANTS ARE DONE, YOU COULD THROW THEM RIGHT IN THERE.

- EXACTLY.

- THEY'LL BE FEEDING THE NEXT-- - THAT'S RIGHT.

- SET OF PLANTS.

- THAT'S RIGHT.

- ONE OF THE SAYING THAT STANDS OUT TO ME IS TO PLAN YOUR WORK AND WORK YOUR PLAN.

SO WHEN IT COMES TO THIS WORK, YOU KNOW, TO NON-STOP POOL OF KNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS MORE TO LEARN ABOUT THE SOIL.

THERE'S ALWAYS MORE TO LEARN ABOUT THE SUN, THE WATER.

THERE'S ALWAYS MORE TO LEARN ABOUT THE PLANTS.

- [TENISIO] SHOUTS OUT TO ALL OF THE LAND STEWARDS, THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO MANAGE THE TREES THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO MANAGE THE SOIL.

EVEN IF YOU'RE SOMEONE WHO'S A MASON, ANYBODY THAT TOUCHES THE LAND AND EXTRACTS RESOURCES FROM IT AND TURNS THAT INTO SOMETHING THAT CAN EMPOWER THEMSELVES.

THAT TO ME IS AN AGRARIAN, THAT'S A LAND STEWARD, AND SO I FEEL LIKE IF WE CAN BEGIN TO TELL THAT STORY FROM THE INSIDE OUT MORE, WE'RE GOOD.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE DISCOVERED IS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY DEFINITELY HAVE LIKE A SECRET APPRECIATION FOR AGRICULTURE AND SO WHEN THEY BRING IT UP OFTENTIMES ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE TALKING TO SOMEONE LIKE ME, THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT'S THE UNIVERSE TALKING TO 'EM.

SO THIS PARTICULAR SITE IS ONE IN WHICH FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, WHEN COVID OCCURRED I WAS ACTUALLY DRIVING RIDE CHAIR.

A CUSTOMER OF MINE, GOT INTO THE CAR AND JUST STARTED TALKING ABOUT HIS INTEREST IN WANTING TO HAVE FOOD GROWN AT HIS HOME.

AND OF COURSE HE DID NOT KNOW I WAS A GROWER AND LONG STORY SHORT.

THIS SITE THAT YOU'RE SEEING IS THAT CUSTOMER SITE HE LITERALLY HAD ME COME OVER, TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

WE KIND OF WENT OVER SOME OF THE PLANS, AND NOW, AS YOU CAN SEE WE'VE LITERALLY CONVERTED HIS ENTIRE BACKYARD AT LEAST A PORTION OF IT INTO AN ACTUAL AGRICULTURAL SITE.

IT'S ALL RAISED BEDS, SITTING ON TOP OF MULCH THAT WE'VE LAID DOWN AND SO WHAT YOU SEE RIGHT HERE IN THE CENTER IS JUST THE BEGINNINGS, BUT THERE'S ENOUGH SPACE OUT HERE TO REPLICATE WHAT YOU SEE RIGHT HERE IN THE CENTER, PROBABLY ANOTHER SIX TO SEVEN TIMES.

AND JUST TO GIVE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME CONTEXT, I MEAN THIS IS NINE BELL PEPPER PLANT.

I EXPECT EACH ONE OF THOSE PLANTS TO PRODUCE ANYWHERE FROM 15 TO 30 BELL PEPPERS, A PIECE.

AND I MEAN, YOU CAN SEE YOU GOT NINE THERE YOU'VE GOT NINE THERE.

YOU'VE GOT ROUGHLY, YOU KNOW, 12 TOMATO PLANTS OUT HERE WHICH ALSO HAVE PRETTY SIMILAR PRODUCTION NUMBERS.

SO A VERY SMALL SPACE LIKE THIS, IS ABLE TO PRODUCE A LOT OF FOOD.

AND LIKE I SAID, I CAN REPLICATE THIS JUST IN THIS SMALL AREA, ANOTHER SIX OR SEVEN TIMES.

YOU KNOW, WHEN THAT GENTLEMAN TOLD ME THAT HE HAD AN INTEREST IN TURNING HIS SITE INTO A FARM, HE CLEARLY KNEW THAT HE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING BUT I DON'T THINK HE REALLY KNEW HOW POSSIBLE IT WAS.

AND IT JUST REALLY MAKES ME FEEL GOOD WHEN I SEE HIS FACE NOW, AND HE STEPS OUT HERE AND SEES THAT HE TRULY HAS A FARM IN HIS BACKYARD.

SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T PAY ME ENOUGH, YOU CAN'T GIMME ENOUGH NOTORIETY THAT WILL MIMIC THAT FEELING, IT'S JUST THAT ABILITY TO MAKE SOMEONE FEEL HAPPY ABOUT THEIR SPACE, FEEL THERAPEUTIC WHEN THEY WALK OUT HERE AND THEY CAN JUST SMILE AND GRAB AN ACTUAL BELL PEPPER LIKE YOU SEE RIGHT HERE AND PUT THAT ON THEIR DINNER PLATE, MAN, THERE'S NOTHING LIKE IT.

SO DEFINITELY EXCITED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL EMPOWERED AND BEING ABLE TO DO FOR SELF.

- [J. OLU] HERE AT THIS WONDERFUL SITE WHICH WILL BECOME THE NEXT FOOD FOREST FOR THE CITY OF ATLANTA.

YOU ALREADY HAVE SEVERAL ELEMENTS LIKE A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY GARDEN THAT'S BESIDE BE OR BEHIND BE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HISTORIC HERTNETT LIBRARY, PART OF THE HERTNETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

YOU ALSO HAVE AN URBAN AGRICULTURAL FARM INSULATION WHICH IS STEWARDED BY FARMER J PATCHWORK CITY FARMS.

WE'LL GET DOWN THERE AND WE'LL LOOK AT THE FIELD WHERE THE ATLANTA BLACK CRACKERS USED TO PRACTICE.

MANY LEGENDS WERE HERE, MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE RESIDENTS SPEAK FONDLY OF THE SPACE.

SO YOU'LL SEE THE AREA WHERE PEOPLE PRACTICE BASEBALL WHICH WILL ALSO BECOME ANOTHER URBAN AGRICULTURE INSTALLMENT WITH PERMACULTURE DESIGN AND SEVERAL OTHER THINGS.

AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THERE IS A 20 PLUS ACRE OLD-GROWTH FOREST, CERTIFIED OLD-GROWTH FOREST WHICH HAS MANY PERENNIALS, MANY NATIVE SPECIES.

AND ALSO SOME FOOD THAT'S GROWING THERE WILL BE INTRODUCING OTHER NUTS AND BERRIES AND MUSHROOMS INTO THAT AS WELL.

SO A FULL FLEDGED FOOD FOREST RIGHT HERE IN SOUTHWEST ATLANTA IN THE WONDERFUL BUSH MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY - [TENISIO] SEEDS OF RESILIENCE, YOU KNOW RESILIENCE IS THE OPPORTUNITY AND ABILITY TO BOUNCE BACK FROM DIFFICULT SITUATIONS AND QUICKLY AND SEEDS ARE THAT PART OF A PLANT'S LIFE CYCLE IN WHICH IT'S BASICALLY RESURRECTING ITSELF.

IT'S GOING FROM GOING THROUGH ITS COMPLETE LIFE CYCLE TO STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN.

IT MAKES ME THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT IN PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW WE'RE RETURNING TO OUR GLORY.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE GONE THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT TIMES AND WE STILL CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THEM BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECLAIM OUR POSITION.

AND I THINK THAT THE SEEDS OF RESILIENCE THAT, YOU KNOW INFLUENCE WHAT I DO IS JUST THAT ABILITY TO SAY YOU KNOW WHAT, NO MATTER WHAT LIFE IS THROWN AT ME WHETHER IT BE POLITICALLY, SPIRITUALLY, YOU KNOW THE EDUCATION SYSTEMS, THE CRIMINAL INJUSTICE SYSTEMS THERE ARE STILL WAYS THAT ME AS AN AGRARIAN AND ME AS A LAND STEWARD, I CAN BECOME RESILIENT.

AND LITERALLY THE LAND IS PROVIDING THAT FOR ME, AND MANY OF MY COMRADES, I WOULD SAY AGREE AS WELL.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE POSITIONS WITHIN OUR LIVES THAT NO OTHER OPPORTUNITY PROVIDED FOR US, EXCEPT AGRICULTURE.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO INSPIRE OTHERS, EMPOWER OTHERS EDUCATE OTHERS, AND PROVIDE SUSTENANCE FOR OURSELF AND OUR WELLBEING THAT I SEE NO OTHER WAY TO DO THAT EXCEPT THROUGH AGRICULTURE.

BECAUSE FOR ME, AS WE ALL KNOW THERE IS NO CULTURE WITHOUT AGRICULTURE.

AND THAT'S WHAT I BASE MY ENTIRE LIFE ON AT THIS POINT.

- AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT MY LINEAGE AND MY ANCESTRY MY PARENTS BEING BOTH YORUBA IN NIGERIA, AND THEN TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY USED TO WALK DOWN THE STREET AND SEE ROWS OF HIBISCUS, ROWS OF SORREL, ALL KINDS OF THINGS GROWING LIKE THAT.

THERE IS NO CULTURE WITHOUT AGRICULTURE, WHETHER WE'RE IN YOU KNOW, WESTERN PART OF AFRICA AND NIGERIA OR RIGHT HERE IN SOUTHWEST ATLANTA.

- AND THESE ARE ACTUALLY COMING DIRECTLY FROM AN ELDER IN OUR COMMUNITY, BABA RASHID NURI, YOU KNOW ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS HE TAUGHT ME IS, AND THIS IS AGAIN SOMETHING THAT CAN BE USED METAPHORICALLY BUT IT'S A LIFE LESSON, NEVER BUILD A BED AND THEN MOVE ON THE NEXT BED WITHOUT PLANTING THE FIRST ONE COMPLETE THE BED, BUILD IT, PLANT IN IT THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT BED RIGHT.

BUT HE ALSO HAS TAUGHT ME THAT YOU'LL BE SURPRISED AT HOW MUCH YOU GET DONE WHEN YOU'RE NOT CONCERNED WITH WHO GETS THE CREDIT.

SO DON'T DO THINGS JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE NOTORIETY DO IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND THE UNIVERSE WILL ALWAYS BLESS YOU, SO THOSE HAVE BEEN TWO LESSONS THAT I HAVE TAKEN TO HEART AND THEY HAVE HELPED ME TREMENDOUSLY IN MY PERSONAL LIFE.

AND DEFINITELY WITHIN AGRICULTURE, ALWAYS FINISH WHAT YOU START AND NEVER DO THINGS FOR VAIN REASONS DO IT FOR THE RIGHT REASONS AND YOU WILL BE BLESSED, GUARANTEED.

- [J. OLU] SEEDS OF RESILIENCE IS US BEING HERE RIGHT NOW IN THIS SPACE AT THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY CENTER, A PLACE THAT'S IN HISTORIC BUSH MOUNTAIN THAT PREDATES EVEN MAYBE THE INCEPTION OF THE CITY OF ATLANTA.

THE FACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO COME OUT HERE, BE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL SPACE THAT HAS THIS ANCESTRAL LINEAGE BEING THIS PLACE THAT HAS THE AGRICULTURAL HISTORY, BEING THIS PLACE WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO BREAK BREAD, FELLOWSHIP, TALK ABOUT THINGS, SHOW THINGS, THAT'S A SEED OF RESILIENCE.

THE FACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THIS DAY IN DAY OUT AND WE BRING THAT KIND OF KNOWLEDGE TO OUR ANCESTRALISM, WE BRING THAT KIND OF KNOWLEDGE, ALL THE WAY BACK TO MY FAMILY TO BE A SEAT OF RESILIENCE IS FOR US TO CONSTANTLY SHOW UP AND TO THRIVE, NOT JUST SURVIVE.

(UPBEAT MUSIC) (NATURE SOUNDS) - W-A-B-E