A Few Late Night Thoughts on Food Movement Success

Pushing three years ago, I clambered into overalls to earn my living encouraging and assisting folks to grow food for self and neighbor. I got my start standing beside the road with a pitchfork and sign that read, "Will Garden for Food."


On one level, I launched my business to earn an income*. On a deeper level, however, I got into food gardening, I reclaimed the overall-style of my grandfather because I sought to develop a platform of legitimacy from which I could support the food movement by connecting and aiding the many local players working to grow a resilient, community-based food system. (Much of my food movement facilitation work these days I do through the Tallahassee Food Network and with iGrow-"Whatever You Like," a Frenchtown-based youth-empowerment and urban ag project.)

The iGrow Team just after hearing the news that they had won the Junior League's Big, Bold Idea Grant.

The past few years have certainly been an exciting time to do food movement work. There's so much happening. I'll note a few highlights. (Just to be clear, I can in no way claim responsibility for all these happenings; I'm just privy to the info. Only in a few instances am I a co-conspirator in the work.)

• Launch of the Tallahassee Food Network
• Launch of the Red Hills Small Farms Alliance and their Online Market 
• Launch of the Tallahassee Community Gardening Program (a TFN initiative)
• Launch of iGrow
• Green Industries' Sustainable Ag Vocational Certificate Program
• October 2011: Food Day and the Youth Symposium on Hunger and Food
• Globally acclaimed Food Movement leaders Will Allen and Vandana Shiva have come to town to speak/teach
• New School Gardens: Ruediger, Astoria Park, Killarn Lakes, Seminole Montisorri, Wesson VPK, Crawfordville, Florida High
• New Community Gardens: Levy Park, The Space at Feather Oaks, Betton Hills, Southwood, Havana, Fort Braden, Veterans' Village, Second Harvest, Thomasville University, Bethel Towers
• New Church and Workplace Gardens: St Johns Missionary Baptist, FBMC Benefits Management, Manna on Meridian/Faith Presbyterian, Christ Presbyterian, Trinity Methodist,
• Groundwork laid for a Tallahassee-area local food directory
• Coordinated Tallahassee delegation trips to Southern Sustainable Ag Working Group, American Community Gardening Association, the Community Food Security Coalition, and the Growing Power National-International Urban and Small Farms conferences.
• New Farmers markets: Frenchtown Heritage, Killarn, Lafayette Street, Department of Environmental Protection, Innovation Park.
• Launch of the FSU student org, Tallahassee Sustainability Group, which includes their Ghazvini and Salvation Army Garden projects.
• Growth of Dr Dena Dennard and Dr Imani's Aaket Center Garden that engages FAMU students
• Launch of 6th Ave Farm

If you'd like to connect with any of the efforts you see, let me know.

*Folks regularly ask, "How do you make money?"
I've consulted with folks about where, when and how to plant and maintain their food gardens; I've built raised beds, reseeded existing gardens, planted fruit trees, berry bushes, grape vines and herbs.  I've aided workplaces, neighborhoods, churches, schools, and recently, the Florida Department of Ag  to develop community food garden projects. As needed, I've provided community organizing, team-building, leadership development, design, supply sourcing, installation, planting, maintenance, instruction, and youth engagement services.