Edible Activist

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 everyone in the community really looked out for one another. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

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 Felicia’s family legacy, how selling pecans provided capital to start RD & S Farm, and her insight on ownership and freedom.

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 memories with granddaughter Melissa L. Jones, her love for the garden and vegetables, and talks about eating-dirt (yes dirt)! Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

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

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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! Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

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 event: Black Women, Food & Power! Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

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 while he was bedridden. Little did he know, this lifestyle change would cure his illness, and eventually Everybody's Juice was born. Tune in!

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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 people and people of color have about farming. We also spotlight The Atlantic's piece: The Great Land Robbery. Tune in!

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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. 

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