Edible Activist Podcast

Harley White aka @theeplantdaddy is a indoor plant mastermind who started his journey building natural enclosures for various amphibians and reptiles when he was a child. In today's episode we dig deep into how his love for plants helped him through both health issues and alcohol addiction. Tune in to find out how growth mindset and synergy with the earth around you can create a paradise of your own design.

Farming Ninjas LeVan Anderson and Jeremy Carry are back to talk on why growing your own food is cool and necessary, especially for men of color. Using their years of experience in the entertainment industry and taste for the culture we break down what it's going to take to create a more sustainable community. We already have the hustlers mentality, so why can't we disrupt the urban farming industry for our good? Anything's possible when we create our own narratives that connect us back to the land.

Entrepreneurs Nana, Maame, and Nina are the force behind Dine Diaspora, an agency based in Washington, DC that amplifies the influence of African food culture around the world. As Ghanians, these women embrace their origins and have positioned themselves to create the linkages between those of the diaspora to African food cuisine. In this episode, Nana, Maame, and Nina share a bit of their Ghanian roots and what it was like coming to the states as a youth, their urge to launch Dine Diaspora to create authentic experiences that reflect African food culture, and uncover some of the things that decedents of Africa have gotten away from.

Starting a business isn't easy, even if this episodes guest makes it look that way. What started off as a classroom assignment during her undergrad time at FAMU, blossomed into a thriving holistic plant-based food brand here in DC. Kendra Hazel of Green Things Work focuses on creating colorful and nutrient-dense foods at various pop-ups and catering events across the city. It's not uncommon to see Kendra collaborating with edible activist alumni such as Chef Lauren Van Der Pool and the City Blossoms organization. Keep your eyes and ears on this one, she's making a splash here in the DC food space. This won't be the last time you hear of Kendra Hazel.

Chef Veronica Velasquez has gone from cooking corn tortillas in her mother's kitchen, to presenting award-winning oyster mushroom street tacos. She creates Latinx inspired dishes that remind people pursuing a vegan lifestyle doesn't mean giving up the culture you grew up with. When a dog adorably named "Hot Sauce" shifted Chef V's perspective on where our food comes from, her food became her activism. Now she creates plant-based masterpieces in pop-ups around the DC area, while never forgetting her Salvadorian roots.

Kimora Brock is a triple threat of healing, entrepreneurship and edible activism. But, what happens when a pre-med graduate gives up the corporate world to pursue a life of natural medicine and passion? From living in her car in California to growing her own raw/organic snack food business, Malibu Trail Mix, Kimora has beaten the odds. Now she teaches others to live a more electric and sustainable life, so that they too can achieve radical self-love.

Growing with dad is something we don't see too often, in the since of being out in the garden, but Ronnie Webb of The Green Scheme has made it a priority to engage his beloved son, Josh , into every aspect of his work. Ronnie founded this organization that works with D.C. youth to teach them basic gardening skills and the value of healthy food. And you can find his son by his side ready to put in the work, even calling himself the Junior Boss. In this special episode, that pays tribute to this past Father's Day, Melissa sits down with Ronnie and his son to discuss the fun in gardening together, how this space has impacted his son, and how he is building good soil so that Josh has strong principles (planted by dad) to fall on.

Frederick James is a southerner from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, born into a family with a deep knowledge of farming. His family taught him just about everything he knows, patience being the biggest lesson, and has been able to apply these farming techniques here in the DC area and beyond. In this episode, Fred shares a bit of his family history on the land, his perspective on emotional and metal healing as it relates to healthy food, and some of the crop challenges his faces out in the field.

This brilliant hipster philanthropist and garden grower, Brittney Drakeford, is a green thumb enthusiast, and a senior planner by profession. She is a sixth-generation native of Prince George's County and grew up in a household where embracing her black history was imperative. As a Robert Wood Foundation Culture of Health Leader, Brittney has always taking the initiative in creating and designing equitable spaces in the area of health and culture. Listen in as she shares her family lineage, her role at Cottage City Community Gardens, and how she makes her connections to the land through art and black history.

New Brooklyn Farms is a green haven located in the suburbs of Mt. Rainer, Maryland. Doug Adams, owner and founder, is the visionary behind this concept, and it holds a special place in his heart because he grew up in the home right next to it. He is a health and agriculture enthusiast at heart, having experienced a short stint in the juicing business, he always knew the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and local food production. In 2016 Doug was able to acquire 1/4 acre plot next to his parents home, and has started to build what he calls a green event space. In this episode, listen to Doug share how he wants folks to re-imagine their land and take a different approach to homesteading, why owning land is important to him, and his perspectives on growing food for B2B.

Freeing the land and returning to our ancestral ways is a large part of land liberation. During this special episode, powered by Fair Farms Maryland, audience members were part of this live broadcast as host, Melissa L. Jones engaged in conversation with former guest and farmer, Dom Hosack on what land liberation means and how to reclaim what was ours. Listen in as he shares why we must view the earth as part of our own system, the crucial need to care for the land to prevent further climate disaster and be able to grow food, and learn about his work with Earth Bound Building, a member cooperative based in Maryland.

Dffrntwrld, co-founded by DC native Brennan Gerald, is a creative agency that designs solutions to help brands reach their business goals. Their tribe is made up of strategists, healers, designers, alchemists, herbalists, indigenous cultural enthusiasts, and plant-based, ethical, eco-friendly businesses. In this episode, Brennan talks about growing up in a health conscious environment, why he chooses to focus solely on helping healthy and sustainable brands through his consultancy, and his take on the future of food and agriculture.

In honor of Mother's Day, Edible Activist Podcast host Melissa L. Jones interviews her mother about her food journey. Malinda is a southerner with deep roots in Butler, Alabama and Jackson, Mississippi. She grew up eating everything on the land, from yard meat to fresh pecans, and is still a country girl at heart. In this episode, mom shares her fondest food memories in the south, growing up as a kid in a rural area, and her bouts with food allergies that forced her to change her diet completely, turning towards a more holistic approach. Tune into: A Mother's Food Journey.

Meet Farming Ninjas, Jeremy Carry and LaVan Anderson, who are using their gardening tools as weapons for good. On a mission to grow organic and delicious food for everyone and everywhere, Jeremy is a self-taught gardener who witnessed a food dessert in Richmond, VA and began growing food by just throwing seeds in a pot! And inspiring master gardener LaVan believes that growing food for survival is more than just resiliency, it also means eating right so that we can live longer. In this episode, we talk through food perspectives and also acknowledge the great Nipsey Hussle and the seeds he planted in the black community.

Living well is a mindset. Colombian native Lina Salazar believes that in order for any type of transformation and healing to occur, there needs to be a shift in the mind. Traveling the world and achieving every goal imaginable, Lina still struggled with her physical image, becoming obsessed with diet and exercise, and even had her bouts with bulimia and binge eating. Having overcome these challenges, Lina now provides support to women as a health coach through her platform, Live Well. In this episode, learn about her food roots in Colombia, how to achieve food sanity and the importance of feeling good about yourself.

Acupuncturist and herbalist, Geoff Edwards brings his wisdom back to the show talking all-things ancestry and herbal healing. He has deepened his work, navigating this ancestral journey even further through the exploration of medical herbs, traveling to Costa Rica and Jamaica connecting with indigenous roots and farmers, and applying this to his Nu Healing Arts practice. In this episode, listen to Geoff speak on the importance of knowing what our grandparents grew, and what their parents grew, as a way to connect with our ancestors and to incorporate a diet that reflects our ancestral DNA.

Rebecca Lemos-Otero has dedicated her career to making safe green spaces where children and youth are the main stewards and cultivators. As co-founder and Executive Director of City Blossoms, Rebecca gets to combine her interests in community development, entrepreneurship, horticulture, the arts, and working with youth. In this episode we dig into her D.C. roots, growing up in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, learn how green spaces create explorative and experimental spaces for youth, and how entrepreneurship is an important part of City Blossom's model. Tune in!

Food On The Stove is a dynamic organization, founded by EMT and firefighter, Jonathan Tate of Engine 11 Truck 6 in D.C., as a way to address the #1 cause of firefighter deaths which is heart disease. In this episode we explore Jonathan's personal relationship to food prior to becoming a first responder, learn about FOTS's initiative, Local Food for Local Heroes, and how they are bringing fresh food from the field to the firehouse to promote healthy lifestyle changes for firefighters in the city!

It's a Vegan Fiesta and Dominique Evans is the dynamic woman behind it all! In this episode, learn how one documentary changed the trajectory of her diet lifestyle and why she advocates for the safety of animals who endure harsh treatment at factory farms. Dominique's online platform, The Vegan Fiesta, showcases her colorful and well-crafted vegan creations (even animal print donuts), pulling inspiration from her own artistic capabilities and curiosity. Tune in!

From rooftop gardens to elementary school vegetable beds, Niraj Ray is on a mission to "cultivate the city" with green spaces. He is the founder of Cultivate the City, an organization based in Washington, D.C. that was created to inspire healthy and sustainable living by empowering communities with tools and training for urban agriculture. In this episode learn about Niraj's environmental science background, how his Indian family inspired his green thumb, the advantages of vertical farming, and how he created 25 urban farms (yes, 25)!