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Based on both oral and written records, I can so far trace my family roots back to Mississippi, Louisana, Arkansas, Virginia and Maryland; there is speculation of at least two of my ancestors also arriving here from Haiti. A DNA test further links me to Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leonean, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo but prior records of my bloodline’s origins otherwise do not exist as far as I know and thus cannot confirm or deny our exact starting point. While my current knowledge of my African heritage is underdeveloped, I do know that many of my ancestors who came here did so with their own agricultural/botanical knowledge and that once on this land, (besides being field laborers) many were classified as farmers and sharecroppers. As of late, I can’t help but feel a deeper sense of connection to them, especially as I explore my talents in gardening and starting to grow my own food.

Last week I ventured outside and started seeds for a few vegetables. This morning, I was both surprised and excited when I ventured across the dewy lawn and saw that three of the corps I had planted had decided to come into the world. I sat in the grass next to my newest plant babies and observed for a while, reflecting on this connectedness I felt not only to the Earth and my food but to my ancestors.

Many of our grandparents and great-grandparents migrated out of the south for better opportunities, but sometimes it seems that a large part of our culture and knowledge as it relates to farming/agricultural skills and even botanical knowledge were left behind there as well. Flash forward to the present day and for the most part, unless you went away to school (schools such as Alabama A&M, Tuskegee University, and Florida A&M) to learn this information or found other teachers/elders in your community, this meant that any information to be gained as well as the connection to the land left when those elders ascended and left this world. All of my great-grandparents passed long before I took up any interest in gardening (let alone being a vegetarian or vegan) and being born into the 90s, I grew up with the convenience, luxury, and privilege of grocery stores and fast-food restaurants. As a child, I never know where my food actually came from, and quite honestly, I never questioned it; probably because I never had to. One exception to that would be the farmer’s market my grandmother exposed me to.

But how does any of this relate to my initial question; what is the significance of growing your own food?

As vegetarians and vegans, the whole idea is to eat more plants right? Why not take that leap and grow our own produce, whatever we are able to anyway? I believe that the ability to grow one’s own food is one of the most powerful skills you can have. It reawakens something in our blood and our spirit that allows our ancestors to work through us and it also creates a sense of freedom and independence from an oppressive system while also being beneficial when it comes to community building.

For the communities privileged enough to have access to these stores, places like Publix, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s are great for convenience and versatility. But they can also run the risk of facilitating the very disconnection to our food that I mentioned previously and they can pacify vital opportunities for learning skills that could sustain entire communities. Not to mention, their prices often restrict access to certain populations. All three of these areas though are ones which growing your own food (as a plant-based person or an omnivore) otherwise serves to correct; you consciously reconnect to the land, you actively gain a new skill, you save considerable amounts of money. Plus whatever you grow that you don’t eat you can always preserve for later, donate or sell to others in your community.

Additionally, I find that there is also an educational value associated with growing our own food. It becomes a way to get involved in our communities and is a way of showing not just the youth but older individuals as well, where our food comes from, how to they can grow food just like it themselves, and even why incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetables into our diets is so important. Considering that many in the Black community are turning to veganism/vegetarianism due to health reasons, taking up gardening/farming also adds a sense of autonomy to one’s health regimen and gardens can be personalized according to one’s nutritional and dietary needs as well.

-May your thumbs be as green as your kale,

Bianca <3