Edible Activist Podcast

#069: COVID-19: Immunity Health over Insanity

Our health is personal and important. The country is in a state of fear with COVID-19, but no time like never before do we need to recenter, refocus, and take care of our bodies: immunity health over insanity. In this episode, we welcome back guest, Najee Ellerbe, Everybody's Juice owner and a flu survivor. Najee provides his insight on COVID-19, reinforces going back to the basics with our diets, and how this national pandemic has impacted his juice delivery business and ways to support! **P...

#068: The Farmer: Aleya Fraser

Aleya Fraser has been farming for the past seven years in and around Baltimore (and beyond). Navigating nature's grid with intention, Aleya has a deep appreciation for agriculture and the resources she uses to steward the land. In this episode, she walks us through her origins in Baltimore, the decision to study neuroscience and biology, farming on the ancestral lands of Harriet Tubman, and we also explore her Trinidad roots and love for cacao. Tune in! Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

#067: Black History 365 Part III

In this series we continue to feed listeners Black History 365, and those making it. We are joined by senior planner and special assistant with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning, Molline Jackson, who brings a unique perspective to our history conversation. Tune in! Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

#066: Black History 365 Part II

From music, art, and reading, these are just a few ways in which we honor our Black History beyond the confines of February. In this episode we continue conversations from Part I with herbalist and acupuncturist, Geoff Edwards, who believes that our genealogy is the only history we need to focus on. Tune in! Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

#065: Black History 365 Part I

Black History is American History, just plain facts! And for decades we have only gotten one month to honor our stories. In this episode we share how we celebrate our black history, heritage, culture, and servant leaders. We also crush on some of our elders, ancestors, food heroes who are planting the seeds of our future. Tune in! Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

#064 Roadmap to Holistic Health with Dr. Ruby

The word "holistic" may seem unfamiliar to some, and even sound a bit foreign, but this is a practice that has been around for centuries, curing the most debilitating diseases, ailments, and even cancer. Meet Dr. Ruby Lathon, the founder of Roadmap to Holistic Health, a certified holistic nutritionist and plant-based chef who supports clients in their pursuit to living an abundant and healthy life. If anyone knows how to beat the odds, it's Dr. Ruby who cured herself of thyroid cancer, but sh...

#063: Mississippi Part IV: Big Ma

Big Ma, the daughter of a sharecropper and homemaker, hails from Mt. Olive, Mississippi. Soft spoken (like her mama Louvenia), but full of character, she relished her childhood in Mt. Olive on the farm where they lived. In this episode, Big Ma talks about her role as the water girl, runs down a list of crops her dad grew that included sugar cane, and reminds us of this: "I didn’t pick no cotton." Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

#062: Mississippi Part III: Big Daddy the Trucker

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.

#061: Mississippi Part II: Farm Rejuvenation with Felicia Bell

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 insig...

#060: Mississippi Part I: Grandma Catherine

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 abou...

#059: Edible Season Finale

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

#058: Black Food Justice

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.

#057: A Conversation with Krystal Mack

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.

#056: Everybody's Juice

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 eventua...

#055: Reflections of the Land Part II

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 ...

#054: Reflections of the Land

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.  Powered and distributed by Simplecast

#054: Reflections of the Land Part I

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.  Powered and distributed by Simplecast

#053: DMV Black Restaurant Week

DMV Black Restaurant Week is building bridges in the black hospitality world, while paying homage to black mixologists, chefs, and restaurateurs that came before us. With a 60 billion dollar food industry, African-American/Black restaurant owners and managers only represent a small piece of the pie. In this episode we explore the statistics around ownership in the food and beverage industry, creating intergenerational wealth, and DMVBRW's upcoming conference that's sure to educate hospitalit...

#052: Three Part Harmony

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#051: The DC Dietitian

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#050: Feeding Comm-UNITY

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#049: Edible Activist Turns One!

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#048: FishScale

FishScale restaurant owner, Chef Brandon Williams, wants future generations to enjoy the "fruits of the sea." Oceans plagued by environmental waste and overfishing cause harm to our eco-system that many consumers don't feel the affects of. In this episode, Chef Brandon breaks down wild caught vs. farm-raised fish, how his mom influenced his mouth-watering fish burger concept, and the stereotypes he faces as a black restaurant owner who is source-conscious. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

#047: Trap Garden

Rob "Veggies" Horton wanted more gardens in the hoods of Nashville, TN and not trap houses where profits for drugs take place and other illegal activities. There were no grocery stores for neighbors to get real food, a scene that reminded him of his hometown in St. Louis, Missouri. Taking matters into his own hands, literally, with a shovel, dirt, and a few good volunteers, he established Trap Garden. Rob's organization is a non-profit social enterprise that provides a sustainable source of h...

#046: The Farming Mama

Mothering and farming is not easy, yet Violet King manages to make it happen. As a mom to three kids, she is tearing down any misconceptions about being able to conquer both. Violet learned a while back that black folks need to be more self-sufficient and began growing her own food. There was even a period during her pregnancy that she feared not being able to feed her daughter and drew concern about her health. In this episode, we talk about Violet raising farm babies, why we need more peopl...

#045: AnuGreenExperience

Chef Anu Green is very familiar with the flavors of the land and living off of it. Though growing up in Brooklyn, she spent a lot of her youth travelling to different islands in the Caribbean, thanks to her stepfather in Jamaica where she lived for one year while imbibing on the agriculture landscape. As a food therapist, Chef Green heals people through medicinal herbs and sound therapy, releasing the trauma that has been done to their internal systems. Tune in as she debunks myths behind dis...

#044: Give Me A Beet

#043: The Plant Daddy

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.

#042: Men of the Land

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 th...

#041: Dine Diaspora

#040: Green Things Work

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 ...

#039: Vegan Feast by V

#038: Radical Self-Love

#037: Growing with Dad

#036: Farming with Fred

#035: The Hipster Garden Grower

#034: New Brooklyn Farms

#033: Land Liberation

#032: Dffrntwrld

#031: A Mother's Food Journey

#030: Farming Ninjas

#029: Live Well

#028: Ancestral Conversations

#027: City Blossoms

#026: Food on the Stove

#025: The Vegan Fiesta

#024: Cultivate the City

#023: Where's WANDA?

#022: AFRO Beets

#021: Soilful x Horace Pippin