Edible Activist Podcast

New Orleans native and District resident, Dominique Charles, found her love for growing back in 2013 when a friend gifted her with a gardening set for her house. But Dominique is no stranger to agraian life; she spent her childhood driving tractors and watching her "maw maw" and "paw paw" grow food in the country. It was just the way of life. As the creator of Plots and Pans, she documents her green thumb journey, along with her cooking skills that will have you salivating. And as a positive message to everyone during these extreme times, Dominique reminds us to "cultivate joy." Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

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! **Please note, we are not medical experts. Please consult with your medical professional for advice.** Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 she had to first take control of her mind. Tune in! Tune in! Powered and distributed by SImplecast.

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.

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! Powered and distributed by Simplecast

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! Powered and distributed by Simplecast

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! Powered and distributed by Simplecast

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