Columbus Brown | Stone Mountain Community Garden

Columbus Brown

Stone Mountain Community Garden

Stone Mountain, DeKalb County

Impact you can see and taste. That’s what comes to mind when you visit Stone Mountain Community Garden (SMCG), a hidden gem tucked behind the Post Office in Veterans Memorial Park. You’re greeted at the entrance by whimsical scarecrows and a pollinator garden, followed by a children’s garden, a multitude of thriving garden beds, active bee hives, compost systems, and dedicated space where crops are grown for donation to Stone Mountain Ecumenical Cooperative Food Pantry. The pantry garden is run by volunteers who have grown, harvested, and donated more than 16,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables since 2011.

As SMCG Site Leader and Master Gardener Columbus Brown toured us around the space, he pointed out several varieties of potatoes and beans, including Rattlesnake Beans which he describes as the best tasting beans you can eat. We also saw Jerusalem Artichokes, zucchini, squash, herbs, lettuce, eggplant, sorrel, prolific blackberry and blueberry bushes, strawberries, and golden raspberries which were ready for tasting and delicious. 

Columbus says the garden would not be what it is without assistance from Food Well. “We have a very low budget. The little extras they’ve helped us get have made us a much more dynamic platform for educating the public on conservation and how to grow things.” Over the past six years, SMCG has received annual supplies of compost and seedlings, as well as the Garden Support Grant which funded several infrastructure projects including mammal excluders, a vertical herb garden, and a 3-bin compost system. Most recently, Food Well provided Special Project Labor Support funds to assemble and install a greenhouse purchased by the City of Stone Mountain. 

“We encourage people to taste things here, and by tasting they get to appreciate foods they never thought they would like - and parts of crops available that people don’t usually consider - like the leaves of cauliflower or kale flowers which are very high in protein because their pollen is the source of protein that bees need.” Curiosity and creativity are also encouraged at SMCG. Volunteers and members are always trying new things - vermicomposting (composting with worms), keyhole gardens (gardening around compost which provides nutrients for the soil), and companion planting container gardens with nasturtiums, chives, cauliflower, tomatoes, and carrots. 

“Our approach is one of adaptive management,” said Columbus. “If something’s not working, you stop doing it and try something else. That’s what happens when you let people be creative and do something they take pride in. These companion containers are yielding good produce that goes to the food pantry, and it’s helping us understand plant associations and yield better crops. They’re benefitting each other.” 

When asked if he had any final words, Columbus kept it simple. “I just want to thank Food Well for all they’ve done in partnership with us. We grow together.”

Learn more about SMCG on Facebook @StnMtnCommunityGarden.

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Story of Stone Mountain Community Garden from 2021.

Stone Mountain Community Garden is among more than 120 community gardens and 35 urban farms that receive resources and support from Food Well Alliance. In addition to challenges brought on by COVID this year, the garden has been tackling a new threat: more deer have been visiting at night and eating large volumes of their best crops, many of which were designated for Stone Mountain Ecumenical Cooperative Food Pantry.

Master Gardener Columbus Brown says it was important to address the problem head on because the pantry counts on the garden for regular donations of fresh produce. The solution? “Mammal excluders” built with funds from Food Well Alliance’s Community Garden Grant. “Thus far in 2021, we’ve harvested almost 800 pounds for the pantry, impacting 200 families. This brings our all-time donations to 12,700 pounds benefiting 3,200 families. With the mammal excluder devices, we expect to exceed our annual totals next year.”

Keisha and Warren Cameron | High Hog Farm

Keisha and Warren Cameron

High Hog Farm

Grayson, Gwinnett County

On November 7, Food Well Alliance teamed up with 16 volunteers from AMB Sports and Entertainment (AMBSE) and Kimberly-Clark for a volunteer event at High Hog Farm in Grayson, GA. Volunteers planted over 30 fruit trees and installed a compost bin. Keisha and Warren Cameron own High Hog Farm and run a fiber and textile operation where they grow food, raise livestock, and cultivate natural fibers.

“The AMBSE and Kimberly-Clark associates were grateful to be of help at High Hog Farm. Planting their fruit orchard and building a compost bin got us out of the office and into the soil!” said Dawn Brown, Sr. Manager of Stadium Tours, Education Programs, and Sustainability at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. “Supporting food systems and our local farmers will always be a top priority for our sustainability partners.”

In addition to planting trees, volunteers added fencing and tree tubes around the plants to protect them from wildlife and the Camerons’ livestock, including sheep, rabbits, chickens, and ducks. “I was amazed at how much we accomplished in just three hours,” Keisha remarked. “It would have been a weeklong project for me to do by myself.”

The Camerons were interested in stewarding an orchard after learning about silvopasture, a farming practice that integrates trees with grazing livestock. Once they learned about Food Well’s Orchard Project they knew they had to apply.

With the help of local fruit tree experts Robby Astrove, Travys Harper, and Tixie Fowler—who connected them with Fabricio Camacho, an agroforestry expert from Costa Rica—the Camerons were able to map out where every tree was going to go.

This orchard will also serve as a resource for the community. The Camerons plan to offer classes on fruit tree maintenance and incorporate the orchard into their dyeing workshops, turning it into a hands-on learning experience for all. “I appreciate that Food Well took all of the heavy lifting of the administration and facilitation of the volunteer day off our shoulders,” said Keisha. “I got to actually experience talking with people and hearing a little bit about why they were interested in volunteering and their connection to the land.”

Eugene Cooke & Nicole Bluh | Grow Where You Are

Eugene Cooke & Nicole Bluh

Grow Where You Are

Fairburn, Fulton County

Business partners and seasoned growers Eugene Cooke and Nicole Bluh both have a deep passion for growing food and ensuring that women and BIPOC growers have a space in Atlanta’s local movement. In 2014 Eugene established the Grow Where You Are Collective as a social enterprise to inspire local food entrepreneurship. Despite encouragement to start a nonprofit, Eugene emphasized the importance of owning a business. “As a father, the model needed to be that I could pass on a business to my kids,” said Eugene. He noticed that while BIPOC and women growers were often pushed toward nonprofit work, their white male counterparts were celebrated for their entrepreneurial acumen. The GWYA collective began collaborating on multiple projects that would bring fresh, local food to their community and secure financial stability for their families.

“It's never futile to try to grow where you are,” said Nicole describing why the business name holds so much meaning. 

Recently, they got connected with a landowner in South Fulton who wanted to put her property to good use. What started out as just a consultation project turned into a new partnership opportunity where the two would cultivate the land themselves. “It happened at a very interesting time, because we were previously farming in Covington,” said Nicole. The new location saved them time traveling from the farm to the markets, but there was one challenge: they didn’t have the funds to get the land fully operational.

Already familiar with Food Well Alliance, they applied for a grant and received $25,000 to help build a well house to protect the pipes from freezing in the winter, a wash station, and fencing to keep the deer away. They’re also working on a mobile cooler to make it easier to transport produce to the markets. You can find them at the Freedom Parkway Farmers Market on Saturdays. 

But it’s not just about the materials and supplies – the support contributed to a bigger picture. “If one of our customers comes to the market and they meet another customer because Food Well has invested to make sure that we can have fencing to actually grow some food, that relationship might turn into something else that's beneficial. It doesn't just stop with us being able to make a living and sell food.”

Fundamental resources like a fence to protect our crops can ripple into community building when our customers are able to connect at the market table.

“Investing in farmers is a gamble,” said Nicole explaining how challenging this work can be. “The impact it can make when you actually invest in somebody, I think that’s powerful.”

For Eugene and Nicole, donor support helps nourish communities. “In America we have a nutrition deficiency,” said Eugene. “When donors give, they’re contributing to increased nutrition [...]. What’s in the stores doesn’t compare to somebody harvesting basil for you and you preparing it the same day. So what they’re doing is immeasurable.”

Mandy McManus | Lilburn Community Garden

Mandy McManus

Lilburn Community Garden

Lilburn, Gwinnett County

As the president of the Lilburn Community Garden, co-manager of the Lilburn Farmers Market, and a grower for over 30 years, Mandy McManus understands the powerful impact gardening can have on a community. “What’s really special about the local community garden is all the people that come,” Mandy explained. “We meet neighbors. It's all ranges, all ages, all people coming together, and we all learn from each other. It's a great growing place.”

Twelve years ago, the land where Lilburn Community Garden now thrives was considered unusable for development. With railroad tracks to one side and a stream near the back of the property, the site’s challenges with runoff and space limitations left few options for its use. The city saw an opportunity to use the space for something meaningful for the community. Today, the Lilburn Community Garden is a nonprofit that offers residents a vibrant garden and orchard to grow food, learn, and connect with one another.

Mandy welcomes everyone to the garden and donating food is a vital part of the garden’s mission to provide fresh, local produce to the community. The garden donates about 700 pounds of fresh produce every year to the Lilburn Co-op and other local food pantries. “We're not only donating to the food co-ops, but this is learning for people,” said Mandy, explaining that there are some residents who have never gardened before and find joy in having their own bed. “This is their chance to get in the dirt and learn about growing things.” The garden also hosts events and workshops throughout the spring and summer, furthering its role as a community hub. 

The Lilburn Community Garden also includes an orchard with apples, plums, pawpaws, persimmons, blueberries, figs, serviceberries, and hops. Many of the fruit trees were donated through the Food Well Alliance Orchard Project (formally ALFI, when the garden first received donated fruit trees). The fruit from the orchard is available for garden members to enjoy. 

The garden relies on donations to keep running. They are grateful for the Food Well Community Garden Grant and the orchard donations, which they have received several times. “Food Well has supported our mission from the very beginning,” said Mandy. “They helped us grow from 27 plots to over 58 plots and continually with their funding, we were able to repair and replace older beds.”

Yennenga “Yenn” Adanya | Oyun Botanical Gardens

Yennenga “Yenn” Adanya

Oyun Botanical Gardens

East Point, Fulton County

Urban farming comes with unique challenges, but none are as daunting as land security. Yennenga “Yenn” Adanya, founder of Oyun Botanical Gardens in East Point, faced this challenge two years ago when the land she was leasing went up for sale. "I almost lost this property in 2022," Yenn recalled. The land was put up for sale, and the future of Oyun Botanical Gardens seemed uncertain. Fortunately, Arden's Garden, a local family-owned juice company, purchased the land and set up a lease-to-own agreement with Yenn, giving her time to secure ownership. "I had the opportunity to purchase it, and I knew I just needed a year to figure things out.

Determined to secure her farm, Yenn sought out solutions. That’s when she heard about Food Well Alliance’s Farm Resource Round-up, a networking event designed to connect farmers with support. “I knew about Food Well from my time at Truly Living Well, because it was always this hub of great resources. So I was like, ‘Yes, Food Well! Thank you for the resource.’” At the event, Yenn met Maurice Smith, a representative from USDA Farm Service Agency who helped her secure a Farm Service Loan to purchase the land. "I got the approval for the loan, and in May, we closed!"

With the land secured, Yenn was able to continue Oyun Botanical Gardens, which has become integral to the East point community by providing local produce and offering gardening classes, wellness events, and a shop with natural products. "We want people to see wellness as a bigger picture, not just the food." The site also serves as a drop-off site for the East Point Compost Program, in partnership with CompostNow and Food Well Alliance. 

“You just have to stay positive,” said Yenn, reflecting on what got her through this challenging period. Yenn’s story showcases the importance of continued support for farmers. "We need you to keep giving, because we need resources," she urged donors. "Food Well is like a well-oiled machine. To keep that machine going for us gardeners and farmers, they need oil. Donors have the oil."

Sister Terri Ali & Sister Tazar Gissentanner | Firdous Community Farm

Sister Terri Ali & Sister Tazar Gissentanner

Firdous Community Garden at Mohammed Schools of Atlanta

Southeast Atlanta, Fulton County
While maintaining a school garden is no easy task, the Firdous Community Farm at Mohammed Schools of Atlanta is paving the way and setting a powerful example for schools everywhere on how to cultivate food, community, and hands-on learning for the next generation. Firdous is a USDA-registered, certified naturally grown farm that goes beyond a typical school garden, featuring two garden areas and two orchards—one planted through the Food Well Alliance Orchard Project. “We've been a farm at a school for a while, but we kept the word ‘community’ in our name because we are a community farm,” said Sister Terri Ali, farmer and garden teacher at the school for the last 10 years. It serves as not only a place for students but also a place for their families and the surrounding community to grow food and learn together. 

Agriculture education is integrated into all areas of the school’s curriculum through the science classes. Weekly garden classes are mandatory education. Third graders learn about the importance of pollinators like butterflies. Fourth graders study how composting transforms food scraps into rich soil. Fifth and sixth graders become beekeepers. “We call it our Ag Program,” explained Sister Tazar Gissentanner, the middle school science teacher. “As part of our science curriculum, the students have a certain amount of time with Sister Terri every week, and she instructs them in different aspects of gardening or farming.”

Some of the food produced is used in the Farm to Cafeteria program. The school's chef prepares healthy meals using the fresh produce, and the kids get to participate at every stage, from planting and weeding to harvesting and preparing the food.  Nothing goes to waste. Sister Tazar explained that with the farm produce, “we feed our students, our teachers, and we have enough to share with a neighborhood food pantry.”

This year, the Firdous Community Farm received a $25,000 Farm Forward Grant, allowing them to extend their harvest through various food preservation methods. They learned to can, freeze, dry, and preserve summer produce. They also offered the classes to the community – six sessions that were well attended. Each participant prepared one preserved food item to take home and one to stock the  school pantry. “The grant allowed us to hire Tazar to organize the classes,” said Sister Terri. “Because it's terrible to grow all this food in the summer months while school is out and let it rot on the vine or let the birds eat it all.” 

The garden stays open 365 days a year, which means they need support to maintain the farm over the summer, so the farm can continue to produce and be ready to go once school starts again. They have a volunteer garden group that comes to help, and with the grant they were able to hire two additional people who love the garden and its produce. “We appreciate everything Food Well is doing to support urban growers,” said Sister Terri. “This grant has pushed us over the top, adding to our technology and labor support and teaching valuable lessons on food preservation.”

Rachel Cochran | Trellis Horticulture Therapy Alliance

Rachel Cochran

Trellis Horticulture Therapy Alliance

Decatur, DeKalb County

For many people, a garden is a place of peace, growth, and connection. For those living with disabilities, it can be much more—an essential part of their healing journey.

Rachel Cochran, co-founder of Trellis Horticulture Therapy Alliance, knows the deep isolation that often comes with disability. “I have my own daughter with a disability that had a traumatic brain injury,” said Rachel. “You feel isolated because you can't drive, can't navigate, and don't want to go out because you just can't explain yourself anymore. That's the sadness about disability, that you really lose connection with people who are not disabled.”

Determined to combat this isolation, Rachel co-founded Trellis Horticulture Therapy Alliance with fellow grower Wendy Battaglia. The two met while pursuing a Horticulture Therapy certification at the Denver-based Horticultural Therapy Institute and found a shared mission: to use the power of gardening to enrich the lives of people living with disabilities. Through their work, they provide purpose, foster independence, and create community for their clients. Last year, they served 115 people through their garden therapy programs at their Ability Garden at Callanwolde—and now, they’re preparing for something even bigger.

Rachel and Wendy are moving their Ability Garden to a new home at Decatur Legacy Park, where they will join a vibrant community of nonprofit organizations! The new garden will host Trellis’ therapeutic programming and will also include a community garden for Decatur residents. 

With a lot of work ahead of them, Trellis applied for Food Well Alliance’s Garden Forward Grant and received $10,000 to help build raised beds and install an irrigation system. “We’re excited,” said Rachel as she showed some of the Food Well team around the new garden. “We have space for 16 beds, and part of these beds are going to be the community garden.” The vision for the new garden includes ADA-accessible walkways made of crushed slate and four large L-shaped raised beds that are easily accessible for those in wheelchairs.

Trellis has had a long relationship with Food Well starting with compost deliveries and small grants to help them grow. “Food Well realizes the unique nature of what we do,” said Rachel. “Honestly if it wasn’t for that first grant – that really motivated us. It gave us the confidence that someone believes in what we’re doing, because you need that first funder to believe in you.”

A lot of progress has been made to the new Ability Garden and Rachel shared more good news. After several donations, Trellis has secured a year-long lease on a cottage next to the garden. This additional space will serve as storage, indoor classrooms, and – with plans to make the kitchen wheelchair accessible – a place to teach clients how to cook with fresh, local produce from the garden. “The location is great,” said Rachel. “The really important thing about this space is that the people who come will feel part of this larger community.”

Rachel expressed gratitude for Food Well Alliance’s belief in their vision. “Food Well is such a caring, kind, and generous organization. They understand the struggles of farmers in all walks of life. Without the resources, there can’t be progress.”

Rajesh Gupta | Jolly Avenue Community Garden

Rajesh Gupta

Jolly Avenue Community Garden

Clarkston, DeKalb County

In the heart of one of America's most diverse neighborhoods lies the Jolly Avenue Community Garden. Step into this vibrant space, and you’ll discover cultures and traditions that make up the community of Clarkston. Garden manager Rajesh Gupta wants to ensure that the Jolly Avenue Community Garden reflects the diversity of Clarkston's population. The garden includes 73 families from 12 countries, speaking at least 16 different languages (though Rajesh suspects the actual number is even higher). Here families have the space to cultivate their own food and enjoy nature just a short walk from their homes.

Currently, all the families growing here came to the United States as refugees or asylum seekers. Each grower brings the knowledge, techniques and flavors of their homeland and requires little guidance on how to cultivate their crops. Rajesh focuses on supporting the families in other ways by fostering connections through potlucks and providing gardening tools and seeds. Most of the growers have a 9x9 plot and take advantage of vertical space to grow even more food. Various materials from bamboo to hollowed-out box springs are repurposed to construct trellises. “I’m always so impressed by how people can engineer and put things together,” said Rajesh, who often brings found materials to the garden for the members to use. “I’m amazed by the commitment of the growers in this community and the people who use this garden. It's really amazing how much people can grow, how committed they are to the space and how much work they put into their plots.”

With such a diverse group of growers, one of the biggest challenges is communication. To help bridge this gap, Jolly Avenue Community Garden hires students from Clarkston High School through their Growing Leaders internship program. Over the last year, they’ve employed 8 Growing Leaders who are just as diverse as the community they serve. “I always rely on them a ton as translators on a day-to-day basis at the garden,” said Rajesh. The students also play a key role in helping maintain every aspect of the garden, from helping prepare programming for the garden’s summer camp to conducting surveys and assisting with registering garden members in the spring.

Over the years, Jolly Avenue Community Garden has tapped into many of Food Well Alliance’s resources including an orchard that will be available to anyone in the community. “We want to preserve food traditions and be a point within this community where people can come and access fresh, healthy food. When these families come to America, it’s very easy to fall down some not-so-healthy paths. So being able to offer fresh, healthy food to anyone who comes and visits the space is another way we can help fulfill food needs,” said Rajesh. 

This year, the community garden received a $10,000 Garden Forward Grant from Food Well. Rajesh used some of the funds to place a new water line and hire two garden members to install it. “I was able to pay them for their labor and pay for the materials out of the grant. When we get grant money and I can pump it back into the people who live in the community, it’s a double win.” Now it’s easier to water plots at the back of the garden.

“Food access and food security are big problems that we’re all fighting. It takes resources and people in all different walks of life, and it affects everybody,” said Rajesh, speaking on the importance of support from donors and volunteers. “So when people come together to support these places, it allows us to continue offering services and building spaces to reach more populations.”

Patty Lacrete | Bed Head Plant Nursery

Patty Lacrete

Bed Head Plant Nursery

East Point, Fulton County

In 2020, Patty Lacrete was looking for change. She was uninspired working her tech job, spending 40 plus hours at home on a computer and feeling burnt out. On a whim, she took a permaculture design certification course that changed her entire perspective. Organic gardening had always been a creative escape for her, but now she saw the chance to pursue it as a career. 

She left her tech job and enrolled in UGA to study Agriculture Science. Patty fell in love with the work and developed an ambitious goal to plant 1 million native plants. Realizing she couldn’t achieve this goal alone, she took an unpaid apprenticeship at the Wylde Center to learn more about running a nursery. “I learned how to plant everything from veggies to perennials to herbs and really fell in love with herbs,” said Patty. “I realized the human connections herbalists had, and how they took hold of their own health and helped people, using nature and plants.” That’s when the idea for Bed Head Plant Nursery, the first black, female-owned medicinal herb farm in Southwest Atlanta, was born!

With support from new and old friends, as well as the community, Patty raised $10,000 to purchase a greenhouse. That’s when she discovered Food Well Alliance. She got help building her greenhouse from Charles Greenlea and the Eco-PARADIGM crew through Food Well’s Labor Support program in November 2022. This year, Patty officially opened her nursery and started selling plants in the spring and fall at pop up plant sales around the city. “It was challenging knowing where to start, like learning how government entities like the USDA can assist me with growing, finding Food Well, and knowing what grants are available to me. If I had not made those connections, I don’t think I would be as far as I am right now.”

One of Patty’s favorite parts about running the nursery is connecting with people through volunteer days. The volunteer days provided an opportunity for folks to get outside, exchange knowledge, and build friendships. She regularly collaborates with the Atlanta chapter of herbalists from Sacred Vibes Apothecary who helped get her farm site to the level that it is today.

Now her focus is preparing infrastructure for 2024. Thanks to the Food Well Farm Support Grant and the Labor Support program, Patty was able to purchase and install a second greenhouse. “With a more predictable growing space, I can at least know or predict how much I’m going to be able to sell and what my profits will be for the coming season.” The new addition will also help double her production, extend her growing season and provide more space for educational opportunities.

“I am so grateful that my dream was actually manifested into reality because I see the effect in real time that it has on folks and also the community that it builds,” said Patty. “Like giving folks access to growing for themselves and learning how to grow is liberating. So I think it’s incredibly valuable that donors are able to see the connection and the local and personal growth they’re making.”

Evan Neal | Chattahoochee Queen

Evan Neal

Chattahoochee Queen

Summerhill, Fulton County & Stonecrest, DeKalb County

When you think of urban farming, growing flowers may not be the first thing that comes to mind. It was the same for Evan Neal, owner of Chattahoochee Queen, who discovered his interest in flower farming while working at a farm in California. There he harvested and arranged flower bouquets to sell at markets in the Bay Area. “From where I was coming from it was all vegetables, organic vegetables, being a veggie farmer. And that was my only exposure to real farming as a young person,” said Evan. After returning to Atlanta in 2013, Evan started growing flowers in his backyard and selling them at local farmers markets. “The flowers sold themselves. I gained a lot of momentum in that particular setting – to feel the love and feel that I was providing something to folks that was good for them – and good for me because it was turning into a vocation, something that had potential.”

Chattahoochee Queen grew to the next level when Evan got the opportunity to grow a few beds of cut flowers at the Wylde Center’s Hardy Street Garden, now known as the Edgewood Community Learning Garden. He eventually moved to his Summerhill location where he was able to start growing more flowers. 

Scaling his business in a way that’s sustainable is always top of mind. His flowers often sell out half way through market days, but he’s constantly thinking of ways he can reach more people and get to a point where he has enough flowers to take home or give away to the farmers market managers. “Just so I know I’ve served every person at the market.” In 2020, he purchased a farm in Stonecrest, giving him additional space to expand his operations and currently splits his time between the two farm sites. 

Through friend and fellow farmer Brent Hall, Evan discovered Food Well Alliance and has utilized many of the resources throughout the years, including compost, BCS tractor training through our partnership with the Atlanta ToolBank, workshops, and Food Well’s labor stipend. “I encourage folks to get involved, empower themselves, and take advantage of the resources Food Well has. [...] There’s no better focus for farmers than to take advantage of opportunities and continue to support themselves and their communities.”

Running Chattahoochee Queen has been an ongoing learning experience for Evan. “Turning something that’s a hobby into a business is hard,” he said, reflecting on his journey growing Chattahoochee Queen. However, he enjoys the work and appreciates the people and organizations he’s gotten to meet along the way. “It’s nice as a farmer to feel supported and have support, whether that’s through tools, compost deliveries, financial assistance, or a library of resources. We’re lucky to have an organization like Food Well.”

Andrea Searles & Bo Garrison | I.T. and Lodemia Terrell Community Garden

Andrea Searles & Bo Garrison

I.T. and Lodemia Terrell Community Garden

Austell, Cobb County

The I.T. and Lodemia Terrell Community Garden is the City of Austell’s first community garden. It was dedicated to Irvin Tomas and Lodemia Terrell who were known for giving away fruits and vegetables from their garden. The community garden is now where their former home and garden plot were located. After the 2009 flood that covered the property in 15 ft of water, no structures could be built on the flood land so the city decided to create a space for residents to convene in nature.

The community garden has evolved since its creation in 2012 to accommodate over 40 gardening plots that are free to Austell residents, a greenhouse, an outdoor stage to host events, and nature trails. Andrea Searles (pictured right) is a Cobb County Master Gardener and HABESHA Works graduate, which is a program that teaches organic agriculture and agro-business development. She helps manage the community garden and remembers the early days: “When we started we didn’t have a budget at all, and then I happened to see Food Well Alliance’s grant. That was the first time we went for funding. Food Well was the first to contribute to us.”

Over the years, Food Well has helped support Austell’s community garden with grants to upgrade their greenhouse, install new raised beds, and build a 3-bin compost system. They were also a 2022 Orchard Project recipient. 

“The support and partnership of Food Well Alliance is pivotal to us,” said Mayor Ollie Clemons. “It’s actually monumental because we’re on a smaller budget. We’re the smallest city in Cobb County, so our budget doesn’t expand as much as it would in other areas. This space doesn’t look like this and isn’t where it is if not for the partnership of Food Well, that’s for sure.”

This year, the garden received one of two $10,000 Garden Forward Grants to install a drip irrigation system. “There's a lot of different ways to irrigate,” said T.J. DiGregorio of Creative Landscape Group and the man in charge of installing the garden’s new irrigation system. “With water conservation in mind and making sure water gets to the soil directly as opposed to being blown or evaporated by the wind and avoiding watering areas where you don't need it, drip irrigation is the most direct way to water things.” 

This will not only save the community garden members and public works staff time but will also save the city money in the long run. The city pays for all the water for the garden. This new system will ensure that water is being used more efficiently and reaches the orchard. “The hose doesn't reach all of the fruit trees,” said Bo Garrison (pictured left), Director of Austell’s Public Works. “You have to tow jugs of water, and it takes hours and hours.”

In addition to the drip irrigation system, they’re installing an overhead sprinkler system for the greenhouse and two more hydrants in the community garden space so members won’t have to go far to water their plants. 

Bo, Andrea, and the City of Austell have big dreams for this space, they want to continue enhancing it, making it a place where residents can come relax and learn in nature. 

“For me your contributions mean everything,” said Bo, when asked about the impact Food Well donors have made. “Without you folks, this doesn’t happen.”

EliYahu Ben Asa | Atlanta Harvest

EliYahu Ben Asa

Atlanta Harvest

Ellenwood, Clayton County

When you arrive at Atlanta Harvest, the farm stand immediately catches your eye. The stand proudly displays a photo of the Ysrael family who own and run Atlanta Harvest and two other farms in Dublin and Griffin. Inside, people can shop on Sundays through Fridays from 11 AM - 5 PM for freshly grown produce, meat and dairy products, and other items sourced from local and black-owned businesses. “My initial inspiration for the farm stand was that we needed a place to sell in the city. Before, we were growing in Dublin and selling at farmers markets. That was the original idea behind purchasing Atlanta Harvest,” said EliYahu Ben Asa who owns and operates the farm.

When we last checked in with Atlanta Harvest, we covered their journey from leasing land in Jonesboro to acquiring the land they currently farm in Ellenwood. With the help of a Food Well Alliance grant, the family was able to make a down payment on the new property. Aside from some fruit trees and muscadine vines, the site was a blank canvas, allowing them to transform the space into their vision for Atlanta Harvest. However this also meant undertaking a lot of infrastructure projects. Over the course of three years, they’ve made a lot of progress, including the construction of the farm stand and garden beds and the installation of a drip irrigation system, all from scratch. “One of the biggest things about the way we work is we’re always expanding, always growing,” said EliYahu, who just finished helping his family build a 90×30 chicken coop on their ranch in Griffin. For EliYahu, balancing all aspects for the farm–from planting and growing to harvesting and building–is key and he’s always looking for ways to improve.

The family’s next project is building a brick and mortar store to replace the current farm stand, and they are sourcing logs directly from their land to make the frame. A new Food Well grant will help cover costs for the store. It will be a place where they can sell their own produce, but also help bridge the gap between other local farmers and consumers. “I want to turn this space into a place where farmers can send their produce so they can focus on farming.” EliYahu also hopes the farm stand can become a destination for people to get their household staples in addition to food. “If I can get people to pass Walmart on the left and Kroger on the right and come here, that’s for sure more value for their experience.” Eventually, he also wants to build a nursery and greenhouses so that they can start doing plant sales.

“It's hard to find organizations that believe in your business so much that they will stick with you through it,” said EliYahu speaking on the support Food Well Alliance has provided. “Nothing that we have today could have been done without that support. We’re grateful for donors’ help, you know, and all the other contributions–be it physical, emotional, spiritual–that have been passed on through this process. They’ve helped the business and individuals in our family, so it means a lot.”

Fred Walker & Pastor Joseph Williams | Canaan Farms

Fred Walker & Pastor Joseph Williams

Canaan Farms

West Atlanta, Fulton County

Canaan Farms, a community garden operated by Salem Bible Church, aims to transform the local community's ethos through food and education. Established in 2016 as a small orchard funded by church members who dedicated fruit trees to departed loved ones, Canaan Farms has since expanded to include 35 fruit trees and 22 garden beds. Volunteers from the congregation and the surrounding community come multiple times a week to tend to the garden and harvest the fruits and vegetables, which are distributed directly to neighboring communities.

Education is vital to Canaan Farms' mission, particularly among the youth. Fred Walker, the garden manager, emphasizes the importance of instilling healthy habits early on as a means of cultivating healthier communities. Fred collaborates with local schools to get students involved in planting vegetables at Canaan Farms. “When the kids come back, they are excited to see what they have planted growing and producing food.” This hands-on experience not only fosters excitement among children but also enables them to share their newfound knowledge with their families.

Canaan Farms also hosted a Plant. Eat. Repeat. workshop, as part of a series of educational classes coordinated by Food Well Alliance and the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Over 75 church members attended in person or via live stream. This event not only engaged the local community but also reached individuals affiliated with the ministry across the country.

“That’s really the future of Canaan Farms: Taking what we have and creating programs around other churches and providing the model that we have here at Salem Bible Church,” said Pastor Joseph Williams, Senior Pastor at Salem Bible Church. However, making impactful change has its challenges. Community involvement and support from other organizations make a significant difference. “When you’re building a garden that’s not earning dollars because you’re giving the food away, that's a huge challenge. But having great partners like Food Well has helped.”

“It’s great to see how tapped into the community Food Well is” said Pastor Williams. “They are focusing on things that are really important like raising people’s awareness on gardening and passing that information on to the generations to come. […] So donor support really makes a difference. It shows people that it is possible, and I think that’s really beautiful.”

Canaan Farms has received various resources from Food Well, such as compost, grants and guidance from our Resource Team. “The funding is fantastic,” said Fred. “But the physical, hands-on work that Food Well provides is just as important and we really appreciate that.”

Bobby Wilson | Metro Atlanta Urban Farm

Bobby Wilson

Metro Atlanta Urban Farm

College Park, Fulton County

Work is never done for Bobby Wilson. After a decades-long career with UGA Cooperative Extension, Bobby dreamed of creating an urban farm in metro Atlanta that would serve marginalized and underserved communities. In 2009, he took his retirement money and created Metro Atlanta Urban Farm (MAUF), a five-acre farm in College Park where they organize and support multiple programs including feeding families, educating students on career opportunities in agriculture, and teaching people how to grow food. Additionally, Bobby serves on the USDA Urban Agriculture Advisory Board. Not only is he one of the few board members representing the Southeast, he is also one of the only farmers representing underserved communities. 

Bobby has been involved with Food Well Alliance since its inception by participating in the planning committee and several advisory boards. “I feel really strongly that Food Well Alliance is bringing a different perspective to urban agriculture than any other organization has brought to the table,” said Bobby. “I think Food Well Alliance is creating a model program for other cities to implement, and by doing that we can enhance and expand urban agriculture in Georgia and the nation.”

This year, Food Well has supported MAUF through labor support as well as farm and community garden grants. Bobby can now provide stipends to individuals who help with the community garden site and training programs. During the height of the pandemic, MAUF was feeding close to 150 people a day, and while those numbers have decreased, Bobby still makes it his mission to feed anyone who needs it. “We would not have been able to grow the food that we’re growing without Food Well Alliance’s contributions,” said Bobby. “We would not have been able to train the number of urban agriculturists and impact their lives without the number of donations provided.”

It’s no surprise that Bobby was selected a Top 10 Hero for 2022 CNN Heroes Award. He is excited about the possibilities that can come from this nomination and how it brings more awareness to the importance of community gardens and urban agriculture.

Stephanie Simmons | PolyCulture Production at Gaia Gardens

Stephanie Simmons

PolyCulture Production @ Gaia Gardens

Decatur, DeKalb County

Stephanie Simmons is no stranger to working the land at Gaia Gardens in Decatur. She started as a farm hand for Love is Love and in January 2022, she took over the site at Gaia Gardens and launched PolyCulture Production, the first Black, female-owned farm at that location. 

At PolyCulture Production, Stephanie grows a variety of crops that are available to the community through her CSA program and is working on becoming Organic Certified. “Part of the organic certification is intensive record keeping,” said Stephanie. “I need to trace a vegetable from the plot it was planted in down to the seed packet. It’s intense, which makes it hard to accept seed donations from the community because I need to know exactly where it came from.”

Stephanie wants to create ways to make the farm more accessible to the community. Some of her creative ideas include organizing alternatives for gym memberships where people can get a workout by volunteering and offering the farm as a space for field trips to homeschooling moms. During her time at FoodCorps in Boston, she saw how kids enjoyed working in the dirt and trying fresh food. “We were harvesting and the kids were fighting over the green beans. I couldn’t even be mad because they were so excited about eating vegetables.”

One of her biggest challenges is labor support. She single-handedly runs the farm and a task like weeding a bed takes half a day to do by herself. Volunteers and support from Eco-PARADIGM through Food Well Alliance’s Labor Support offering make a huge difference when it comes to completing projects. “Of all the wonderful resources that Food Well has to offer, the extra hands have been the most helpful.”

“I love that Food Well is flexible, nimble, agile, and listens to growers. They adapt to what we need and make the resources as available as possible. I feel like Food Well has shown a real commitment to inject resources in building up a local food system and it’s important right now.” Stephanie believes that by donating to Food Well, “you can help sustain the passion that brings people to this work.”

Creative Enterprises | Community Garden and Orchard

Creative Enterprises

Creative Enterprises students in the community garden: (l-r) Leigh McIntosh, Camile Williams, Phong Nguyen (front), Chris Dowie, Nicole Rechnor, Dante Myers, Josh Jansma, and Beth Arechiga.

Community Garden and Orchard

Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County

Creative Enterprises is a nonprofit that provides life skills training and employment opportunities to adults with disabilities through educational programs and job placement assistance. “We veered off from just workshops and work-oriented things to teaching classes,” said Leigh McIntosh, Executive Director of Creative Enterprises. “Those classes were determined by what our clients were interested in. Every year, the clients have a plan called the individual service plan. And so whatever their goals are, we work with them on daily living skills, fitness programs, and this kind of work helps with their desire to be productive.”

Part of their program includes a community garden and greenhouse at their headquarters in Lawrenceville. The Creative Enterprises Community Garden functions as a training environment for clients. Beth Arechiga, Greenhouse Administrator, oversees the garden and is amazed at how much her students enjoy playing in the dirt. “They love it,” said Beth. “They are so excited to come out here and learn about the names of flowers, bugs, and butterflies. They love harvesting and giving away the fruits and vegetables.” Creative Enterprises donates most of the food grown in the garden to volunteers, community members, the Lawrenceville Foodbank, and Lettum Eat. 

The garden is also home to one of 17 new orchards planted as part of Food Well Alliance’s Orchard Project in partnership with the Giving Grove. After hearing about it from the Gwinnett County Extension, Beth applied for an orchard. “We used to have quite a few Bradford Pear trees, but most of them had to be cut down because they’re invasive. Then we didn’t have any shade or trees, and the clients love berries.” The clients helped plant the trees throughout the garden, including elderberry trees in their hummingbird corner and Jujubes near the entrance. Their orchard also has apple trees, muscadines, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. 

Leigh can’t wait for the plants to mature so they can start giving the fruit away. “One of the things I’ve learned about our clients is that all of their lives, people have been providing services for them, but here they can actually give back and they really like that. It’s fun to see them light up when they’re able to give things to people,” said Leigh.

They also received the Community Garden Grant, which they used to buy gardening tools, fencing for the orchard, and a portable sink to wash produce. “Food Well is an amazing partner,” said Beth. “Without Food Well, we wouldn't have the infrastructure that we have. They have been a major, major help and a wonderful contributor.”

Bill Crumpler | Rooted Faith Farm

Bill Crumpler

Rooted Faith Farm

Beehives in 9 growing spaces across metro Atlanta

Pollinators, especially bees, are essential to growing food. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to have most of the food we eat today. Beekeeper Bill Crumpler has made it his mission to teach people the importance of caring for bees and their natural habitats. When Bill started growing food, he came across an article about how honey bees were in trouble, which sparked his interest in seeing what he could do to help. Shortly after learning more about bees, he purchased equipment and a hive. While he waited for his hive to arrive, Bill spent a lot of time on YouTube and Google researching as much as he could about bees. “In a lot of the videos, the beekeepers don’t have suits on,” said Bill. “In my mind, I thought it was going to be the same way. So I only bought a veil. When I installed the hive, everything was good, but when I checked on them the second time, I got stung.” After that, he bought a full beekeeper suit!

His hobby quickly turned into a passion and he now has an apiary of 13 hives in his parent’s backyard in Fayetteville. “My goal is to educate people on pollinators so we won’t fear bees and realize that we actually need them,” said Bill. 

This year, Bill received a Resource Provider Organization Grant from Food Well to spread his knowledge of beekeeping to growers in the metro Atlanta area.  Through the grant, he was able to purchase and install hives at eight locations around metro Atlanta, including Baby Katie’s Farm, HABESHA, Cedar Seeder Farm, PolyCulture Productions at Gaia Gardens, Metro Atlanta Urban Farm, Golightly St. Community Garden, Firdous Community Garden at Mohammed Schools, Seal’s Family Farm, and he installed a ninth hive at Agrowkulture. 

For growers who already have to juggle a million things, learning how to care for a beehive can be a lot, plus there’s plenty of misinformation online. “There are so many discrepancies when you do research. Often you don’t know what you can and can’t do or what’s true or false,” said Bill. He visits the sites twice a month to check on the beehives and teach the farmers how to care for them. “With the grant from Food Well, I could focus on educating farmers in Atlanta about bees and how they can incorporate them into their operation,” said Bill. “I’m always trying to make the process better because I just want more people to have bees.”

Nobie Muhl and Alexis Haggerty | Good Samaritan Farm

Nobie Muhl, Farm Manager at Good Samaritan Farm

Nobie Muhl and Alexis Haggerty

Good Samaritan Farm

West Atlanta, Fulton County

When Nobie Muhl first started working at Good Samaritan Farm as a farmhand in 2016, she only planned to stay for the summer. However, she fell in love with the work and ended up becoming Farm Manager. “Food Well Alliance has been a huge support for me,” said Nobie. When she transitioned to Farm Manager, Food Well’s Bobby Farmer reached out to see what she needed. “Food Well to me is just a part of my experience working here at Good Sam. You provide us with volunteer groups which have always been helpful for us. Having you right in our backyard and going to all the foodie events – it’s just been a nice and valuable relationship.”  

Alexis Haggerty, Assistant Farm Manager at Good Samaritan Farm

 Together with Farm Assistant Alexis Haggerty and their resident kittens, Nobie tends to the 1-acre farm nestled behind the Good Samaritan Health Center. On average they produce 9,000 pounds of fruit and vegetables annually which are made available to the patients at the clinic and the wider community through The Market at Good Sam. “There’s a lot of excitement about that fact that it’s from the farm,” said Nobie who explained how patients can’t wait to get their hands on quality, good-tasting produce. Collard greens, tomatoes, okra, and strawberries are some favorites. 

Nobie and Alexis want to continue expanding the offerings available at the market. “My hope is that the farm can continue to be a producer of healthy, nutritious, relevant food for our patients and community members,” said Nobie. Using funds they received through the Food Well Alliance Farm Support Grant, they were able to purchase supplies and more products, specifically things that they can’t grow like grains, beans, and healthy cooking oil. “That support helps us annually by being able to purchase necessities like seeds and supplies. Plus, the compost that we receive is like receiving gold, and Food Well hooks us up every time we need it.”

Lelo Jones | Outdoor Fresh Farm

Lelo Jones

Outdoor Fresh Farm

West Atlanta, Fulton County

Every farm and garden we visit is unique, but there isn’t any growing space quite like Lelo Jones’ Outdoor Fresh Farm. Tall sunflowers, just as bright and cheery as Lelo himself, greet you at the entrance. In addition to the garden beds, Outdoor Fresh Farm is home to an orchard, chickens, and two goats named Poncho and Night Night.

Lelo uses his Westside growing space to teach the community about growing food using his unique blend of education and entertainment. His edutainment approach combines the old school with the new school so younger generations learn in a way that is both engaging and relevant. “That’s the mission,” said Lelo. “That’s how we can help save the world. If we just dial it back just a hair, we can live in balance and in harmony where everybody can get some and there will still be more left over.“ 

Lelo started growing eight years ago with the help of his high school art teacher and mentor Bill Murray. Lelo says as a child he always wanted to farm and wanted to be like Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter. After he graduated from college, Mr. Murray built him a raised bed and taught him how to grow. Lelo now shares that knowledge with others by hosting classes and teaching elementary students where their food comes from. “I take them outside to plant tomatoes, green onions, and garlic, and they’re able to taste them fresh for the first time.” When a class told him french fries were their favorite food, he used 5-gallon water jugs and some seeds to show the students how potatoes grow under the soil. 

Throughout his space, he implements creative techniques to grow food. “When the okra gets too big, I throw it on the rocks of the trail because I know I’ll step on it. The rocks help it dry out and make it easier to collect the seeds,” said Lelo. He also uses the square root gardening method, which involves dividing the raised beds into smaller squares. He’s able to grow a variety of plants in a single bed and create a symbiotic relationship between the plants. Each of his beds also has a trellis to increase his growing space. 

“I definitely wouldn’t be as far along without Food Well and the grants,” said Lelo. “They enable me to get the resources I need to grow as fast as I have grown and give me the relief to try new ways of doing things.” Lelo wants to continue to share his knowledge and make growing cool. “It’s donors like you that make our dreams possible and help us spread the mission, knowledge, and edutainment.”

Lovey Gilliam | Leafy Greens Market

Leafy Greens Market

Lovey Gilliam

East Point, Fulton County

Farmer Lovey Gilliam is no stranger to Food Well Alliance. Her Southwest Atlanta farm, Gilliam’s Community Garden, has received support since 2015. In July, Lovey opened Leafy Greens Market in East Point to provide the community with locally grown food right in their neighborhood. “I can’t be the big box store, but I can be that corner market you can walk or ride your bike to and pick up the staples and necessities you need, “ said Lovey. 

The inspiration for Leafy Greens came during the pandemic. While she had a mobile farmers market she used to deliver produce, she wanted to create another option for her customers to get fresh food. Leafy Greens quickly evolved into a one-stop shop for fresh produce, made-to-order meals, and local snacks. 

Customers want clean food, and Lovey has made it her mission to provide the community with healthy options. All the produce comes from Gilliam’s Community Garden and the shelves are stocked with staples made without artificial ingredients and dyes from Sevannanda Fresh Food Market. Products from 15 local vendors are also available including granola from Just Good Clean Cooking, freshly baked bread from Sweet-but-Savory Bakery, and grab-and-go teas from Majestea. In addition to grocery staples, customers can order fresh home-cooked meals provided by Dished Palate Chef TJ and Strange Made Chef Dasara Strange. The store is also home to Georgia’s first-ever hydroponic lettuce cut fresh to order. “If something happens to deplete our soil, I want people to know that they can still get tomatoes and other vegetables through hydroponics.”

In addition to giving Gilliam’s Community Garden a grant to be able to grow all the fresh vegetables for Leafy Greens, Food Well Alliance also helped cover some of the renovation costs when the price of materials tripled. “Food Well Alliance gave the last funding we needed to open or we wouldn’t be open today.”