11: Re-Introducing Farming To Urban People & Beyond | Christa Barfield 'FarmerJawn'

In this episode we chat with Christa Barfield, founder of FarmerJawn, a Philadelphia based farm focused on reintroducing farming into the lifestyles of underserved communities. Farmerjawn is the largest black-woman owned regenerative organic produce farm in the United States and hosts a variety of educational programs and experiences that bring healthy food and nature back into the lives of urban people. In this wide-ranging conversation we discuss the stigmatized relationship that many black & brown people have with the land and how to fix it, the power of amplifying one's voice to spread a message, how we can make healthy local food more accessible and convenient for urban people, and how agriculture is equally a part of all our lineages. 

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Timestamps

[2:25] Agriculture is the culture

[6:06] Christa's journey to agriculture started with a trip to a Caribbean island

[12:49] RE-introducing farming to underserved communities

[15:35] Christa's farm, education, helping black people "see themselves" in farming

[35:30] Reimagining corner stores with 'CornerJawn'

[46:41] Getting pushback as a black woman in farming

[49:54] Winning the James Beard Leadership Award, perception/marketing/awareness

[1:07:44] Land access, community gardens, marketing & branding for farmers

[1:27:38] Making local food more convenient, stories behind seeds

[1:32:35] Visibility and amplifying your voice, 93% of US farms are small

[1:44:11] Social media gift & curse

[1:50:31] Bridge To Terabithea by Katherine Paterson - reading Oscar Wilde

[1:53:34] "Give me my flowers while I can still smell them"

[1:58:32] Farming reality show

Sponsors

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Links/Resources

Market Gardener Institute: https://themarketgardener.com/ 

Masterclass: https://themarketgardener.com/courses/the-market-gardener-masterclass/ 

Newsletter: https://themarketgardener.com/newsletter

Blog: https://themarketgardener.com/blog 

Books: https://themarketgardener.com/books

Growers & Co: https://growers.co/

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