At the beginning of the summer I wanted to start doing fresh markets on the block once a month. They don't call it a food desert for nothing. I thought we could get local farmers to come down to the block once a month and sell fresh produce to everyone, but prioritize those with ebt.
My grand plan was to have nutritionists come out and pass out samples and give advice, my chef friends to teach us how to make healthy snacks and meals. I wanted them to talk about how we could use food and good eating to change our community from the inside out. If we could address food insecurity and scarcity, we could address one of the root causes of gun violence.
I was so excited. It was going to be great...
UNTIL, THE SINKHOLE OPENED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION.
After that, my summer was consumed with fighting for speed bumps, trying to keep our kids from getting shot, or falling in that damn hole.
Not only are they in a food desert, they've also been living around barricades, horses, hoses, sewage, steel plates and yes, still, THE SINKHOLE.
The city has made it crystal clear to me that I don't control anything and that intersection will be closed off until the next administration, if they want it to be.
I am not the Alderman, nor the Mayor. I'm just a lady who hangs out on a corner on the Southside.
I might be? However, I'm not powerless. And right now, more than ever, we're gonna have to lean on each other.
What I wanted may have been delayed, but no matter how hard they've made it to get to my corner (and it is NYT crossword hard!) We will not be denied. And it's even better now than I had first imagined!
I not only have farmers, I have Black farmers. Some who grow food and another who raises livestock, to provide fresh meat as well!
Blackhaven Ranch and Matt Ross came through today with fresh Food and Meat from Black American Freedman Farmers.Â
I love the idea of an anti-violence organization in the middle of one of the most undeserved neighborhoods in the country, partnering with Black farmers, to not only address food insecurity, but to also show our children and young people there's so much more to Black folks than what they show on television!
There is a way that we can take care of us. We are not hopeless!
I look forward to this market growing and we as a people, growing with it! We'd like to do this at least once a month.
So you should come out and help us make it happen!😉
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