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.
