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.”