Lovey Gilliam | Leafy Greens Market

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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.”

Eco-PARADIGM Crew | PolyCulture Production

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Eco-PARADIGM

Eco-PARADIGM crew helping Stephanie Simmons of PolyCulture Production with weeding the hoop house: (l-r) Jah, Kijana, Stephanie, Habeebah, Charles, and Vici.

Summer is not only a busy time for farmers but also for those who work supporting growers! Food Well Alliance is excited to spotlight a partner providing amazing hands-on support and expertise to metro Atlanta farms–Eco-PARADIGM! Through the Food Well Alliance Farm Support Resource, the Eco-PARADIGM team, led by Charles Greenlea, helps farms stay on track with their work growing local food.

Charles Greenlea started Eco-PARADIGM to bridge the gap between farms that were short on labor and the need for hands-on experience for graduates of training programs at organizations like HABESHA, Inc. and Gangstas 2 Growers. “It’s a win-win situation,” said Charles. “The farms get support and the growers working as part of the Eco-PARADIGM team get real-world experience, earn a liveable wage, and learn not only how to do multiple things but also learn from multiple sites and growers.”

Through farm projects, the Eco-PARADIGM crew has learned skills like operating a BCS tractor, building high tunnels, installing irrigation systems, and more. “I get to go to different farms and experience how they do things. I’m learning from all the farmers I meet,” said crew member Vici Royál, who wants to get his own land and start growing food. Habeebah, who recently joined Eco-PARADIGM, enjoys the work because it helps her understand all that goes into growing food. Her favorite part is being able to pick and taste fresh produce. “I didn’t know what real fruits and vegetables tasted like until I experienced them fresh from a farm.”

The dedicated crew has helped 15 metro Atlanta farms this year and has spent over 2,000 hours helping farmers accomplish infrastructure projects and stay on top of farm maintenance tasks when they need extra hands. One of those farmers is Stephanie Simmons of PolyCulture Production @ Gaia Gardens. She has been grateful for the extra hands. “While I don’t have a team, Eco-PARADIGM is my team.” The crew has helped Stephanie with weeding, prepping beds for planting, mowing the grass, and so much more. “Eco-PARADIGM brings growers together to learn from each other, and all you want to do is use that knowledge and pay it forward to the next person.”

Compost Connectors | Truly Living Well

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Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture

Booker T. Washington Compost Connectors

City of Atlanta, Fulton County

While most of the Compost Connectors programs have paused for summer break, a small group of students from Booker T. Washington High School (BTW) is participating in the summer cohort at Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture. A total of 34 BTW students were involved throughout the first year of the Compost Connectors program, and seven have stayed for all three cohorts. They’re not only learning different composting methods, but also how to grow food and use the produce they harvest to cook healthy meals. BTW student Shanii Amour said, “I really like to see the fruits of my own labor and all the plants that I grew. I like to see them grow and see what I can make with them.”

Using eggplants and tomatoes harvested from the Compost Connectors' garden, Trinity Harrison, the on-farm compost educator, has taught the students how to make fresh, healthy meals like eggplant parmesan and Zaalouk, a Moroccan stew usually served with bread. “It’s a great experience, and you learn so much. You learn how to harvest, how to compost, how to cook new recipes, and how to help the environment,” said Harmoni Griffin. 

Hali Jordan wants to see more of her classmates joining the program in the new school year because “it gives you an outlet to do other things instead of just being at home all day. You get to learn stuff and have fun at the same time.” 

Celebrating Black Agrarian Leaders | Additional Resources

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Throughout Black History Month, Food Well Alliance has been sharing the stories of Black Agrarian Leaders from the past and present. We’ve heard from Ms. Haylene Green “The Garden Queen,” "Bobby Wilson, and Tenisio Seanima. All growers making changes in metro Atlanta’s local food movement. We’ve also shared the stories of some influential leaders in history, including Booker T. Washington, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Booker T. Whatley.

While today may be the last day of Black History Month, learning about and celebrating the instrumental work accomplished by Black growers doesn’t end here. If you’re interested in learning more about the influential leaders we’ve covered, want to hear the stories of other black growers, or are interested in getting involved in urban agriculture, check out some resources below.

Learn More About the Growers We Featured in 2022

Ms. Haylene Green “The Garden Queen”

Bobby Wilson | Metro Atlanta Urban Farm

Tenisio Seanima | Nature’s Candy Farms

Learn More About the Historical Leaders We Featured

Booker T. Washington

Fannie Lou Hamer

Booker T. Whatley

Black-Owned Farms Around Metro Atlanta

Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture

Atlanta Harvest

Patchwork City Farms

Phoenix Gardens Farm

High Hog Farm

Books, TV, and Videos

Know of a resource that you think should be on the list? Send it to our Marketing Manager Ashley Wiley at ashley@foodwellalliance.org and we’ll make sure it’s added.

Reggie and Roger Ramos | Grow With the Flow

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Grow with the Flow

Reggie and Roger Ramos

City of Tucker, DeKalb County

After graduating from Georgia Tech, brothers Reggie and Roger Ramos served for several years in the military. When their contracts were up, they decided to start a farming business, Grow With the Flow, and came up with a unique solution to the problem of securing land. They grow in peoples’ yards. It's proved to be a win-win because they now have multiple growing spaces, and the homeowners get to keep some of the vegetables. Plus, there's not as much lawn to mow! 

The brothers, aka the Grow Bros, sell their produce at several farmers markets from Peachtree Road to Tucker. Reggie says resources from Food Well Alliance have been integral to their success over the years and 2021 has been their most profitable year to date. Prior to spring planting, Food Well provided a tractor to till their largest plot, a bulk load of compost, and labor support to spread the compost on the newly tilled land. 

Reggie and Roger started farming because they wanted to offer an alternative to food from industrial farms. Reggie’s vision is for more people influencing each other about the power of local food. “The only way we can have a self-sustaining economy is to have more people growing food. It will at least take us a step in the right direction, and that leads to the health and wealth of everyone.”

Lovey Gilliam | Gilliam's Community Garden

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Gilliam’s Community Garden

Lovey Gilliam

Southwest Atlanta, Fulton County

Gilliam's Community Garden, an urban oasis in Southwest Atlanta, has been part of the Food Well Alliance network since 2015. When you take a look around the place, you can see the progress that's been made over the years–from active chicken coops and goat runs to new fencing and high tunnel greenhouses with neatly planted rows of crops. "All of that is Food Well Alliance," said farmer Lovey Gilliam. "They're able to reach people where they're at and help them grow from what they have." The help comes in many forms, including labor and mechanical support provided by fellow growers hired by Food Well Alliance.

EliYahu Ben Asa | Atlanta Harvest

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Atlanta Harvest

EliYahu Ysrael

City of Ellenwood, Clayton County

“Y’all are the reason we’re here,” said farmer EliYahu Ben Asa. When they realized they wouldn't be able to stay on the land they were leasing in Jonesboro, the Ysrael family wasn't sure where to turn. With funds from phase 2 of the Food Well Alliance farm grant last year, the family was able to make a down-payment on property in Ellenwood and revive their Atlanta Harvest Farm. Since then, things have steadily progressed. EliYahu is grateful to have a lot of growing space at the new farm. "We are really in line to grow a ton of food here. We grow because we know there is a need in our community. The more food we can grow, the more people we can feed."

Columbus Brown | Stone Mountain Community Garden

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Columbus Brown

Stone Mountain Community Garden

Stone Mountain, DeKalb County

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.”

Brennan and Gwendolyn Washington | Phoenix Gardens

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Phoenix Gardens

Brennan and Gwendolyn Washington

City of Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County

When we last shared Brennan and Gwendolyn Washington’s story, they’d just filled their new hoop house with 30 cubic yards of compost delivered by Food Well Alliance. Since then, their Phoenix Gardens farm in Lawrenceville has continued to produce healthy harvests. “We’ve grown broccoli, collards, kale, heirloom tomatoes, and peppers. Right now, heading into fall, we have beets, fava beans, and swiss chard. Had we not received that donation of compost, we wouldn’t have been able to get the yield we did.”

More recently, Food Well Alliance provided mechanical support from “Small Farmer at Large” Chris Theal, who cleared an additional half acre of growing space with his tractor. “All of those were blessings,” said Brennan. “If you truly want to support local farms and farmers and build our local food system, a donation to Food Well Alliance is an integral part of doing that.”

The Washingtons are as passionate about growing the local food movement as they are about growing food. Whether giving a demonstration to the Gullah Geechee Farm Cooperative in St. Helena Island or holding a workshop at Phoenix Gardens, educating other growers is the couple’s ultimate priority. “We always have an open door for people who want to learn,” said Brennan.