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PODCAST

Edible Activist

Melissa L. Jones

Edible Activist is a podcast that feeds you empowering narratives and perspectives from the voices of emerging black people and people of color in food and agriculture who are stewarding the land, healing communities, and advocating for food justice and economic power across the globe. Hosted by Melissa L. Jones, she interviews a diverse group of everyday growers, farmers, entrepreneurs, artists, and other extraordinary individuals, who exemplify activism in their own edible way!

arts food

All Episodes

00:46:10

#187: Designing a Just Food Future with Dr. Celeste...

Edible Activist ·

2025/11/24

Host Melissa L. Jones sits down with Dr. Celeste Davis—public health educator, design strategist, and director of the Public Health Scholars Program at American University—for a thoughtful conversation on how food justice, public health, and community power shape one another in today’s shifting landscape. Through her path as a bridge-builder, Dr. Celeste shares why food justice is rooted in dignity, culture, policy, labor, land, and the structures that determine who gets to thrive. She reflects on

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00:38:10

#186: From Lineage to Land: Umi’s Journey of...

Edible Activist ·

2025/11/12

Returning-generation farmer and community herbalist Bianca “Umi” Anthony shares how she’s reclaiming seven acres of her family’s 1950s land in rural Bertie County, NC—reviving legacy, building Seed of Life Farm, and raising her three kids “no screens” while they learn to grow. We talk medicinal herbs and cut flowers, creating a healing space for community retreats, the realities of solo stewardship and mentorship, and why a deer fence and basic infrastructure matter for the first growing season. Umi

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00:45:48

#185: Nurturing Our Seeds: Detroit Roots, Community...

Edible Activist ·

2025/11/06

Erin Cole, founder of Nurturing Our Seeds in Detroit, shares how a porch-side safety moment on Helen Street—mowing vacant lots for elders—grew from a first flower patch into mustard and turnip greens, and ultimately a neighborhood farm and seed-saving hub. We dig into living soil, herb-based compost teas, seed starting as food sovereignty as they supply transplants to 14 Black farms and save okra seed with the Ujamaa Seed Cooperative, and adapting to climate chaos with part-shade cucumbers. We also

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00:44:09

#184: SWAP: Fashioning Environmental Justice with...

Edible Activist ·

2025/10/13

From living-room swaps to a decade of citywide pop-ups, Zsameria Rayford’s SWAP DC → SWAP Universe shows how style and sustainability move together. This episode digs into the operational backbone, the ethos, and the outcomes—thousands of pounds of textiles kept out of landfills while neighbors trade clothing, plants, books, and ideas. We connect circular fashion to health and land stewardship and outline replicable models for your own community swap. A clear, on-the-ground example of the

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00:47:25

#183: SiStained8: From Kitchen Scraps to Living Soil

Edible Activist ·

2025/09/29

Najwa Womack, founder of SiStained8 in Washington, D.C., traces her path from early nature moments to teaching compost as the art of growing soil. She defines composting in plain language, explains essentials like source-separated organics and feedstock, and tackles common myths about smell and time. Najwa connects kitchen scraps to city-scale solutions—cutting landfill methane, strengthening local soil and food, and reducing flood risk. She shares simple ways to begin at home, in schools, and with

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00:45:12

#182: Black Cotton and the Power of Legacy with...

Edible Activist ·

2025/09/11

Cotton has long been a cornerstone of American agriculture and culture. Julius Tillery, a fifth-generation cotton farmer and founder of Black Cotton, is reshaping how we see this iconic crop by turning it into a source of artistry, heritage, and opportunity. In this conversation with host Melissa L. Jones, Julius shares his journey of embracing his family’s legacy, raising awareness about the decline of Black cotton farmers, and inspiring future generations through culture, innovation, and a deep

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00:52:42

#181: Roots, Recipes & Storytelling with Antoinette...

Edible Activist ·

2025/09/02

Chef, storyteller, and advocate Antoinette Johnson takes us back to her Black Southern roots, where family traditions and community gatherings first sparked her love for food. She shares how those early influences—and moving across different states—shaped her culinary voice and storytelling lens, leading to her big win on America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation. This is a conversation about honoring heritage, amplifying Black foodways, and carrying legacy forward—tune in for a story that will

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00:49:34

#180: From the Kitchen to the Soil with Chef Marly

Edible Activist ·

2025/08/22

After a traumatic brain injury in 2014, Chef Marly — a classically trained chef and Washington native — found healing in an unexpected place: the soil. In this episode, she shares her journey from the kitchen to farming, how growing food supported her recovery, and what’s been keeping her hands in the dirt this season.

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00:51:30

#179: Melon Nation

Edible Activist ·

2025/08/17

In this episode of Edible Activist, Melissa sits down with Kenny and Cutt, the co-founders of Melon Nation — two Black farmers and agricultural specialists bringing fresh seeded watermelon and tropical fruits to communities across the East Coast. Together, they share how Melon Nation is building a vibrant supply chain rooted in health, sustainability, and cultural expression, while creating spaces where art, agriculture, and community flourish. From their mantra “It takes a seed to build a nation”

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00:50:08

#178: The Bodega Bites with Ora Kemp

Edible Activist ·

2025/08/10

Ora Kemp, creator of The Bodega Bites, is on a mission to make sure everyone’s eatin’. As a 2025 Castanea Fellow and Senior Policy Advisor with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, she offers a candid look at New York City’s food landscape, the stakes for SNAP, and the difference between food insufficiency and insecurity. We also explore how rising food and housing costs are reshaping communities—and the bold ideas needed to build a just, resilient food system.

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00:31:03

#177: Intelligent Mischief: Shaping Black Futures

Edible Activist ·

2025/08/05

What would our world look like if Black imagination led the way? In this episode, Artistic Director Aisha Shillingford of Intelligent Mischief joins me to explore the power of speculative world-building as a tool for liberation, healing, and community transformation. We talk about what reparations and land justice could mean for our food systems, how Afro-futurism can reimagine our relationship to land and growing, and why cultural programming can be a catalyst for deep collective care. Together, we

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00:36:28

#176: Demi Unique: Telling Stories Through Style,...

Edible Activist ·

2025/07/27

Chef Demi Unique approaches food as art, memory, and ancestral tribute. Trained at both the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and the Institute of Culinary Education, she blends her deep creative roots into immersive culinary storytelling. As a traveling artist, chef, and consultant, Demi uses food to honor lineage, build community, and create space—especially for Black folks. In this conversation, we explore her path into food, the influence of the women who shaped her journey, and how

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00:35:56

#175: Regenerating Food & Health at Konterra Life Farms

Edible Activist ·

2025/07/14

In this episode, Melissa sit down with Kela, a farmer and founder of Konterra Life Farms in Maryland. Kela is deeply rooted in regenerative, soil-first farming practices and is also a registered dietitian who understands the powerful connection between the land and our health. We talk about what it means to grow food that heals both people and the planet, the importance of soil health, and how education plays a big role in helping communities reconnect with where their food comes from.

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00:46:12

#174: Mushrooms, Justice, and the Future of Food with...

Edible Activist ·

2025/07/08

In this episode of The Edible Activist, Melissa sits down with JR, founder and CEO of EightFold Farms DC, a network of hyperlocal urban farms transforming rooftops, lawns, and underused spaces in Washington, DC’s Wards 7 and 8. Frustrated by limited access to healthy food and inspired by global urban agriculture models, JR set out to reengineer the local food chain—starting with mushrooms.Tune in as JR shares how EightFold Farms is tackling food apartheid, building climate-smart farming solutions,

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00:37:29

#173: Bees & Seeds at Châteaux Cocoa

Edible Activist ·

2025/07/01

In this episode, we sit down with Darrelynne Strother, founder of Châteaux Cocoa, where wellness takes root through gardening, beekeeping, and community care. From a childhood moment tossing cucumber seeds to leading hands-on beekeeping workshops, Darrelynne shares how personal healing blossomed into a mission grounded in joy, creativity, and connection. We talk about the magic of bees, lessons from the land, and what it means to grow wellness in an urban world.

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00:43:36

#172: Fried Chicken & Caviar: Reclaiming Luxury with...

Edible Activist ·

2025/05/19

In this episode, we sit down with Chi Walker—creative force, culinary curator, and one-half of the duo behind Fried Chicken and Caviar, the pop-up redefining what luxury looks and tastes like through a soulful, intentional lens. Chi invites us into her world of flavor, storytelling, and cultural reclamation, where ancestral roots meet culinary innovation.We explore the inspiration behind the name Fried Chicken and Caviar, the duality it represents in Black culinary traditions, and what it means to

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00:35:17

#171: Protecting Food Access: A Policy Update with...

Edible Activist ·

2025/05/19

In this episode, we're joined once again by LaMonika Jones, Director of State Initiatives at the Food Research & Action Center, for a timely conversation about the intersection of food access, policy, and advocacy. LaMonika breaks down key threats to SNAP at the federal level, offers insight into where we are in D.C.'s local budget process, and unpacks the broader impacts these decisions have on families, farmers, and school food programs. Together, we explore what’s at stake, how community members

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00:37:15

#170: Anderson James Farm: A Conversation with The...

Edible Activist ·

2025/04/24

Meet Kizzy Anderson James—a fierce spirit cultivating community, creativity, and flavor straight from the soil. In this episode of Edible Activist, host Melissa L. Jones welcomes the dynamic force behind Anderson James Farm. Kizzy is an urban farmer, disabled veteran, chicken mama, and storyteller whose journey from military service to farm life is as inspiring as it is impactful.Together, they explore the roots of her entrepreneurial path, the power of raising chickens in the city, and how she

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00:41:25

#169: Great Mother Garden Solutions

Edible Activist ·

2025/04/11

In this episode, we sit down with Tamara, the founder of Great Mother Garden Solutions, to explore the deep roots of land stewardship and herbal wisdom. From ancestral influences to the decision to grow her own herbs, she shares her journey of reconnecting with the earth. We unpack the overlooked healing power of dandelions, discover her favorite herbs for everyday use, and hear her heartfelt advice for aspiring growers looking to cultivate their own herbal gardens. Whether you're a seasoned grower

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00:37:43

#168: The Joy of Black Foodways with Indigo Culinary...

Edible Activist ·

2025/04/06

In this episode, we explore the rich tapestry of Black foodways with Josmine Evans, founder of Indigo Culinary & Co. As a cultural preservationist, chef, and storyteller, Josmine is on a mission to honor the culinary traditions of the African diaspora—one spice blend, one dish, and one story at a time. She shares how her travels across the African Atlantic have deepened her understanding of ancestral foodways and how her work with The Joy Project is helping to reclaim and celebrate these legacies

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188 results

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