|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Jamila Norman, a first-generation daughter of Caribbean parents with a deep-rooted history in agriculture, is a prominent figure among Black urban farmers and in the food activism scene.
After finishing an environmental engineering degree from the University of Georgia, Norman spent a decade at the State of Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division before embarking on a mission to transform her community’s food landscape.
While in Atlanta, Norman noticed the prevalence of food deserts in her community. Food deserts are areas where people need more access to affordable, healthy food, like fresh fruits and vegetables, because there are few or no grocery stores, farmers’ markets, or other sources of fresh food nearby.
“I moved to Atlanta and noticed the lack of access to fresh, healthy food in my neighborhood, West End,” she says. “This inspired me to start growing food in partnership with others in the community. In 2010, we founded Patchwork City Farms on a one-acre property.”
Continuing the Legacy of Our Ancestors
Statistics on Black urban farmers are limited due to underreporting and lack of specific data. However, the USDA notes a rise in urban agriculture over the past decade, driven by food insecurity, climate change, and urbanization.
This trend accelerated after COVID-19 as people sought to mitigate food supply disruptions. Norman started as a Black urban farmer earlier than most but wouldn’t call herself a pioneer.
“I see it more as continuing the legacy of our ancestors and community. My business partner at the time and I were perhaps the most visible at the time because we weren’t uncomfortable in predominantly white spaces.”
Norman and her business partner, Cecilia Gathu, took over a project at Brown Middle School, where a nonprofit had started gardening and food distribution for the local community under a contract with Atlanta Public Schools. After the nonprofit volunteers burned out, Norman and Gathu stepped in.
“We took over the contract and founded Patchwork City Farms as an LLC, just as a business,” Norman explains. “It took us eleven months working with Atlanta Public Schools to transfer the lease from the nonprofit to Patchwork City Farms. That was our first farm site.”
Atlanta’s relaxed rules allowed farming on private property or with the owner’s permission, but beyond that, city support was minimal. Norman and Gathu had to rely on their families’ agricultural backgrounds.
“My great-grandparents farmed in Jamaica and Trinidad, but after two generations, left the farm to find better opportunities, as many families did. We just found ourselves coming back to it. Cecilia, who’s Kenyan, had grandparents who farmed in Kenya before her family came to America. We were the generation that picked it back up.”
In the early stages, Norman leaned on various resources. “I did a lot of reading. I always knew I wanted to grow food for myself, thinking it would come later in life, but it found me sooner. All that knowledge I had gathered for ‘one day’ became valuable and helped guide us. So we just went for it. We read, watched YouTube videos, and then worked hard.”
Building Community Among Black Urban Farmers
Norman and Gathu started selling their produce at markets, supplying restaurants and partnering with nonprofits to support community food programs. “We also had a CSA, a community-supported agriculture subscription program. We supported corporate volunteers, including groups like the Atlanta Braves Foundation, Home Depot, and the Atlanta Google headquarters.”
As Norman connected with other Black urban farmers and farmers, she founded the South West Atlanta Growers (SWAG) Cooperative. “I recognized the need for solidarity,” she says. “The co-op connects farmers, provides resources, and helps distribute produce.”
The SWAG Cooperative is a mix of men and women, young and old, ranging from nonprofit to private for-profit operations.
As the co-op grew, so did the first site for Patchwork City Farms, and Norman started looking for a bigger space. “It was serendipitous how things fell into place. I simply Googled ‘land for sale in Atlanta,’ and through a series of fortunate events, I found a perfect 1.5-acre plot. It’s five minutes from my house, had never been developed, was already cleared, and was in the same neighborhood I wanted to serve. I was able to purchase my property, which makes a big difference in farming.”
- Black Environmentalists on the Frontlines – 1:1 with Dr. Gregory Jenkins
- Peanut Farmer Elisha Barnes Honors Family and Land with Pop Son Farm
Education is Key to Stewardship
The USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture also highlights the expanding role of Black urban farmers. Urban farming has become crucial for local food systems, offering fresh produce, employment, and educational opportunities in underserved communities.
Patchwork City Farms cultivates various vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers, showcasing seasonal bounty through local farmers’ markets. This initiative allows customers to pre-order and pick up produce directly from the farm or designated market locations, ensuring accessibility and community engagement.
Beyond sustainable farming, Patchwork City Farms is an educational hub welcoming visitors and volunteers to learn about organic gardening, healthy living, and environmental stewardship.
“We’ve partnered with several organizations to mentor people interested in becoming farmers. Participants can visit the farm for hands-on experience and attend workshops and classes. We also host farm tours for schools and organizations.”
Climate Change Impact
As climate change continues to disrupt traditional growing seasons, farmers across the country are finding themselves in uncharted territory. Norman says the effects are felt.
“We’re also having to prepare for deep freezes, which was never a concern before,” she says. “Now, I’m worried about it getting too warm too early and so cold that the crops might not survive. We have to spend more money on supplies to protect the crops—buying more hoops and frost clothes to cover them so they don’t freeze. This has increased the farm’s cost because we need to protect the crops more, especially through the winter.”
She also notes that due to climate change, the USDA updated its plant hardiness zones, a map that gardeners and growers can use to determine which perennial plants are most likely to thrive at a location.
“Atlanta used to be Zone 7, but now it’s Zone 8, meaning it’s generally warmer. However, we still experience deep freezes, which impacts our crop choices and pest cycles.”
To adapt to the changing conditions, Norman increased her investment in protective structures for Patchwork City Farms, adding three high tunnels, which function as passive greenhouse structures, with plans to acquire more. In addition to these investments, she’s shifting her crops, focusing on varieties that can handle cold and extreme heat.
RELATED: Roots of Resilience: Amanda David’s Fight Against Racism on Her Land in New York
As Norman explains, “I bought an arugula variety from a seed company in Maine, which they said was heat tolerant. It grew okay, but a patch I let go to seed produced stronger plants. In just one cycle, the seeds that fell back into the soil were harder than the original ones I bought. That’s how you get regional adaptability.”
Black urban farmers face structural challenges, including limited access to resources from the USDA, local banks, and market perceptions. Norman highlights the need for better support, saying, “We need access to resources to grow our enterprises, but face barriers from the USDA, banks, and market perceptions.”
She stresses the importance of reconnecting with the legacy of Black land stewardship, noting, “We were brought here for our expertise in land management, and we’re reconnecting with that heritage.”
Reflecting on her work with students, she mentions their growing pride in agricultural roots. “Our legacy isn’t just slavery; we’ve always valued the land, but systemic violence pushed us off it.” Despite a decline in Black farmers, Norman remains hopeful, emphasizing, “Food, shelter, medicine—all of that comes from the land. This is the work we want for ourselves and our communities.”
Support Patchwork City Farms on Facebook and Instagram and the South West Atlanta Growers Cooperative on Facebook and Instagram.
