Podcast appearances and mentions of Melissa L Jones

She was the originator of the farm to table movement. She just never got the credit. In this episode Melissa L. Jones sits down with Deb Freeman — food anthropologist, writer, podcaster and executive producer and host of the Emmy award winning, James Beard nominated PBS documentary Finding Edna Lewis. Deb's life work is giving names, faces and stories to what Black people eat — and Finding Edna Lewis may be her most profound contribution yet. They explore how a photograph of Black women picking crabs in a museum set Deb on an irreversible path, what it meant to finally hear Edna Lewis speak in her own voice on reel to reel tape, and why the New York Times named The Taste of Country Cooking the most influential American cookbook of the past hundred years. They also wander beautifully into Virginia food ways, four generations of women in one house, yellow cake at church repasts and the invisible thread connecting Black communities across the country through food.

Joy is the strategy. Fresh food is the medicine. And Philadelphia is the proving ground. In this episode Melissa L. Jones sits down with Jiana Murdic — wellness warrior, health justice advocate and founder of Get Fresh Daily, a Philadelphia based initiative working at the intersection of farm fresh food, culturally rooted education and community joy. For over 15 years Jiana has been reshaping how communities relate to food — from inner city classrooms to city policy, from CSA boxes to pop up markets rooted in West Philadelphia. They explore what it really takes to make healthy food accessible and appealing without shame or judgment, why the food system's collapse may actually be the opening communities need to rebuild something better, and what Philadelphia looks like when the vision of Get Fresh Daily fully succeeds.

In this episode Melissa L. Jones welcomes back Pastor Heber Brown III — founder of the Black Church Food Security Network — eleven years into a movement now spanning 300 congregations. He does not come to celebrate. He comes to tell the truth. They go deep on what it really takes to activate a Black church around food sovereignty, why he refused to hand Black data to a PWI, and what we stand to lose if our generation does not step up before the elders who carry living memories of Black self sufficiency are gone. Pastor Brown also shares what he is building next — a refocused Black church census with Morgan State University, Freedom School inside Sunday school and a succession plan rooted in abundance. He is not stepping back. He is planting seeds for what comes next.

The community creates the market! For Chef Mu that is not a tagline -- it is what he witnesses every time he shows up. In this episode, Melissa L. Jones sits down with Mustafa Abdul Rahim -- known as Chef Mu — culinary professional, food justice advocate, Chopped finalist, and market manager for Brooklyn Supported Agriculture, a Black-led worker-owned food cooperative rooted in the heart of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, celebrating 10 years of impact. Chef Mu speaks candidly about what it means to build a food system that puts people first — from a sliding scale model that considers wealth not just income, to showing up as a "veg tender" who knows his community by name. He challenges the way we think about where our food comes from, who profits from it, and why the most radical thing you can do is choose differently.

The land remembers. And Nana listening. In this episode, Melissa L. Jones sits down with Nana Kumi, a queer Black southern artist, filmmaker, herbalist, and land steward from Natchez, Mississippi — and project director of Spirit in Our Roots, an art-based land initiative uplifting Black growers and land stewards across Mississippi and Louisiana. Nana's work lives at the intersection of ancestral technology, plant medicine, and Black southern imagination, creating visual and spiritual landscapes that invite rest, memory, and radical dreaming. Nana takes us through a childhood in rural Natchez where imagination became survival, to a career in New York that Covid cracked wide open, to coming home to the land and the ancestors waiting there. She speaks to the memory held in soil, in water, in trees, and in the plants that guide her creative work in ways she is still learning to name. This one is medicine.

Some of the most powerful lessons come from the most ordinary moments — a grandmother's garden, a Sunday dinner table, a bowl of grits. Melissa L. Jones is joined by Sade Meeks, dietitian, storyteller, and founder of GRITS (Growing Resilience in the South), recording live from Jackson, Mississippi. Sade's journey is one of homecoming — from standing on a booster seat to watch her mama cook, to crying in a California coffee shop realizing her purpose was back home in the South. Together, they explore why Black Southern food has never been the problem, how Sunday dinner is a form of medicine, and what it means to build a movement out of the stories our elders are still living to tell — including Sade's grandmother, whose century of living — and the stories she carried — are at the very heart of this work.

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 connection to the land.

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 fuses creativity into everything from her crops to her kitchen. Kizzy also shares memories of the family cooks who shaped her and the farm-fresh meals that keep her connected to her purpose.

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 edible way! Want to continue the conversation on this week's episode and see the video? Join the Conversation after listening to this episode join the conversation with ⁠⁠The Afro Beets Podcast Patreon⁠⁠. Want to start growing your own food? ⁠⁠Sign up for our email list⁠⁠ to download your free garden location quiz. Want to learn more about our today's guest? Get more information on Melissa on their ⁠Website ⁠ Check out the Melissa on ⁠Instagram⁠ Want to get the word out about the podcast? Leave a ⁠⁠Rating and Review⁠⁠. Connect with us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Threads ⁠ Subscribe to our ⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/afrobeets/message

Remember Jay-Z's line "nobody wins when the family feuds" in the acclaimed 4:44 album? Well, when family fights over land it can get downright ugly! The cuzzin's Melissa L. Jones and Falani Spivey of Byrd's Nest Box dive right on in and open up about their personal challenges in attempting to acquire land within the family. Falani points out that when we often discuss land loss, many refer to the discriminatory USDA practices, imminent domain, and other racist acts that have swindled black families out of their land, but we forget about the internal family feuds that result in land loss as well. Tune in for this lively Cuzzin' Talk episode!

Melissa L. Jones of the Edible Activist Podcast and Founder, Falani Spivey of Byrd's Nest Box kick off a series of new episodes called Cuzzin' Talk. Both having come from large families who hail from the South, the two always call each other cuzzin' jokingly and swap family stories. Listeners can expect for us to talk about our family traditions, kitchen recipes that grandma and auntie handed down, our family lineage, travels to the South where we unearth so much rich history, and all the things that cuzzin's do best...we share a lot information with each other. This new episode introduces the series and we also get to learn about a huge dinner that Falani curated for her family and ancestors down in North Carolina. Tune in! *This recording was taped at The Line Hotel DC. New episodes will begin in January 2023*

The Edible Activist Podcast is relaunching and kicking of it's first episode on YouTube. Join host, Melissa L. Jones for a conversation as she shares her mission for the podcast and what's to come! She is also joined by special guest, Jennifer Lumpkin of My, Grow, Connect for a conversation around food activism and why our voices matter in this space!

Melissa L. Jones drops in to share her work in the "garden" in preparation for a new season of podcast episodes!

Grandad a.k.a Big Daddy dropped a gem in a car ride with Melissa L. Jones, while driving through rural Mississippi in smalltown Canton. "We got 150 acres of land." She learns about the mass of land that her grandad owns on his side of the family and shoots out questions for him! Want the full clip? Join our community at patreon.com/fodtalksncolor.com.

In this brief snippet, Grandma Catherine and her granddaughter, Melissa L. Jones chow on muscadines and talk about this seedy and tangy fruit that Grandma would forage in Butler, Alabama. She'll make you chuckle! Want the full clip? Join our community at patreon.com/fodtalksncolor.com

FoodTalksNColor and Edible Activist join Patreon! In this episode, Melissa L. Jones takes us back to 2009, where her food story began and reminds listeners of her 'why' behind the mission of amplifying BIPOC voices in food and agriculture. Listen in and learn how you can help further the mission by joining their Patreon community!

February is Black History Month and there is so much richness to explore, especially as food has played a significant role in black culture. In this takeover episode, Melissa L. Jones from the Edible Activist podcast joins Giant Nutritionist Jillian Griffith to talk family food traditions and ways they're staying connected to family and friends in the time of social distancing.   Show Notes: https://foodtalksncolor.com/ Follow on Facebook and Instagram: Food Talks N Color The Edible Activist Podcast on Full Service Radio, iTunes and Spotify

We celebrate ten divine black women in food and agriculture who have been charting territories unapologetically. These women are farmers, business owners, and artists building from the ground up, getting their hands dirty, serving their communities, and preserving black food history, all while representing the beauty of our culture. Listen in as Melissa L. Jones highlights the women she admires in this space!

Meet Senteria: cyber security professional by day, full-time mom to a teenage boy 365, and the sibling of Melissa L. Jones. In this episode, Melissa chats with her (very animated) sister about her balcony gardening experience this year, the first time she's ever attempted to grow anything. She now has hot peppers springing forth, tomatoes trying to make their way, and some new plant-friends. Senteria claims she has "green hands, not thumbs" (haaaa), telling the story of how she flung (literally) cucumber seeds in the front yard of the parentals' house, without any intention, and BAM; they grew like wildfire. Now she's feeling herself...ahem, empowered. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

I’m excited to have another podcaster join me today on the podcast! Today we welcome Colah B Tawkin of the Black in the Garden Podcast who created the podcast to bring more of a voice and presence for the stories and voices of Black Gardeners and Plant People. Today, in a belated Black History Month episode (since I didn’t air the podcast last month) Colah shares amazing stories about some historic  black gardeners and plant people, we discuss her top 5 favorite houseplants that originate in Africa and Colah highlights some beautifully diverse gardeners doing amazing things in the plant space who we need to know about! This conversation was eye opening, enlightening and inspiring and I’m thankful to Colah for sharing all of this amazing information! I hope you find this information as interesting as I did and that maybe you find a new person on IG to follow or make your #plantfriendIRL!   In this episode we learn: About Colah and her plant lady journey and why she created the Black in the Garden Podcast About Harriet Tubman's knowledge of plants and how it served her as she lead people to freedom on the Underground Railroad About how George Washington Carver, who was born a slave, revolutionized agriculture in the South Colah's top 5 favorite houseplants that originate in Africa Colah shares companies and people who are striving for inclusivity and representation in the plant space (tagged and linked below)   Mentioned in the Episode: Colah and the Black in the Garden Podcast @SoulfireFarm(IG), Farm  committed to ending racism and injustice in the food system.  Leah Penniman author of Farming While Black @GreenHeffaFarm (IG) - NC hemp farmer, hemp herbal tea purveyor, Farmer Cee on Youtube @cocoandseed  (IG) nature inspired home and garden products: personalized enamel camping mugs (monstera mugs!), indoor garden kits(desktop microgreens planters), rose gold propagation tube stands, cute journal stickers + more! Products are carefully crafted, sourced, and packaged with eco-friendly and sustainable materials.  https://cocoandseed.com/?ref=blackinthegarden 10% off with *Black in the Garden affiliate link* @seedmailseedco (IG) Black purveyor of adorably packaged $0.99 seeds (microgreens +garlic +potatoes) with a mission is to deliver affordable garden adventures right to your doorstep. Offering in depth online grow guides to empower new gardeners! Code: BLACKINTHEGARDEN for buy 5 get 1 free *Black in the Garden affiliate code* @urbanfarmsista (IG) 'The Bug Lady' Nadia Ruffin:  Entomologist and Science enthusiast  founder of the Agricademy: Teaching youth about the agriculture industry through agriscience and career exploration. https://quiwiproduce.farm/school/ Youtube: Urban Farm Sista @botanical.highlander (IG) Derek Haynes 'The Crazy Botanist'  Botanist, author, and kombucha maker, spreading the love of plant and fungi to all! @Lillithplantshop (IG), Washington DC plant shop offering plant styling, installation, pop-ups and workshops. Fostering connectivity to plants in all spaces!   Podcast: Edible Activist Podcast : Hosted by Melissa L. Jones; dynamic people of color in the food and agriculture space share personal food journeys, stories and perspectives that stem from the land.   Youtube: @NYCplantnerd (IG) : plant vlogger and sneaker head offering straightforward indoor gardening and plant care tips.   Urban logic https://www.youtube.com/user/SuperSonicPunk   @gerards_horticulture_culture : Exotic plant collector and enthusiast. Gerard offers his quirky brand of plant care tips with jazzy beats!  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFzGD3RJqK4L3YkRhSb4Yug   Thank you Plants by Post for sponsoring today's episode! Plants by Post is a family-owned nursery located in Northern California cutting out the middleman and delivering beautiful and healthy  indoor and outdoor annuals and perennials directly to your doorstep, nationwide. I have used them several times and have been blown away by the quality of their plants, intention behind their shipping and love how environmentally friendly they are! Spring is here, Plant Friends! Time to stock up! Head to plantsbypost.com and use code BLOOM20 for 20% off your order! Follow Colah and Black in the Garden: iTunes: Black in the Garden Podcast IG: @blackinthegarden    Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio Subscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /Bloomandgrowradio Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Thee Plant Daddy's fascination with nature dates back to his childhood where he would build naturalistic enclosures for amphibians/reptiles and spend the majority of his time in nature learning as much as I could about the world around him. In a world where concrete jungles are increasingly prevalent, his aim is to assist in stimulating the instinctive desire that humans have for nature. Tune in on this incredible throwback interview from the Edible Activist podcast hosted by Melissa L. Jones. Rate, Review, and Share Like this show? Please leave a rating and review on iTunes. Share this episode with your fellow gardeners and foodies! Resources for the Episode Edible Activist Podcast Thee Plant Shop Listen on Your Favorite Platform (Download Episode Here) (Subscribe in Apple Podcast) (Subscribe in Spotify) (Subscribe in Anchor) (Subscribe in Cast Box). --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/afrobeets/message

In this week's episode, we travel down memory lane with the time I did a takeover on the Edible Activist Podcast hosted by Melissa L. Jones. In this episode with Chef V, we get into this amazing chef's Salvadorian roots, why she became vegan, sourcing local ingredients from black and brown vendors and the judgment that comes with switching to a plant-based lifestyle. Rate, Review, and Share Like this show? Please leave a rating and review on iTunes. Share this episode with your fellow gardeners and foodies! Resources for the Episode Edible Activist Podcast Vegan Feast by V Listen on Your Favorite Platform (Download Episode Here) (Subscribe in Apple Podcast) (Subscribe in Spotify) (Subscribe in Anchor) (Subscribe in Cast Box). --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/afrobeets/message

Born in a small Alabama town, Grandma Catherine remembers having all the food she and her family needed on the land. Surrounded by muscadines, peach trees, and pecans, nature’s seed bloomed right outside her home in Butler. And though Grandma has been living in Jackson, MS for more than five decades, the remnants of her country upbringing remain. In this Part I series, Grandma shares fond food memories with granddaughter Melissa L. Jones, her love for the garden and vegetables, and talks about eating-dirt (yes dirt)! Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

In this season finale, host, Melissa L. Jones and guest Jeremy Carry talk gratitude, vision and purpose! Powered and distributed by Simplecast

What does land mean to you? And if you inherited it, how would you steward it? This episodes continues conversations from last week's episode, Reflections of the Land, with host Melissa L. Jones and guest co-host, Jeremy Carry. The top of the episode starts with farming ninja, Jay, sharing how he would cultivate the land if he inherited five acres, then segwaying into stigmas that many black people and people of color have about farming. We also spotlight The Atlantic's piece: The Great Land Robbery. Tune in! Powered and distributed by Simplecast

In this episode, host Melissa L. Jones takes time to share reflections of the land, along with guest and farmer, Jeremy Carry. Land has been a significant topic for the Edible Activist podcast and at two recent events attended by the hosts. Tune in to hear Melissa's personal view of what land means to her and Jeremy's perspectives on how people should be stewarding nature's grid.  Powered and distributed by Simplecast