Our 93rd Real Farmer Care recipient is Ashlie Thomas @the.mocha.gardener in Graham, NC.
Ashlie writes, “Though I come from a strong agricultural family, that skill of maintaining a garden or farm diminished over generations. However, one thing I can say is, that passion happened to resurrect itself in me, and for that I am grateful. My formal training in microbiology and my mission towards food security has given me a deeper understanding of the important role that agriculture plays in our communities. One of my major motivations for maintaining our edible garden, was to bring awareness through practice to growing issues of food security in vulnerable communities around our state. The prevalence of chronic diseases due to poor nutritional intake is steadily on the rise, especially in communities that are socially and economically at a disadvantage. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly compounded these issues. After spending many years in a rural community that lacked sufficient access to nutritious foods, I realized that one way to address this barrier was through learning how to grow food and educating others on what quality foods look like and from where it originates. We all have to eat in order to survive, but some of us are not able to eat well. I want to help change that.”
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Follow Ashlie at @the.mocha.gardener, support and donate to her work via Venmo @ Ash_Thom1, and listen to Ashlie today, and every day.
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