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Edible Activist Black and Brown Voices in Food and Agriculture

Hey good people 👋🏾Episode 200 is a milestone and here’s what it looks like: you ask, I answer. Drop your questions in th...
09/15/2026

Hey good people 👋🏾

Episode 200 is a milestone and here’s what it looks like: you ask, I answer. Drop your questions in the comments or DM me. 🎙️

I thought a while about what I wanted this milestone episode to be, and this felt right. Nearly 200 episodes, I have sat with growers, farmers, chefs, food justice advocates, land stewards, storytellers, and everyday people doing extraordinary things in the food space.

It’s felt good to take a bit of a break and come back to celebrate 200 episodes the right way, with the people who have been on this journey with me.

Ask me anything about the show, the work, food justice, future of farming/growing, my journey, or what’s next for Edible Activist. The mic is yours. 🤎

Submit your questions by Friday, September 19th.

— Melissa

Stephanie of Stephanie L. Franklin didn’t set out to just make wine. She set out to honor something much bigger. When sh...
08/31/2026

Stephanie of Stephanie L. Franklin didn’t set out to just make wine. She set out to honor something much bigger.

When she realized she could plant a vineyard on the same land her ancestors purchased after emancipation, the vision expanded: tasting rooms, educational hubs, women’s empowerment, scholarships, jobs, and a food and wine festival in Shankleville, Texas. All rooted in one remarkable piece of Black land.

The vine was just the beginning.

Tune in to EA199 on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Simplecast 🎙️🎧

“System change is not abstract. We’re actually doing it in real time — making history in real time, even if it’s just on...
08/29/2026

“System change is not abstract. We’re actually doing it in real time — making history in real time, even if it’s just one person at a time.” — DeVonne Jackson Perez itsonwithdevonne This Is Good Ground

Find EA198 on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Simplecast 🎙️🎧

If you’ve ever opened your farm to visitors, hosted a school group, or let someone come pick their own produce — you may...
08/27/2026

If you’ve ever opened your farm to visitors, hosted a school group, or let someone come pick their own produce — you may already be doing agritourism.

Phylicia Murray of Farm Experiences Collection (Farm Experiences Collection) broke this down in such a powerful way (she’s done the math!). Agritourism doesn’t have to be complicated or polished. It can start with what you already have : your land, your story, your community.

This conversation is for the farmer wondering how to diversify beyond the harvest.

You can tune into my conversation with Phylicia (EA197) on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or Simplecast. 🔗 in bio 🎧

One Love Community Fridge isn’t just feeding people — they are building a space where the community shows up for itself....
08/25/2026

One Love Community Fridge isn’t just feeding people — they are building a space where the community shows up for itself. No dependency. No barriers. Just people participating in ways that work for them.

That philosophy is woven into everything OLCF does — and this conversation goes deep into what it really means to build with dignity, trust, and intention.

Tune into my conversation with Asmeret (EA196) on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or Simplecast. 🔗 in bio 🎧

Over a decade of telling Black food stories and the work keeps going deeper. đź–¤Tune in to my conversation with Sheree Wil...
08/20/2026

Over a decade of telling Black food stories and the work keeps going deeper. đź–¤

Tune in to my conversation with Sheree Williams of Cuisine Noir (Cuisine Noir ) on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or Simplecast. Link in bio. 🎙️

EA199: Franklin Vines: Legacy, Land & the Vine•••Stephanie Franklin is the founder of Franklin Vines Stephanie L. Frankl...
08/06/2026

EA199: Franklin Vines: Legacy, Land & the Vine
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Stephanie Franklin is the founder of Franklin Vines Stephanie L. Franklin and she is planting a vineyard on the same land her ancestors purchased after emancipation in Shankleville, Texas. She is a direct descendant of Jim and Winnie Shankle, the first African Americans to own land in that area after gaining freedom.

She said something that I keep coming back to: “Was this land waiting for me?”

We talked about her journey from corporate America to the vine, what it takes to build a vineyard with no master plan, the science behind growing grapes in deep East Texas, and a vision that goes far beyond wine — tasting rooms, educational hubs, women’s empowerment, scholarships, and possibly the first food and wine festival in Shankleville, Texas.

Oh, and she also gave us a mini wine course. Screw tops are not cheap. Expensive doesn’t always mean great. And drink what you like. Period. 🍷

Link in bio to listen to full episode — also streaming on Simplecast, Apple Podcasts and Spotify 🎙️

EA198: Good Ground: Roots & Revolution with DeVonne Jackson Perez•••My conversation with DeVonne Jackson Perez (itsonwit...
07/29/2026

EA198: Good Ground: Roots & Revolution with DeVonne Jackson Perez
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My conversation with DeVonne Jackson Perez (itsonwithdevonne ) of Good Ground Farm (This Is Good Ground ) went everywhere — and I mean that in the best possible way!

She started with an illegal fire escape garden in Brooklyn during the pandemic and is now stewarding 17 acres of land in upstate New York with her family — growing callaloo, heritage peppers, pink eye beans and Afro-Caribbean crops that remain largely inaccessible to her community in Brooklyn.

We talked about the Right to Farm law protecting Good Ground’s land in Argyle, New York — and the contradiction DeVonne couldn’t shake: a right to farm on paper means very little if the land itself is unaffordable and inaccessible to the people who need it most. We also got into what soil teaches us about reciprocity, the deep lack of diversity across the food supply chain, and why right now is the most important moment for Black and q***r farmers to get on the land.

And she said something I keep coming back to: “We’re not just growing callaloo and peppers and herbs. We’re growing repair.” 🖤

Link in bio to listen to full episode— also streaming on Simplecast, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 🎙️

EA197: Agritourism: Farming Beyond the Harvest with Phylicia Murray•••Phylicia Murray of Farm Experiences Collection (Fa...
07/02/2026

EA197: Agritourism: Farming Beyond the Harvest with Phylicia Murray
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Phylicia Murray of Farm Experiences Collection (Farm Experiences Collection ) came through and broke down everything you need to know about agritourism — what it is, why it matters, and why Black farmers are sitting on an incredible opportunity right now.

The global agritourism market is expected to reach over $15 billion by 2030. Fifteen. Billion. Dollars. And Phylicia’s message to Black farmers? You don’t need a fancy setup. You don’t need everything in place. You have your land, your story, and your community. That is enough.

This one is for every grower, farmer, and land steward who has been wondering how to diversify beyond the harvest. đź–¤

Link in bio to listen to full episode— also streaming on Simplecast, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 🎙️

EA196: Food, Community & One Love•••My conversation with Asmeret Berhe-Lumax of One Love Community Fridge was a mastercl...
06/18/2026

EA196: Food, Community & One Love
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My conversation with Asmeret Berhe-Lumax of One Love Community Fridge was a masterclass. ✨

One Love Community Fridge (One Love Community Fridge) started as a family project during the pandemic — one fridge in Brooklyn — and has since redirected over 11 million pounds of food to thousands of people across New York City and beyond. But what makes One Love different isn’t just the scale. It’s the dignity built into every single decision they make.

We talked about fighting food insecurity without stigma, why access alone is never enough, and how design, art, music and human connection are all part of the solution. These fridges are owned and cared for by the community. No stigma. No barriers. Just trust. đź–¤

After our interview, I had the opportunity to attend OLCF’s health forum at the Brooklyn Museum — and seeing firsthand how folks came together to pack produce bags and explore food in the community made everything we talked about come to life. Incredible experience!

Link in bio to listen to full episode— also streaming on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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