The Atlanta Foodcast: A Food Podcast The Atlanta Foodcast

Welcome to this week’s Atlanta Foodcast! We’ve got another great lineup for you today...as well as a quick announcement.

On today’s show, you’ll first hear from guest host Quianah Upton of Nourish in Black and Nourish Botanica in conversation with Israel from Mariposas Rebeldes, a queer, Latinx urban ag and food collective, and indigenous healer Myrna De Jesús Rivera in an excellent two-part segment.

Then, we’re celebrating watermelon season, talking with the Georgia Watermelon Queen Lindsey Westberry, an ambassador for the Georgia Watermelon Association, supporters of our recent Farm to School Summit. Learn more about the Georgia Watermelon Association at georgiawatermelonassociation.org and view watermelon recipes at watermelon.org/recipes/. Connect with them on social media at facebook.com/gawatermelons and follow the Watermelon Queen at instagram.com/gawatermelonqueen/.

And to close us out, we’re checking in with Demetrius Milling (featured on Eater.com!) on the next stages of the Love is Love Cooperative Farm. Learn more about Love is Love, support them or join their CSA at loveislovefarm.com/. Follow their progress at Facebook.com/LoveisLoveFarm and instagram.com/loveislovefarm/. We also spoke about a keystone cooperative in Georgia, the Federation Of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund Georgia federation.coop/

And for that announcement...we’re going to end this season and take a summer break! Time to catch our collective breath, enjoy the sunshine and great season of produce, then come back this fall with more great guests in the Georgia food world. 

On today’s episode, we’re continuing the Georgia Organics Annual Awards celebration on May 27with a conversation between Lauren Cox, who heads up our Farm to Restaurant program, and three winning Farmer Champions: Steven Satterfield of Miller Untion, Chris Wilkins of Root Baking Co., and Stevenson Rosslow of Wrecking Bar Brewpub. We hope you join our party to celebrate these chefs on Thursday, May 27, details at georgiaorganics.org/awards.

In our second segment, we have a very exciting guest, Stephen Satterfield, chef, writer, and soon-to-be-Netflix host of “High on the Hog” in conversation with Atlanta Foodcast guest host Quianah Upton of Nourish in Black and Nourish Botanica.

So buckle up, because today’s show is packed with excellent guests and interviewers – Enjoy the show!

We’ll recognize winners of the Land Steward Award, the Barbara Petit Pollinator Award, and also our new Farmer Champion Award winners! We hope you join us for this celebration of chefs and farmers – To join us and learn more, visit georgiaorganics.org/awards.

This year’s debut class of Farmer Champion restaurants source from Georgia farmers every week and are being celebrated for having the Top Local and Organic spend out of 20 other participating restaurant partners. They have worked with the Farm to Restaurant program, even through the pandemic, on projects supporting farmers like Food Fight GA and the Mid-Week Pop-Up Market. Our Organic Procurement Coordinator, Lauren Cox, talks with them about how they came to source locally, their legacies in the kitchen, and how to low-key convert folks into becoming local food enthusiasts.

First up: Farmer Champions Stevenson Rosslow of Wrecking Bar Brewpub and Chris Wilkins of Root Baking Co.

Now we’ll continue talking to another Farmer Champion Top 3 winner in part two of this segment of the Atlanta Foodcast: Lauren Cox in conversation with Farmer Champion Steven Satterfield of Miller Union. Remember to register to attend Georgia Organics’ Annual Awards celebration and hear more from these Farmer Champion winners, register at georgiaorganics.org/awards. You can find all our Farmer Champion partner restaurants throughout Georgia on our Good Food Guide by going to gfg.georgiaorganics.org.

Next, guest host Quianah Upton interviews chef and food writer Stephen Satterfield, the founder of Whetstone and creator and host of the forthcoming Netflix documentary series “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America.” This four-part series arrives on Netflix on May 26, inspired by the writing of Dr. Jessica B. Harris, and chronicles Satterfield’s exploration of the historical and cultural roots of staple foods. Today, he and Quianah discuss entrepreneurship, career paths and travel, as well as representation in the wine and food industry and recognizing the fundamental impact of African Americans on the food and identity of America.

That’s our show for today, don’t forget to join the party as we celebrate farmers and chefs on Thursday, May 27 – secure your spot at georgiaorganics.org/awards. As always, thanks for joining us and don’t forget to support your local farmers and farmers markets! You can visit Georgia Organics’ Good Food Guide to connect with farmers near you.

Welcome to the Atlanta Foodcast: Awards Edition! I’m ME Comms Dir at Georgia Organics. We’re bringing you this special episode to celebrate the Georgia Organics Annual Awards, an ongoing virtual celebration of some truly remarkable farmers, leading up to an online get-together with these farmers on Thursday, May 27.

To register and learn more about this event and read more about these Annual Awards, visit georgiaorganics.org/awards. We also have two exciting cookbook events with Chef Asha Gomez and CheFarmer Matthew Raiford, in partnership with A Cappella Books, check out the Events on our Facebook page to learn more.

We’re thrilled to announce this year’s winners:

First, the Barbara Petit Pollinator Award, named in honor of Barbara Petit, a remarkable community food advocate who served as Georgia Organics’ past president. This award acknowledges individuals with exceptional success in advancing Georgia Organics' mission of “Good Food for All” by spreading—pollinating—the movement throughout community life.

The winners of this year’s Barbara Petit Pollinator Award are Brennan and Gwendolyn Washington of Phoenix Gardens, our first guest on today’s show! The Washingtons are successfully farmers and icons of leadership in Georgia and the Southeast; they offer an urban agriculture education-focused property, that has indeed risen from the ashes and thrives in Lawrenceville. They have impacted countless farmers across the Southeast, and we’re excited to recognize their incredible work through this award.

In 1997, the Land Steward Award was created by Georgia Organics to honor an individual or individuals who have contributed significantly to the organic agriculture movement in the state of Georgia.

The Land Steward Award recognizes the farmer with significant commitments to the tenets of organic agriculture, including soil fertility, biodiversity, and more.

The winners of this year’s Land Steward Award are Chris and Jenny Jackson of Jenny Jack Farm. Chris and Jenny embody the meaning of this award through their dedication to sustainable scaling, a cared-for team, community connection, and, of course, fostering a better environment through soil health and organic growing practices.

In this segment, Brennan and Gwendolyn talk with friend and fellow agriculture consultant-leader James Ford of Square O Consulting (squareoconsulting.com/). They discuss the history and mission of Phoenix Gardens and why mentorship and resource-sharing is so critical to the success of future generations of farmers in Georgia and beyond. They have had a profound impact on sustainable agriculture in our state and countless individuals have benefitted from their passion and wealth of knowledge.

Next, we feature Land Steward Award winners Chris and Jenny Jackson of Jenny Jack Farm. Katherine Kennedy, Executive Director of Concrete Jungle and former apprentice at Jenny Jack, interviews the Jacksons about their 15-year farming career, lessons learned, and why they continue farming. You’ll even hear cameos from their very special guests Amos and Tulsi as they explain how to grow a farm while raising children and finding balance in their life.

Thank you for joining this special Annual Awards edition of Georgia Organics’ Atlanta Foodcast. Once again, we hope you join us online for a get-together and celebration of these winners on Thursday, May 27 via Zoom. This event is FREE for Georgia Organics members. Learn more and register at GeorgiaOrganics.org/awards.

For this week’s episode, we’re excited to bring you a rich conversation and Q&A between two paramount leaders in food sovereignty and farming: Leah Penniman and Matthew Raiford. This segment is a replay from our recent Eighth Annual Farm to School Summit.

Before we get started, a few Georgia Organics’ announcements! Mark your calendars! We’re celebrating farmers, virtually, on Thursday, May 27 for Georgia Organics’ Annual Awards! You can learn more at georgiaorganics.org/awards, this is a FREE member event celebrating all-star farmers in Georgia. And get ready to party for serviceberry season with Serviceberry Fest ATL on June 3! You’ll catch amazing chefs and beverage folks creating serviceberry-based bites and drinks...You’ll even catch ATL Foodcast guest host Quianah Upton with a Nourish Botanica pop-up! Get your tickets and details on Facebook, searching Serviceberry Fest ATL!

To kick off this week’s episode, we have a quick intro by Georgia Organics’ Farm to School Director Kimberly Della Donna. She provides much-deserved credit to the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning and the valuable sponsors who brought this 8th annual Summit to life, this time virtually! “The Summit is a celebration of spirit and ‘pandemic positives,’” says Della Donna.

Leah Penniman is the Co-Director and Farm Manager of Soul Fire Farm in Petersburg, NY and author of Farming While Black. Matthew Raiford, the CheFarmer, is the owner and farmer of Gilliard Farms in Brunswick and the author of Bress 'n' Nyam.

Their conversation centers around fostering a love of the earth and growing food in the young generation, the definition of food sovereignty, and beyond. They share a passion for preserving ancestral agricultural practices that honor the earth, regenerating the soil, and advocating for food sovereignty in their communities and beyond. Enjoy this thought-provoking and motivating conversation and Q&A.

To learn more about Georgia Organics’ Farm to School work visit farmtoschool.georgiaorganics.org/. To learn more about about Soul Fire Farm, visit soulfirefarm.org/. To learn more about Gilliard Farms, visit gilliard-farms.com/.

Welcome to another episode of the Atlanta Foodcast by Georgia Organics!

This week, we’re exploring farming, cooking, and climatology with some great guests. To kick things off: a farmer and chef conversation with Chris Edwards, farm manager of Sparta Gardens in Sparta, Georgia, and Jarrett Stieber, chef and owner of Little Bear in Atlanta’s Summerhill. We then caught up with agricultural climatologist Pam Knox, director of the UGA Weather Network and a UGA Extension Specialist.

First, we have the incredible farmer-chef duo Chris Edwards and Jarrett Stieber. Chris Edwards is the farm manager at Sparta Gardens, founded lby Robert & Suzy Currey. Chris has spent over 10 years as an organic farmer in Georgia and in Ghana. Chris’ expertise and passion for farming matches perfectly with the talent and sourcing commitments of Chef Jarrett Stieber of the now one-year old Little Bear. Enjoy their conversation!

Next, we’re speaking with Pam Knox about Georgia’s climate, why organic farming matters, why the new administration is signaling meaningful change. As the director of the UGA Weather Network (weather.uga.edu), Pam and her team communicate the intricate daily weather details that farmers rely on across 86 stations in Georgia. We spoke about her title “Agricultural Climatologist” and why climate must be central to agricultural discussions moving forward.

To learn more about Sparta Gardens, visit spartagardens.com and follow them at facebook.com/spartagardensga and @spartagardens.

To learn more about Little Bear, visit littlebearatl.com/ and follow them at @littlebearatl.

To learn more about Pam Knox’s work, visit site.extension.uga.edu/climate.

Welcome to another Atlanta Foodcast by Georgia Organics! Today, we’re talking food policy and solutions with folks working at the national, regional, and local level.  

First, John Piotti, the president & CEO of American Farmland Trust, an organization dedicated to influencing policy to protect and conserve farmland. American Farmland Trust is a Georgia Organics supporter and business member.

After that, Katherine Kennedy and Nichole Fields-Kyle of Concrete Jungle, which distributes neglected fruits & vegetable to those in need and grocery deliveries to the medically vulnerable during the pandemic. 

We’re thrilled to share their work; we also discuss two opportunities to connect with these organizations:

On Wednesday, April 14 at 8 p.m. EST, John Piotti of American Farmland Trust hosts Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for a conversation on the American Rescue Plan. To register (FREE), visit farmland.org/events/.

Concrete Jungle has several volunteer opportunities in the coming weeks and months, learn more at congrete-jungle.org.

Enjoy this week's episode! We'll be back in another two weeks.