Decolonizing Food & Reclaiming Gardening with Princess Cole
Click here to read the episode transcript.
Do you know where your food comes from? Do you know who profits off the food you buy? What does it mean to decolonize our food system?
In this episode, Princess Cole and I talk about decolonizing food and reclaiming ancestral practices, like gardening and herbalism. We discuss the ways in which our food system has been colonized and how you can start decolonizing your relationship with food.
Princess Cole is a yogi, herbalist, business owner, homeschooler, and mom of three who loves gardening, traveling, and teaching.
If you want to start growing your own food, but you don’t think you have enough space to get started, think again!
Princess says everyone has space to grow their own food. You just have to thoughtfully utilize the space you have. You can grow small veggies and herbs indoors on your countertop, window sill, or in a pot on your balcony! You can even join a community garden, if there’s one near you.
The satisfaction of biting into food you grew yourself, that you’re able to feed to your family, from a seed you planted in some dirt… I’ll tell you, the feeling is unmatched. When you understand where your food comes from, you have more respect for nature. As Princess says, it makes you appreciate life more, it makes you want to learn more, and you realize how connected you are to nature.
We come from nature. We ARE nature.
But unfortunately, there are food deserts for a reason. Systems have been put in place to limit our access to affordable, nutritious food. These systems have been put in place to keep us mentally and physically unhealthy and reliant on processed and fast food.
Almost every fruit, vegetable, grain, and herb we eat originally came from Indigienous people. From Africa, the knowledge and practices came with us. If we reclaim and relearn the practices our ancestors used to feed themselves and keep their communities thriving, we can thrive, too.
Food is healing in so many different ways, from cooking a meal our ancestors ate to using herbalism to heal ailments. It’s a whole new level of liberation and decolonization.
“What would you do if you couldn’t go to the store and grab food off the shelf? What would you do? I’m not waiting for that moment.” – Princess Cole
My end goal is to teach Gia how to garden and feed herself so that no matter what happens in this country, she will have that knowledge. She will have that freedom, empowerment, and pride in her ability to grow an abundance of food from a few tiny seeds. That is invaluable, if you ask me.
If you want to decolonize your relationship with food, here are some things you can do to get started:
- Start researching where your food is coming from and who your dollars are going to.
- Buy organic seeds from Black and Indigenous-owned businesses.
- Visit your local farmer’s market and get to know your farmers.
- Grow your own herbs and veggies and involve your children in the process.
- Join a community garden.
- Take an herbalism class.
- Learn your grow zone, frost dates, and what you can grow in each season.
- Join a Black Girls With Gardens Facebook group for advice and inspiration.
- Attend our FREE Beginner Gardening Workshops!
“ I do it as if my life depends on it because at this point, we’re already in the middle of our lives depending on it… I think it’s really important to just dive in and learn everything you can because your survival depends on it.” – Princess Cole
About Princess Cole (she/her):
Princess is a yogi, herbalist, business owner, and mom of three. She was born and raised in the Bronx and has a background in the medical field. She loves gardening, traveling, and teaching.
To connect further with Princess Cole:
Visit her website: https://www.princesscole.com
Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_princesscole
Connect with her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/princesscoleblog
Check out the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers: https://www.allianceofnativeseedkeepers.com
Read the TRANSCRIPT here: click here
This episode was produced by Crys & Tiana.
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