Negro Spirituals while farming with teenagers, FOOD FIGHT music video, & more!

Its seems like the days are just flying by, yet each day is jam packed with so much activity, substance and purpose. I must admit it has been a challenge to keep up with all of the powerful experiences and transformations ensuing from it all. Which allows me now to remind myself that intellectualization is not always necessary for everything in life- some things I guess were just meant to "be" and be recorded or "captured".

With that said, it was another magical week at the farm working with the youth. We planted marigolds, hot peppers, weeded the hoophouse, threw straw to make a pathway between beds, and sprayed each other with some cold water to cool off from the INTENSE HEAT THAT HAS BEEN SWELTERING BALTIMORE!!

This program has surely shown itself as a highly fertile ground of exposure and expansion for youth who to us claim would've probably otherwise been "asleep in their bed" if they weren't being employed to work on a farm, learn about nutrition, and go on awesome field trips every Friday :).

Which brings me to an interesting reflection recently. While we were weeding the corn field this past week, some of the teens began humming these rhythmic melodies while working hard- everyone started busting out laughing. Then, one of the girls YOUTUBEs "negro spirituals" and all of a sudden we're hearing in a rhythmic tunes "NO MORE..LORD NO MORE!" (these were the words to the song). The kids took it and ran with it. She turned it off, and they immediately went  into coming up with their own words to the same melody- everyone taking turns adding their own lines to it.

 I was a little conflicted in those moments. Because I wasn't really sure whether or not they were making a mockery of the old tradition of singing negro spirituals during slavery in America where Blacks sung in the fields....for various reasons; or if there was some sort of genetic memory being tapped into. I decided to take on the role of observer and not try and police the way the kids decided to express themselves in that moment,  it actually turned out pretty interesting.

I spoke with my husband and his father about it later that week, and we got into a discussion about  coded language and how it was being weaved into these songs that were sung by many of our Afrikan ancestors during enslavement. Messages such as plans and routes of escaping bondage, spiritually inherited knowledge being shared, and information about lost family members and zones of liberation abroad all were communicated within these songs. I think that my mind had been geared to view such songs as songs of pure sorrow and despair, and though I am not a direct descendant of the Afrikan experience in America from chattel slavery, I was very sensitive about it. This is one of the big reasons why I didn't try to intervene or direct because there could always be something there that I was missing- and many of these youth are direct descendants of this experienced lineage. What I saw those kids do, was to not mock but to reinterpret and write their own songs while they were tending to the field- maybe even connecting in a positive way to their distant African ancestors. The empowering part of that, was that it wasn't for me to decide or define. Work on many levels was being done.

I've often noticed the words "slaving" and "punishment"  associated with farm labor when black folks are doing it- or many times talking about it. I noticed this intensely with the older generations (some who were even sharecroppers back in the day) when I co-founded Morgan State's Organic vegetable garden hearing people jokingly say "slavery is over" or like to organize around it but not actually do the dirty work or growing. I feel it is being dismantled slowly with all of the talk around food justice, food environments and sustainable local food as a movement, but "wealth" as a mainstream topic is rarely centered around what you produce and more so around you can show that you have- currency for buying things that other people made(Needed: A redefinition of wealth & success). The evolution is constant- I can honestly say that I'm not seeing such insensitivity to the slave culture of America and its affect on the black mind today as I did when I was growing up. Africa is becoming more meaningful in young minds, and this is powerful. But that's just from my view, and I feel like I saw that this week with the youth remixing their own spirituals- and also seeing how they GOT DOWN IN THE DIRT!

 It was beautiful ya'll- these kids are EAGER to plant and grow food. In the first week, complaints about farm work (which we do in the mornings and nutrition and leadership activities we do in the afternoons) have dwindled dramatically. I mean, I think its reasonable to expect some sort of complaints of having to do hard work in the field every day (which they are compensated for financially- its an actual job for them!) but in my almost 1 year at the farm, I have never seen such a consistently engaged group.

So for tomorrow...

FOOD FIGHT. Or, Food Justice in the form of a groundbreaking and culturally inclusive video made by SOS (System out of our System) a for/non profit hybrid organization based out of Oakland, CA founded by Ashel Eldridge. visit their website:  http://sosjuice.com/foodfight/

This video, which Ill be showcasing during leadership activities tomorrow touches on food deserts, biological warfare, and empowerment through educated choices.

"FOOD FIGHT FOLLOWS A KID ON A JOURNEY THROUGH HIS HOMICIDAL FOOD REALITY. THE LOCAL CORNER STORE IS KILLING HIS NEIGHBORHOOD-LITERALLY. FROM A MORPHEUS-LIKE GUIDE HE LEARNS THE REALITY BEHIND FOOD HE'S BUYING, AND MUST DECIDE: THE ORANGE CARROT PILL OR THE RED BULL PILL"

Its a moving piece, and I plan to follow the viewing with a discussion, and talk about advertising and product visibility's affect on consumerism and personal choices. We'll also touch on gun violence vs diet related chronic disease as killers in Baltimore city (who's the bigger killer?), and modern day slavery and its impact on our food system.

Its a lot right? Its hard sometimes being so passionate about something and to feel so much, and have to explain it in words, and be organized, and within a certain code of etiquette. And THEN having to channel it through a paradigm that is used to by default being non inclusive of a non-binary or role fitted convention. Or... maybe I'm just growing up. Sometimes I cant tell the difference, but I'm committed to "stay woke" and to share my evolution with the people, and to NOT allow myself to believe that I am crazy for seeing things in the way that I do.Also, remaining open to change as knowledge and wisdom increases within that. That can certainly mean releasing old ideas, and ways of thinking that helped get me through certain times, that I no longer need or that is requiring of more energy than it is giving or sustaining.

Remember to take care of yourselves ya'll. Don't put anything above remaining true to the calls of universal truth. In your works and in navigating politics of food, race, sex, respectability, culture, etc. Keep peace in your soul.

ONE LOVE.

Nicola "The Earthy Nutritionist" Norman

July 7, 2014

Sneak Peek into Youth Education & Development Work Summer 2014

I’ve been constantly thinking about this blog and about taking the time to sit down and actually record what work I’ve been doing and going through.  It’s been so many internal transformative revolutions and experiences since I last posted- and I’m eager to keep everyone updated with the developments!

So first of all…..our summer program Mission thrive began this week!  My initial intention was to write a daily diary of the happenings- but with a full time job and a 3 month old infant (not happening!) lol.

 Mission Thrive is a program that merges nutrition, farming, and health education with mind-body medicine and leadership development for youth in Baltimore City. The program concept is absolutely amazing! I’m excited because I have the freedom to explore food justice concepts and privilege and diversity (which I’ll be getting into next week)politics.

We have set core value community standards that everyone has agreed to abide by which promote character and leader development. They focus on teamwork, respecting yourself and others, and trying new things. They’ve inspired me was inspired to create my own core values for myself (Ill share those in another entry ;)).

I have so much more to say but I’ll stop here and fill you in more later!

Introduction to me & my vision!

Peace everyone!

I'm grateful that you have taken the time to check out this blog and get a glimpse into my world :D
This is just the beginning of what will eventually grow into a compilation of experiences, reflection, and intention of the path I'm taking in (but not limited to) food activism, education and nutritional science. I feel that it's important that I share my process, because it not only paints a clearer picture as to what I'm organically evolving into as a thinker and a professional, but also as a means to connect with like minded individuals as I process what and how I produce and consume my experiences.

So.... lemme introduce myself..(the short version)

 Most people know me as Nicola Norman.  I'm a first generation South African American- from the beautiful tip of the continent city: Cape Town, South Africa. I've lived in the States my whole life.

I attended Morgan State University, a proud HBCU in Baltimore City, USA where I obtained my Bachelors in Nutritional Science in May 2012. My experience in college was amazing as well as challenging! I was introduced to the world of social organizing and activism, and hit the ground running and co-founded a student run Community Organic Vegetable Garden (COVG) in 2009, serving as coordinator until 2012. I had no prior experience in gardening or organizing, we were equipped only with our  passion and the support of an amazing community.

There's a few other things I did in college which sparked my interest in the food movement or as some know as the "good food movement". I highlighted food deserts in the city I live in on a video documentary (food deserts by the way are described as an area with easy access to fast food, junk food, etc and low access to nutritionally healthy foods especially that are reasonably distanced for low income households). The beginning of that project inspired my steps as far as continuing to explore food inequity and health education through a "minority" lens.

I use the term in quotations because though people of color are often assigned this label its actually quite inaccurate in my eyes( especially in the context of the food desert issue).... (insert statistic here).  I don't have an exact number but I know that low income and predominately people of color are anything but the minority in facing food insecurity. With that said, those who are most affected by these issues are also highly underepresented in conversations surrounding food activism and for me very rarely filtered through a cultural paradigm that I can connect with. I hope that this blog can bring illumination to ways that we can all work together to improve the food system and the consumption of healthy foods, and especially to inspire us to more often look within our communities for those answers.

The well is certainly deep...... and we are  positioned to draw upon our resources and the plethora of resources now available to those that can successfully articulate their vision of a better relationship with food, resources, and mother nature. I feel there is so much more space now, than ever before to fit these visions into grants and into the context of a budget and management of resources that synergize with a way of life that is healthy for us holistically, and good for our Earth.

Constructing the vision.

This is going to be a very interesting summer for me: I'm working with over 20 inner city youth as an urban farm experiential education facilitator doing health lessons, cooking, and yoga to name a few, which the experiences of which will be a big part of this blog after it kicks off June 24th, 2014.

Ill also be:

• Applying for a certified dietetics internship in preparation for becoming a Registered Dietitian by 2015!

• Greening my neighborhood in West Baltimore (maybe even utilizing the adopt a lot program!) by bringing out my kin and members of the community for trash pick ups and greening (followed by a cookout!)

• (This is hopefully but most likely) Gardening at a hoophouse I discovered right around the corner from my home that looks unused (but which I found out may be facilitated by someone I know) so gardening by my home for the very first time! (got a bunch of organic seeds too :D )

• Host my mother who is visiting my husband, infant son & I from Cape Town, South Africa (she arrived yesterday morning!)

• Work on my website

• And probably much more...

This blog will be jam packed with insights, perspective, and experiences of an Earthy Nutritionist in the making. I am excited to share this journey with you, and invite you to add on if you feelin the light!

Peace & Good Food,

Nicola "The Earthy Nutritionist" Norman

June 5, 2014