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THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH INSUFFICIENT ACCESS TO ADEQUATELY HEALTHY FOOD ROSE BY 4 MILLION BETWEEN 2020 AND 2023. THAT ESPECIALLY IMPACTS BLACK AND AFRICAN AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS. NEARLY 21% EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY, COMPARED TO ABOUT 8% OF WHITE HOUSEHOLDS. KAREN WASHINGTON WAS RAISED IN THE BRONX, ONE OF THE MOST FOOD INSECURE COUNTIES IN NEW YORK STATE. WE DO HAVE FOOD. WE HAVE THE JUNK FOOD, THE PROCESSED FOOD, THE FAST FOOD. WE DON’T HAVE HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS. YET CULTIVATING HER OWN FOOD WAS NEVER PART OF HER PLAN UNTIL SHE GREW HER OWN TOMATOES. AND THEN WHEN I BIT INTO IT, IT JUST CHANGED MY WORLD THAT I WANTED TO GROW EVERYTHING. WASHINGTON AND THREE BUSINESS PARTNERS FOUNDED RISE AND ROOT FARM. FOR THE PAST 11 YEARS, THEY’VE WORKED TO BRING FRESH FOOD TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. OUR PRODUCER, TARA CLEARY, VISITED WASHINGTON ON HER FARM. OKAY. RISE AND ROOT STARTED AMONGST MY FRIENDS. WE WERE ALL IN THE FOOD MOVEMENT, AND WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT LIKE, WHAT IS OUR ASPIRATIONS? WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO? AND 90% OF US SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? IF WE HAVE A CHANCE, LET’S FARM TOGETHER. WE WERE ABLE TO FINALLY LAND HERE IN THE CHESTER AGRICULTURAL CENTER. HERE AT RISING ROOT, WE GROW VEGETABLES, HERBS, CULINARY HERBS, MEDICINAL HERBS, EDIBLE FLOWERS. WE ALSO GROW ALL OF THE STARTS OF THE 400 COMMUNITY GARDENS IN NEW YORK CITY. MAYBE WE COULD STRATEGIZE THAT WHEN WE GO BACK THERE. EVERYONE HAS A ROLE. JANE IS THE FARM MANAGER. I DO A LOT OF THE WEEDING. I LOVE WEEDING. LORI DOES A FARMERS MARKET ON SATURDAY. MICHAELA DOES MOST OF THE. FINANCES AND SHE HAS THE FARMERS MARKET ON WEDNESDAY. SO HOW WAS THE HARVEST TODAY? WE’RE FRIENDS. IT’S NOT ABOUT PRODUCTION AND MAKING MONEY. IT’S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY. FARMING IN THE UNITED STATES HAS TO CHANGE. IT’S BEEN SO COMMERCIALIZED, IT’S BEEN EXTRACTIVE, EXPLOITATIVE. I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO FIRST UNDERSTAND WHO’S GROWING THEIR FOOD AND TO LOOK AT THE SYSTEMIC RACISM THAT WE’VE HAD IN OUR FOOD SYSTEM. I STARTED THIS WORK BECAUSE AS A BLACK PERSON IN FOOD, I WOULD GO TO CONFERENCES AND I WOULD SIT IN A SEA OF WHITENESS. COMMUNITIES CAN LOOK AT US AND SAY, OH YES, THERE ARE BLACK WOMEN FARMERS OUT THERE THAT ARE TRYING TO FEED THIS COUNTRY AS WELL. YOU WANT TO TRY YOUR HARDEST TO NOT HAVE TOO MUCH EXCESS SOIL. THERE IS A THIRST FOR THIS KNOWLEDGE OF YOUNG PEOPLE FINDING THEIR PLACE IN AGRICULTURE. WE WORK WITH AN ORGANIZATION CALLED ARCORE. THEY WANT THE YOUTH TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM AND ACTUALLY WORK ON THE FARM. MY NAME IS DEDE ADJOHAKAKPO. I’M A STUDENT AT DUTCHESS COMMUNITY COLLEGE. EVERYONE THINKS FARMING, JUST WORKING IN THE DIRT, WHICH IS RIGHT, BUT ALSO WRONG BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU GET TO PLANT AND STUFF LIKE THAT AND SEE THEM GROW AND YOU GET TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE SOIL AFFECTS A LOT OF THINGS. FARMING IS HARD WORK, FOLKS. SOMETIMES IT’S GLORIFIED BECAUSE YOU SEE US AT A MARKET OR YOU COME TO A FARM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, BABY, MY KNEES ARE I’M SWEATING, MY BODY IS ACHING. BUT I LOOK ALONG THE HORIZON AND I SEE THE SKY. AND I SEE THE MOUNTAINS. AND I’M JUST SO, SO THANKFUL TO HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE. SO I FIND JOY IN IT EACH AND