We are a family of faith-in-action, community servants, and visionaries of hopeful and healthy outcomes here in this South Side community. We have lived within these communities for 35 years, during which we raised our six children, guided our many grandchildren, and overcame many struggles and adversities, including feeding our family well. Antoinette, my wife of 38 years, and I have put our hands on the plow of hope to address health and wellness concerns in our community.

We live in a borderline food desert, with limited transportation access. These problems also plague many of our urban communities with economically diverse populations and underserved people of color. We lack adequate access to fresh fruits and vegetables in our limited grocery and restaurant options. Food sovereignty and food justice have been absent so long that many in our community no longer believe they are possible.

While addressing the gaps that existed in our generational heritage between grandparents and youth, we found no one emphasizing family food sustainability and the food systems that have supported people in the past. No one is telling their stories of generational farming and the responsibilities of preparing your own food Wellness is also knowing you can provide for yourself.

It is our passion to serve our community in Planting Seeds of Progress. We produce plants – fruit on the vine – as agents of change towards better food access, equity, quality, and fair food. We want to sustain and equip generations going forward through knowledge transfer and learning to grow food and food systems.