As temperatures began to cool & I prepared myself for the heavy workload of “resetting” the farm for Fall/Winter, I seized the opportunity to take Hurston on a maiden voyage to Alabama to hang with my favorite fellow grower & co-conspirator- my twin sister, Latisha- on her farm.

For weeks we laughed, learned & worked side-by-side.

We bounced between Alabama & Georgia sourcing plants, cuttings & seeds; exploring new cities & meeting fellow growers.

We cooked & ate delicious, living foods we harvested shortly before.

I learned much from the people we met from all over the world: innovative organic growing techniques; natural ways to increase yields; traditional medicinal uses of plants; intensive small space planting; plant propagation tips & SO MUCH more. We even scored rooted cuttings from two different Palestinian fig varieties rarely available in the United States!

I couldn’t resist making a few stops on the way home to fill the last couple pockets of space inside my truck😅. I returned to south Florida with Hurston absolutely LOADED full of plants (thanks in great part to my sister’s thoughtful & dedicated plant propagation😇), but mostly I was reminded on this trip that there are still good people in this crazy world.

I met people who went out of their way to help me without any personal gain.

People who insisted I sample the only ripe fruit on their tree.

People who eagerly gave me plants, cuttings & seeds; who shared their knowledge simply because we’re “fellow crazy plant people.”

It was a well-paced & productive work adventure with one of my favorite humans🖤. This was just the trip I needed to energize me for the season ahead: growing in solidarity with people who- like me- just want to live freely & eat real food🤷🏾‍♀️.