Our Roots

For Health, Community & Self-Sufficiency

Food Matters

In many cities across America, structural forces of racism has determined food access. In her book, anthropologist Dr. Ashante Reese documents how racism, residential segregation & transnational food corporations have shaped food availability all over the country. By connecting community members’ stories to the larger issues of racism & gentrification, she demonstrates the link in food insecurity across hundreds of cities in America.

These structural forces often also mean that Black & minority communities experience disparities across every sphere. Lack of economic development, underfunded schools, lack of affordable housing, adequate transportation & more mean these communities disproportionally struggle to outrun the cycle of poverty.

In our community, more than 60% of our youth are “food insecure.” While programs such as food stamps have helped to address food insecurity, it has failed to promote health. It provides many calories but few nutrients, leaving its recipients overfed, undernourished & disproportionately suffering from chronic disease. As one councilwoman explained, this means “residents in Northeast Oklahoma City have a lower life expectancy (18 years less) than other OKC zip codes, which is directly related to food insecurity.”

This is not just. Black agrarianism largely built the American economy & many early residents of Black towns & communities have used agriculture to develop communal self-sufficiency. We want to see Restore Farms serve as a building block of renewed community in our backyard. Join us in declaring that food matters for all.

Our Vision

Urban Farming

Food is essential. Beyond being a building block for our physical bodies, food is a communal endeavor. Our current food system doesn’t just produce poor quality food, it contributes to harsh working environments & destruction of our natural resources. Our food system as a whole is one of the biggest contributors to climate change. Reimagining how we grow, produce, consume & waste food is the number one solution to reversing it. Especially in our community where jobs are also a commodity in short-supply, like ours.

While we are hoping to grow a bounty of fresh produce, we are also hoping to grow employment & training opportunities for community youth that directly results in opportunities for higher-education scholarships. Our goal is to empower our youth with experiences in basic job skills, sustainable agriculture & entrepreneurship, while incentivizing graduation & higher-education for long-term community opportunity.

Images provided by Edible OKC’s “Freedom Farms & Greenhouse” article on Restore Farms