Community is defined as a place where people live with mutual understanding, interests, direction, and plans. To qualify as a community there are three components that must be in place: (1) An Independent Economic Structure, (2) Codes of Conduct, and (3) Political Representation. These three elements allow the members of a community to fairly compete economically and politically; leading to a culture that is rooted in trust, cooperation, and accountability. Food deserts in Washington, DC are a direct result of systemic racism that have led to socioeconomic disparities that have destroyed black communities. Commercial urban agriculture will aid in rebuilding these communities by improving social capital, stimulating the local economy, and promoting group economics through the creation of jobs, resources, products, goods, and services.

In the Spring of 2017 while studying for the Advanced Sommelier exam, I moved into my home in the Barry Farm neighborhood in Southeast DC. After being frustrated with the lack of restaurant options and having to travel over 4 miles to  to grocery shop, I began to research and study grocery store models with the intention of opening a neighborhood grocery store with affordable healthy food options. My research led me to studying food deserts and the policies that created them in DC’s Wards 7 and 8 neighborhoods.

I found seven key moments and the events leading up to these moments that led to forced black migration East of the River and the destruction of black wealth building, leading to DC’s food deserts. These events include: (1) The Snow Riots of 1835 (2) The fight for black suffrage (3) DC’s loss of territorial government (4) Jim Crow Laws (5) The Race Riots of 1919 (6) Housing covenants, redlining, and urban renewal and (7) The 1968 Riots. Every single one of these major events was caused by white fear and or paternalism that led to policies that led to the creation of legislation and policies that would greatly change the course of black employment, housing, education, and the black economic structure, not only in DC, but across the nation. 

Realizing that opening a grocery store would not solve the deeper issues that have created food disparities East of the River; my research shifted away from grocery store models and towards finding a model that would be profitable and effective in directly combating the causes of food deserts. I found the solution to my problem in Cuba’s response to its economic depression during its “Special Period” that occurred from 1991 to 2000.

 Facing famine and poverty the island nation turned to urban agriculture to boost food production. Small private farms and urban gardens began to emerge along with thousands of new individual urban farmers called parceleros. In Havana 87,000 acres of land that include vacant lots, abandoned building sites, and even spaces in-between roads are used to produce food.

The local economy was also stimulated by a huge growth in the urban agriculture workforce. From 1999 to 2006 Havana went from 9,000 to over 44,000 people employed through jobs in urban agriculture. Seeing socioeconomic similarities between the people of Cuba and the residents of Wards 7 and 8, urban agriculture theoretically seemed to be the best option to directly addressing the causes of food deserts.

Using Cuba as my model I launched EightFold Farms DC LLC in 2020. Eightfold Farms DC is a group of small sustainable intensive commercial urban farms that have been created from underutilized and abandoned indoor and outdoor spaces located throughout Washington, DC. We supply fresh and affordable produce to underserved neighborhoods and to local retail and commercial outlets. Through urban commercial farming it is our mission to address the causes of food inequality by meeting the demand for hyper-local products, a healthier and more efficient food system, job training, job creation, and education.

Using international initiatives as a model, we are constructing an off-grid, commercial mobile mushroom farm from shipping containers. Three species of mushroom have been selected to farm and sell according to their difficulty of cultivation, yield, market demand, and product versatility. Blue Oyster, Lion’s Mane, and Shiitake will be cultivated on substrate blocks made on site; the Oyster and Lion’s Mane on a “Masters Mix” of Hardwood Fuel Pellets and Soy Hulls and the Shiitake on Hardwood Fuel Pellets with a low level of oat bran supplementation. 

These repurposed, climate-controlled containers will house a laboratory, preparation area, incubation room, grow room, processing area, and cold storage that can operate on or off-grid. Within this mobile facility we will be able to make and incubate our own substrate blocks, grow, process, and store fresh mushrooms; as well as develop, produce, and package mushroom products (i.e. dehydrated mushrooms). Ward 8 residents will be hired and trained to cultivate, process, and package fresh mushrooms and other mushroom products for retail and commercial sales.

The funds used from this campaign will assist in the purchase of a Solar Kit from Renogy. This kit will allow us to power the farm using 100% solar power. The kit includes solar panels, batteries, circuit breaker, racking kit, and other components to setup and run power to the storage containers. We will also be able to purchase a 150 gallon Mushroom Substrate Steamer from Bubba's Barrels, which allows us to sterilize our substrate blocks before they are inoculated with mushroom spawn. Lastly, with your help, we will purchase a commercial dehydrator that will allow us to make and sell dry mushrooms.