271. Sustainable Agriculture and Food Justice | Farm School NYC | Onika Abraham | Brooklyn, NY

Onika Abraham from Farm School NYC shares her passion for sustainable agriculture and food justice education in New York’s 5 Boroughs. I’m so excited to introduce my guest from Farm School NYC Onika Abraham!

Tell us a little about yourself.

I reside here in beautiful Brooklyn NYC.

I’m originally a New Yorker from the lower side Manhattan, if anyone is familiar with NYC accents, it’s obvious.

Grew up in NYC from parents who grew up on farms, always loved visiting my grandparents seeing them grow what they eat and always inspiring to me!

I have come full circle by being the director of Farm School NYC

Tell me about your first gardening experience?

I have to say, I grew up on the lower east side on the 18th floor an apartment

• lucky to have a little terrace
• little concrete shelf
• does not sound like a bucolic farm
• but was definitely my first gardening experience

My mother grew up on a mid size family farm in Alabama, when she moved here she brought her love and passion for growing things with her and she just recreated that in a little postage size terrace.

I really grew up in pots and containers on my parent’s terrace

had to be flowers

house plants and all different flowers

• zinnias
• marigolds

were some of her favorites I remember from when I was a kid!

Awwww that’s like the sweetest story. I didn’t really get to meet a lot of people from NYC proper, even tho my cousins lived on the Upper East Side, but we only saw them at Christmas and it’s fun to imagine, a little children’s book. Have you seen Sarah Stewart’s book The Gardener?

What is FARM SCHOOL NYC? Is it for adults for kids? What kinds of classes do you have?

FARM SCHOOL NYC is for adults

folks who are interested in learning how to grow sustainably

• sustainable organic practices
• people who want to use that knowledge base to

address some of the inequities in our society

resources

health wellness

access to...