For Richard Myers and Shawn Joseph, making sure that everyone knows farmers can be many things - including two young guys from Bridgeport - is what it’s all about. And when it comes to growing what you eat, they’re firm believers we can all do it.
‘We just want people to know that they can grow their own food, that they can have control and say so over what they consume, and how it's grown,” Joseph said.
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WATCH HEREThey’re the founders of Park City Harvest, through which they’re trying to empower their community with knowledge and financial freedom of organic farming.
It’s an endeavor they started in 2017 after meeting as students studying horticulture at Naugatuck Valley Community College.
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SIGN UP “Being the only two minorities in the program, being confused for each other at the time as well. We kind of just clicked up and we decided, let's, let's do this for real," Joseph said.
Now they’re growing all kinds of foods in and around their hometown reaching people all over Connecticut.
They’ve connected with a network of local farmers and sell through various farmers markets like this one in Waterbury and through their community-supported agriculture program (CAS), people can sign up to get regular, locally-grown produce deliveries.
Connecticut In Color
It’s work they hope is a remedy to some of the challenges facing many communities of color - limited financial resources and certain pervasive health problems often caused by diet and food deserts.
“When I was younger, I had to take four different buses just to get to a grocery store. So now I just go into to my backyard to get what I need," Myers said.
They recently released a book called “Grow To Eat," showing would-be farmers how to grow food and then interesting ways to cook it.
“Even if you're only able to grow one tomato plant, maybe your neighbor can grow peppers, and the neighbor over there can grow lettuce. And then everybody can, you know, at some point get together and everybody has enough," Joseph said.
It may seem daunting, but these two farming friends say no matter who you are, just start. The proof will be in your harvest.
Joseph and Myers will be discussing their book at Waterbury’s Palace Theater on Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit their website or call the box office at 203-346-2000.
