Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, wouldn’t be the first place most people would think of if they were looking for a place to pick fresh fruit and vegetables. But those people don’t know about Black Seeds Urban Farms.
Black Seeds Urban Farms started as a local food movement in the Greenlaw area of Uptown Memphis. Its mission was to grow organic, nutritious produce for Memphians with limited access to fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables. It’s grown into something much bigger and shows no signs of stopping.
How Black Seeds Urban Farming Got its Start
Bobby and Derravia Rich founded Black Seeds Urban Farms because Greenlaw was a “food desert.” According to Derravia, inner-city neighborhoods historically haven’t had access to good healthy food, and the problem was particularly acute in their neighborhood. “People in Greenlaw often found it easier to drive to Arkansas to get fresh fruit and vegetables because the closest grocery store in Memphis is over five miles away.”
Derravia Rich grew up watching her grandfather tend tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables in his garden while she and her sisters and cousins played in the yard. The fruits and vegetables he raised were enough to feed his large family and many of his neighbors’ families.
Derravia and her husband Bobby were living in Nashville when her grandfather passed away. When they returned to Memphis, they moved into Derravia’s grandparent’s house to care for her grandmother and found her grandfather’s beloved garden overgrown with weeds. Bobby showed an interest in the garden, and Derravia’s uncle taught him the basics of gardening and helped him restore it to its original state.
The Riches began by selling fruits and vegetables and teaching friends and neighbors how to plant and grow their own gardens. They were soon transplanting seedlings into others’ gardens and offering gardening classes for adults and children.
Sowing the Seeds of a New Venture
In July 2021, the Riches bought a vacant lot near Greenlaw Park and turned Black Seeds Urban Farms into a business. The City of Memphis Community Redevelopment Agency helped them find a lot and facilitate the sale.
The expansion enabled the Riches to offer consultation services to people who want to plant their own gardens and allow individuals and organizations to book events. Some of the events held in the garden have included birthday parties, weddings, memorials, yoga classes, private and group picnics, painting groups, art shows and book club meetings.
Bobby had earned his master gardener certification by this time. So, he assumed responsibility for the outside work while Derravia managed the business details.
Black Seeds Urban Farms has partnered with several local organizations and is looking for other partnership opportunities. Some of their existing partnerships are with Halls of Ivy, a self-healing arts academy; Everbloom FARMACY, a network of community organizations that promote sustainable food production in Memphis’ most vulnerable communities; and Memphis Tilth, a forum where sustainable agriculture and forestry organizations share and exchange ideas.
Black Seeds Urban Farms also provides educational programs and hands-on gardening classes for students in agricultural and environmental programs at Rhodes College, Belmont University, and the University of Memphis.
The Riches plan to create additional gardening spaces in other underserved areas around Memphis and have already identified another piece of land. They also plan to open storefronts throughout the community to make fresh fruit and vegetables accessible to neighbors while they’re walking to and from work, church, and school.
Black Seeds Urban Farm Gives Back
Black Seeds Urban Farms grows vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, and bell peppers, fruits such as apples, raspberries, and pears, and herbs like thyme, peppermint, and lavender. When produce is ripe, the Riches offer it to churches in the area and let neighbors pick what they want. Many of them give back by helping other neighbors.
Bobby recounted the story of an elderly neighbor who lives up the hill and recently had leg surgery. “When she comes outside to exercise her leg, she walks down the hill to pick what she needs and gives some to her neighbors.”
Black Seeds Urban Farms continues to offer free hands-on classes and workshops for adults and children who want to learn how to grow their own gardens. We visited during one of the children’s classes and enjoyed watching how enthusiastic the kids were about gardening.
It also hosts school groups so students know where fruits and vegetables come from. Darravia said, “We’re constantly amazed at the number of children and adults who think vegetables and fruit ‘magically appear’ in grocery stores wrapped in cellophane packages.” She added, “They’re amazed when they learn they can plant a garden and grow their own vegetables and fruit with little more than a hoe and a rake.”
The Therapeutic Power of Gardens
After Derravia’s grandmother passed away, the Riches thought about all the good times they’d spent in the backyard and realized people could benefit by relaxing in a garden.
COVID-19 also emphasized the importance of shared outdoor spaces. “During the pandemic, Bobby was a firefighter, and he and his co-workers relaxed in the garden after work. He says, “I know it helped alleviate job stress because I saw a change in their demeanor.”
The idea of using gardens for healing and therapy reminded me of The Secret Garden, a book I read when I was young. The story centers on Mary Lennox, a 10-year-old English girl who lives in India. She’s a spoiled brat because her parents neglect her and socialize with friends.
Her parents die during a cholera epidemic, and she’s sent to live with her uncle, who lives on a large estate in Yorkshire. He’s a miserable recluse because he’s mourning his wife’s death. The servants and staff are afraid of him and cater to his every whim.
While exploring the grounds, Mary finds a walled garden that’s been neglected for years. She learns it was her late aunt’s favorite place, and her uncle locked the door and buried the key when she died. Mary also discovers she has a cousin named Colin, a crippled invalid whom her uncle ignores.
Mary finds the key, and her disposition improves as she nurses the garden back to life. When Colin spends time in the garden, his health improves, and he learns to walk. When Mary’s uncle returns home from a trip abroad, he embraces his relationship with his niece and son. So, a once overgrown and neglected garden healed three people and transformed an entire household when it was brought back to life.
Community Gardens for Better Overall Health
The Secret Garden is just a story, but studies show community gardens help people improve their quality of life by providing them with the means and resources to help themselves.
They’re fast becoming a solution to provide affordable and nutritional food options in urban neighborhoods throughout the U.S. and also help address other problems.
They help people feel better about themselves and their environment, which promotes better mental health and stronger relationships among neighbors. This leads to stronger communities and close-knit neighborhoods, which reduces vandalism and crime.
In Memphis, community gardens are springing up everywhere, but few are as ambitious in scope or size as Black Seeds Urban Farms.
For more information—Visit their website and follow them on Instagram.
