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April 18, 2024
Transforming Communities Through Food Equity
Healthy food should not be a privilege, yet more than 23 million Americans don't have access to fresh food. Maura "Mac" Russell is working to change this statistic, all while balancing her career as a consultant, and being a mom of four. Through Ad Astra Farms, Mac takes on food justice in the community, healthy food production and education, and the persisting trauma that many Black Americans associate with farming. This first episode of One Bite is Everything takes on personal health, community well-being, the environment, and more. Tune in until the end for some funny surprises you will relate to!
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Ad Astra Farms is making BIG waves in food deserts in the US with their urban farming initiatives, making sure people who need fresh, healthy food, have access to it, no matter what their economic background. Maura “Mac” Russell is the owner and operator of Ad Astra Farms, where she moved from the business consulting world to urban farming, while juggling major life transitions through it all.
Mac has created a community around her farms and has dreams to expand as far as she can while staying true to her vision. Not to mention how she is grinding to push the urban farming agenda by speaking at events and consulting on gardens so more people can start growing their own food to be self-sufficient and not rely on big ag farms to keep them fed.
Growing your own food not only improves the health of the environment, it improves the health of your community and everyone living in it. There is beauty in understanding what is in each bite we take at every meal. The humbling experience of knowing what it takes to grow a carrot or a head of lettuce makes those bites that much more satisfying.
Stay tuned to hear all about how Mac is moving the needle toward urban agriculture, and how you can get involved!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Are people questioning the health of their food?
- How Mac is juggling multiple life transitions at once
- The Black community’s collective trauma around farming
- How urban farms are productive and are able to feed multiple families
- Why farmers need to be sensitive to each others circumstances
- What is a food desert?
- How Mac built in a food donation component into her business model
- How Mac managed to both farm and continue her consulting career
- What is Ad Astra?
Links to content mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Maura Russell:
Website: https://adastrafarmsmd.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adastrafarms.md/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Ad-Astra-Farms-of-Maryland
One Bite is Everything is the podcast formerly known as Talk Farm to Me (2019 to 2024)
One Bite is Everything Resources
Rate the Show: https://www.onebiteiseverything.com/reviews/new/
Website: https://www.onebiteiseverything.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@onebiteiseverything
Glossary of useful Ag terms: https://www.forfarmersmovement.com/post/glossary-of-farm-terms
Connect with Host, Dana DiPrima
Email: dana@forfarmersmovement.com
Website: https://www.forfarmersmovement.com/
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xoxofarmgirl
On Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/forfarmersmovement
Blog: https://www.forfarmersmovement.com/blog
One Bite is Everything Production Credits
Production: Dana DiPrima and Sonia Dhillon
Sound Design & Original Music: Russell Chapa www.chapamusic.com
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