137. Food for Our Future: Urban Agriculture and Afroecology with Gail Taylor of Three Part Harmony Farm

"Food as Medicine. Food as Culture. Food for our Future." is the slogan of Three Part Harmony Farm (TPH) owned and operated by Gail Taylor in northeast Washington, D.C. 

Three Part Harmony Farm is a diversified vegetable operation using agroecology and sustainable growing methods. They prioritize growing real food for real people. Since 2012 they have cared for a 2-acre plot of land in northeast DC owned by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The DC site has been in production since 2012 and has 64 permanent beds (1/2 acre of production) using a no-till system. The farm has been an important source of learning local food for the community and learning for aspiring farmers of color in the DMV, especially Black farmers.

Taylor is a member of the Black Dirt Farm Collective (BDFC), a group of farmers, academics, organizers, builders, and food entrepreneurs who own 24.5 acres in Brandywine, MD. The land is being developed to increase their offerings of food and black agrarian educational opportunities to individuals and organizations that wish to reconnect with their roots as Afro-descendant agrarian people. The collective created a written curriculum as a companion guide to their signature Afroecology training program which they use during Afroecology Encounters.

Topics discussed:

• How Three Part Harmony Farm was created in Washington, DC
• Land acquisition 
• soil remediation
• Gail's background and education, and her process in becoming a farming
• The intention and impact of Three Part Harmony Farm-- Gail's idea was to create a model to emulate a small farmer 
• Carrie Vaughn 
• The momentum in 2006--2010 encouraged young farmers to enter the industry
• The Black Dirt Farm Collective--land Acquisition and education in Afroecology
• The gentrification of the northwest DC in the area of TPH Farm
• Where do her CSA members come from and where do the newcomers get their food?
• How the food system has changed since Gail got into farming
• Where does TPH Farm fit into the local food supply?
• Gail's perspective on how we can create fair accessibility to healthy food, and what she's done at TPH Farm to address that issue. 
•  How did Three Part Harmony Farm get its name?
• The story of the logo--the butterfly symbolizes migration, as a reminder of the movement of people across generations and the importance of creating habitat.
• What sustainable and regenerative practices are employed at TPH Farm?
• Gail talks about the TPH team
• TPH Farm CSA currently sustains 100 members, with hopes to expand in future years. There is currently a waiting list

Connect with Gail:

• Website: Three-Part Harmony Farm
• Instagram: 3phfarm

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Original music by John Kingsley. Our technical partner for this series is CitizenRacecar, Post-Production by Alex Brouwer and José Miguel Baez, Coordinated by Gabriela Montequin and Mary Ball. The Good Dirt is a part of the Connectd Podcasts Network.

Statements in this podcast have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not to be considered medical or nutritional advice. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, and should not be considered above the advice of your physician. Consult a medical professional when making dietary or lifestyle decisions that could affect your health and well-being.