We can all grow our own food: an exhibition in Brighton

On an autumnal evening, as the sun was setting on the streets of Brighton, a warmly lit gallery overflowed with the smell of incense, the sounds of shared laughter, and vibrant images of proud female farmers.

A story, told through photographs and poetry, of three Black women on their journey to connect themselves and those around them with their roots, with the land, with nutritious food, with the future, and with each other, was shared.

Inspired by Black Rootz and Go Grow With Love, we urge everyone to find a space – small, shared, potted, amongst tower blocks, or out in the open – to plant a seed. To nurture your sprig. To harvest your bounty. To share the taste of your freshly picked crop. To stand for food justice.

Get a taste of the inspiration people took away from the night below.

“We call it agroecology, we call it permaculture, but these lessons have been passed down and we are just trying to keep them alive. We are trying to ensure that the community retains the skills it needs to provide a sustainable world. I stand for food sovereignty. I stand for seed sovereignty. I stand for community.”

– Pamela, Black Rootz

“Wow, that’s all I can say is wow. We finally reached the point where we can share all the knowledge that we’ve acquired all these years with people…community is the power that’s going to move us forward. And it’s so important that we pass on this information to the next generation.”

– Sandra, Go Grow With Love

“I would advise as many people to grow your own food as possible. Once you get a taste for it, it’s very difficult to go back. Even if you do it one at a time or one square at a time, once you do that square
and taste what’s in that square, you’ll expand and it’s not that difficult.”

– Paulette, Black Rootz