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Sow Much Good (SMG) was founded to eliminate socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic health disparities that result from a lack of access to nutritionally dense food products in marginalized populations. SMG works to achieve food justice through programming and community based initiatives designed to provide equal access to organic food sources; to inspire individuals to take charge of their health and to promote healthy lifestyles through food and nutrition. The Facts An urban food desert is an area in a city where healthy, affordable food is difficult to obtain. Mecklenburg County has 60 neighborhoods with over 73,000 residents living in urban food deserts. Since its inception in 2008, Sow Much Good has helped spare hundreds of people from nutritional starvation through education, the Grow Your Own program and local farm stands. Diabetes, hypertension and obesity are no one s birth right these chronic health problems can be greatly reduced through a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Sow Much Good gives marginalized communities access to the nutritious produce and education they need to combat these devastating diseases.
Sow Much Good is committed to growing healthy communities in underserved neighborhoods by: Providing direct access to fresh, affordable food. Educating and engaging residents to adopt healthy eating habits. Advocating for the right of every person to have real food security. Vision: Neighborhoods that suffer from food insecurity will be transformed into well-served communities. Values: We believe in igniting the power within to: Be stewards of the land. Practice sustainable growing methods. Collaborating with the communities we serve. Mission, Create meaningful Vision spaces. & Values Promote healthy food as a right, not a privilege. Advocate for social justice.
After spending 20 years in corporate America, a force tugged inside Robin Emmons to leave her job in the financial services industry for an unplanned journey. One week after quitting, Emmons helped her brother find residence in a mental health facility; however, while being treated he became unhealthy due to the consumption of canned and sugary foods. Robin, a gardener, donated produce to the facility and her brother s physical health improved dramatically. It was here, in 2008, where Emmons found her passion - using food as a vehicle to promote social justice on important issues such as food access in marginalized communities. The advocate, activist, humanitarian, gardener and now, farmer, dug up her entire backyard and sowed the seeds for the nonprofit, Sow Much Good. She dedicated herself to eliminating systemic barriers in the food system that disproportionately affects the working poor and underserved populations. Since the launch of Sow Much Good, the activist has worked tirelessly to raise awareness about inequities in the food system that eliminate the basic human right of a significant number of people to access clean, healthy food through workshops, farm stands and speaking opportunities. The farmer is an alumna of the McColl Center for Visual Art's Innovation Institute, a CNN Hero, a William C. Friday Fellow for Human Relations (2011-2013 Class) and a graduate of UNC Charlotte with a degree in Political Science. She has been featured in the local and national media for the organization s work to alleviate nutritional starvation in low-income communities through gardening. About the Founder Emmons is a native Bostonian and a NC transplant of 20 years who resides in Huntersville, NC with her husband.
Sow Much Good Facts Food Desert, an area in a city where healthy, affordable food is difficult to obtain, most prevalent in low-socioeconomic minority communities, and is associated with a variety of diet-related health problems. 73,000 people in 60 Charlotte neighborhoods live in a food desert. Since its inception in 2008, Sow Much Good has helped spare thousands of people from nutritional starvation through education, the Grow Your Own program and local farm stands. Sow Much Good uses non-chemical growing methods to include composting; manual pest control; development of an ecosystem in the garden space for amphibians and reptiles. Sow Much Good hasl micro farm locations that produce over 8 tons of food per year. Sow Much Good was commissioned to design and build a learning garden at the Charlotte campus of the nationally recognized KIPP Charter School in August 2012. In the grocery store, organically grown tomatoes sell for about $3.50/lb. Sow Much Good sells these same tomatoes for about $1.50/lb. at farm stands in food deserts. Currently the government spends over $168 billion dollars on un-insured or under insured people suffering from hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity. Eating organic produce helps reduce these health conditions dramatically.
Sunset Road Urban Farm : : Charlotte, NC A Sow Much Good / Martin Marietta Neighborhood Collaborative with a farmers market, honey bee collection and chicken coop onsite. Hubbard Road Farm Site :: Huntersville, NC Harvest from this four acre site used to support farmer s market which sells produce at very low costs in underserved communities.
Winner, Charlotte ATHENA Leadership Award, ATHENA International (2014) Honoree, AETNA African American History Calendar, Transforming Communities (2014) CNN Hero, CNN Heroes (2013) Winner, Humanitarian Award, UNC Charlotte Alumni Association Awards Heroes Next Door, EBONY Magazine (May 2013) Speaker, TEDx Charlotte (2013) Newsmaker of the Year, Charlotte Post (2012) Heroes Among Us, People Magazine (August 6, 2012) Winner, Sustain Charlotte Sustainability Award for Food Production (April 2012) Finalist, SEED20 Competition (2012) Alumni, McColl Center Innovation Institute Awarded, WildAcres Leadership Initiative - William C. Friday Awards & Recognitions Fellowship For Human Relations Winner, Presbyterian Congregational Health Promoters Community Service Award
2014 AETNA African American History Calendar Robin Emmons Sow Much Good Charlotte, NC Food is the one thing we share in common. It's a space where we can all meet. 2014 calendar entitled Community Transformations African Americans creating sustainable neighborhoods.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty The Walter Mitty Team selected 24 inspiring stories from around the world on how they #LETLIFEIN. Find Your Frame
Today s Charlotte Woman August 2012
Media Contact & Speaking Requests Denada Jackson, Bella Boca PR denada@bellaboca.com, 704.957.1447 Organization Info www.sowmuchgood.org Social Media Facebook www.facebook.com/sowmuchgood Twitter @SowMuchGood Instagram SowMuchGood