Melanated Organics: Growing Food, Self-Reliance
For Devona Stevenson, the act of gardening embraces far more than a way to provide fresh, nutritious food for physical health.
As founder of Melanated Organics, an online business that sells heirloom seeds, garden supplies and other products, Stevenson knows firsthand the positive effects of growing food on the body and mind.
“Once you get into the heart of gardening, you’re forging an intimate spiritual connection between the deepest parts of yourself and the beauty of nature. Being attuned to nature can work wonders on your mental and emotional health,” she says. “After witnessing the life-altering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic accompanied by the fight against racial injustice, gardening has the proven ability to help you briefly unwind and recharge from everything happening.”
Stevenson, who grew up in the Carol City neighborhood of Miami Gardens, started her business last year following a 23-year career on the police force. After the stress of working in law enforcement, she immersed herself in gardening, a “therapeutic outlet that provided me peace, serenity and solace.” She gathered an inventory of seeds, gardening supplies, plus teas and salts, and created a platform called Melanated Organics. Her social media, both informative and uplifting, reflects her own personal journey and practical growing tips and community building.
Right now, Stevenson is growing lots of backyard foods – tomatoes, kale, spinach, sweet and white potatoes, bananas, carrots, aloe, strawberries, pigeon and black-eyed peas, and bok choy – and nurturing mango, avocado and mulberry trees. She advises beginning gardeners to start small. “Learn the process of germinating the seed, which entails understanding its plot placement, what type of soil the plant thrives in, and how much sunlight it requires to properly develop. Patience is a necessary virtue when it comes to gardening,” she adds. “Trust me, when those first few seedlings break through the ground, you’ll experience overwhelming joy because you know it’s a feat you accomplished.”
While her website is for garden enthusiasts from all backgrounds, she wanted to make her mark “by creating a Black-owned sustainable gardening business that emphasizes independence and survivalist strategies through productive gardening tips,” she says. “Over time, I realized a need for more African American-owned seed companies to solidify themselves in an industry that scarcely markets healthy living to Black people.”
Her mission includes a focus on inspiring young people to eat healthier meals, especially children of color in disadvantaged communities. “Many of these kids don’t have access to grocery stores that sell nutritional foods so they resort to consuming sugary snacks at their local corner store,” she says. She plans to expand Melanated Organics to include programs on growing organic produce and meal prep. “Passing on knowledge to young people about why it’s healthier and more invigorating to grow your own food is what feeds my soul,” says Stevenson. “All I want is for people to engage in the beautiful, transformative process of gardening and have a sanctuary that they can proudly call theirs.”
Melanated Organics
melanatedorganics.com
Instagram: @melanated_organicseeds
