Edible Activist

Stephanie Franklin didn't set out to become a farmer. She set out to find her purpose and the vines answered. In this conversation, the founder of Franklin Vines takes us from corporate America to a Napa conference where she coined the phrase that changed everything — Louisiana made me, Texas raised me, the vines saved me — to the ancestral land in Shankleville, Texas, where her third great grandparents Jim and Winnie Shankle became some of the first African Americans to purchase land after emancipation. Stephanie is now preparing to plant a vineyard on that same soil. She talks about what it takes to build a vineyard from the ground up with no master plan, the science behind growing grapes in deep East Texas, the myths around wine she wants to dismantle, and a vision that goes far beyond the bottle — tasting rooms, educational hubs, women's empowerment spaces, and possibly the first food and wine festival in Shankleville, Texas. This is a love story between a woman and her land.

In this episode of Edible Activist, Melissa sits down with Kenny and Cutt, the co-founders of Melon Nation — two Black farmers and agricultural specialists bringing fresh seeded watermelon and tropical fruits to communities across the East Coast. Together, they share how Melon Nation is building a vibrant supply chain rooted in health, sustainability, and cultural expression, while creating spaces where art, agriculture, and community flourish. From their mantra “It takes a seed to build a nation” to their mission of connecting rural, suburban, and urban communities, this conversation is all about the power of food to unite and inspire.

What would our world look like if Black imagination led the way? In this episode, Artistic Director Aisha Shillingford of Intelligent Mischief joins me to explore the power of speculative world-building as a tool for liberation, healing, and community transformation. We talk about what reparations and land justice could mean for our food systems, how Afro-futurism can reimagine our relationship to land and growing, and why cultural programming can be a catalyst for deep collective care. Together, we envision new, thriving worlds where Black people are sovereign, joyful, and free.

In this episode, Melissa sit down with Kela, a farmer and founder of Konterra Life Farms in Maryland. Kela is deeply rooted in regenerative, soil-first farming practices and is also a registered dietitian who understands the powerful connection between the land and our health. We talk about what it means to grow food that heals both people and the planet, the importance of soil health, and how education plays a big role in helping communities reconnect with where their food comes from.