By Alexandria Leatherberry
The Truth Reporter
Sonia Flunder-Mcnair, owner and founder of SoniaOrganics, has expanded into urban farming gaining representation and access to USDA Farms for minority communities. Her initiative birthed Urban Wholistics, a community-based effort to beautify land in neighborhoods that have been historically excluded from access to holistic green spaces.
Urban Wholistics has been able to engage the community through land development and the education on fresh food cultivation as well as consumption. The Urban Wholistics initiative started with the Urban South Youth Farmers(USFY) program that has now cultivated a Youth Farmer’s Market. The USYF program teaches children how to grow their own food and introduces modern technology for current relevancy.
Urban Wholistics originated the passion through discovering the necessity for fresh food access after acquiring education on food nutrition. Flunder-McNair led the purpose-driven initiative to empower others to acquire the nutrients needed from food for healthy digestion and to combat health disparities faced in urban communities.
”Health doesn’t start in the doctor’s office” stated Flunder-McNair during our discussion on beginning the mission of urban farming. “Food deserts are policy outcomes” she continued. “Food desserts are still where stores are because farmers produce food,” she stated as the drive continues to create more secure access through ‘pocket’ neighborhood farms. Her initiative has now claimed a second green space, Tatum Park located at 1209 City Park Ave., to begin the cultivation of scaling neighborhood farming.
In addition to scaling the spaces for fresh food access, SOrganics has expanded products for nutrition increasing the value of farm to table food consumption. “I could feel the difference immediately”, stated Artie Henry on participating in Sonia’s wellness plan to combat his high blood pressure.
Henry had been working with Sonia over several years and during that time saw over 70 pound weight loss. He attributes a lot of the success to consuming less processed foods “I have the energy I used to, I started feeling and seeing the old me” said Henry as he reflected on his counter experiences when trying similar store brand products.
Delivering the education along with results, SOrganic products, Flunder-McNair is empowering other community members to develop green spaces in areas designated as a food desert. Offering work plans and advocacy for policies that better support neighborhood farms will be the work continuing behind the scenes for the Urban Wholistics initiative.
“I am hoping we are able to raise the next generation of farmers” stated Flunder-McNair on her goals for Urban Wholistics. The youth program ‘Farm to Fork’ is accepting applications for summer at: urbanwholistics.org/programs.