Allow us to reintroduce ourselves - we are the Trap Team!

1. What's your role with Trap Garden?

Garden Supervisor

2. Which Kanye are you?

Me all day.

https://giphy.com/gifs/black-and-white-kanye-west-jay-z-10PQN1dM2kfr2g

3. Favorite trap song of all time?

of course it’s YO GOOOOOOTTTTTIIIII!!! .....and thats whats up! (thats whats up)

4. Tupac or Biggie?

I have a Tupac mindset with a Biggie personality, but i'll have to go with pac for sure.

5. What trap song would you have played at your funeral?

I honestly wouldn't be too sad if I transitioned, so when I die bury me inside the Louis Sto! (2 chainz - birthday song)

6. If one trap rapper could come visit a garden site, which rapper would you want that to be and what task would you have them do?

I'd have to bring Jay-z... I'd have him do the hardest thing i could come up with. Why? because Jay is a BAWSE and he'll show me how to maximize my efforts.

7. Favorite Migos song?

its a tie between "Freak No Mo" or "Going Out Sad"

8. When is the appropriate time to swag surf?

A. At a function

B. At a wedding

C. By yourself in the living room

D. All of the above

D. Its always the right time to swag surf..... and you can never go wrong "Beefin it up"

25 Years of Giving Video Contest

Yo Trap Family! The First Tennessee Foundation is celebration 25 Years of Giving through a video contest and we could be eligible to receive up to $25,000 for the Trap.

Our video has been submitted to the 25 Years of Giving Video Contest from the First Horizon Foundation and now we need to get votes. The top 30 videos with the most votes will advance to the next level as a finalist and could be one of the 25 selected winners receiving a grant.

To vote for our video please click here. You can vote once per day until August 31, 2018.

In an attempt to become a more sustainable organization and community, we are eliminating the use of single-serve bottled waters at our volunteer events. We will continue to supply water but guest must bring a reusable water bottle.

If you do not own a reusable water bottle, we will have Trap Garden water bottles on site for sale.

Big up s to our sustainability consultant for the conversation and recommendation. Let’s change the world together!

This Sunday is a big day for the Trap Garden family! We’re hosting our annual garden launch celebration at the West Nashville Dream Center. In addition to putting in some garden work, we’re celebrating the Earth and its resources. Trap Garden is all about the “health is wealth” lifestyle, and it begins with the food items that we’re able to plant and grow straight from the earth.

Come be part of the vibe!

- Food by Chef Dee from Good 2 Go

- Sounds from a specially curated trap playlist

- Garden games

- Community garden revitalization

When: Sunday, April 22, 2018

12 - 3 p.m.

Where: West Nashville Dream Center

4007 Delaware Ave.

Nashville, TN 37209

If you’re interested in volunteering, email info@trapgraden.org.

Last month, the Trap Garden team and volunteers started work at our garden site at the West Nashville Dream Center. Each week is a step in the process of creating a full garden with fruits and vegetables to share with the community. We started with pulling weeds and building the garden beds, and we’ve moved on to measuring the plots and organizing the grids.

Spring is prime time for Trap Garden because that’s when we get to plant our seeds in anticipation for summer harvest. The official garden launch will be on Sunday, April 22, but the work doesn’t end there. Gardens require maintenance and care, and that’s what we’ll be doing until we reap the benefits of all our hard work.

If you’re interested in getting involved with the garden, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities. Email info@trapgarden.org to get on the garden vibe with us!

This year, we launched our first 8-week educational program for elementary students entitled, “Eat.Grow.Live”.  We created this program to introduce youth to healthy snacks, the fundamentals of growing, and lessons on how to live a more sustainable lifestyle.  Buena Vista Enhanced Elementary school is the first school to implement our program. 

Buena Vista currently serves 291 students (preK-4th grade, ages 4-10), of which 98 percent are living in poverty.  Of those 291 students, roughly 30 percent are experiencing homelessness.  Every Friday they send home food bags with weekend food for 231 of their 291 students.  That food is provided by Second Harvest and the Bridge Ministry.

If you’re interested in volunteering with the Eat.Grow.Live school program, there are plenty of opportunities.  Click the Volunteer tab and come get down and dirty with us!

1. What's your role with Trap Garden?

Trap Garden OG  (Executive Director)

2. Which Kanye are you?

https://giphy.com/gifs/3pDwzu7sYmF4k

3. Favorite trap song of all time?

I went to Tennessee State University…it has to be Yo Gotti-That’s Whats Up

4. Tupac or Biggie?

Biggie fa sho! Storyteller rapper that made movies out of words

5. What trap song would you have played at your funeral?

Thug Motivation 101 or Get Your Mind Right by Jeezy. The people cant forget that what we started motivated the streets to eat veggies.

6. If one trap rapper could come visit a garden site, which rapper would you want that to be and what task would you have them do?

T.I.- Wrap rubber bands around greens

7. Favorite Migos song?

Dawg, this is super hard.  It is between Hannah Montana and T-Shirt.  Can’t choose between the two.

8. When is the appropriate time to swag surf?

A. At a function

B. At a wedding

C. By yourself in the living room

D. All of the above

D. All of the Above

Allow us to reintroduce ourselves - we are the Trap Team!

1. What's your role with Trap Garden?

I am Dr. 22 Cabbage who gives an artistic eye to potential garden sites, engage the community more about agriculture, sustainability, and Trap Garden and assist the Trap Family wherever needed. 

2. Which Kanye are you?

https://giphy.com/gifs/black-and-white-kanye-west-jay-z-10PQN1dM2kfr2g

3. Favorite trap song of all time?

Ain't nothing but a G thang Dr.Dre ft Snoop Dog

4. Tupac or Biggie?

Both

5. If one trap rapper could come visit a garden site, which rapper would you want that to be and what task would you have them do?

Migos and cutting up vegetables for stir-fry

6. Favorite Migos song?

When I'm wearing my "Versace" feeling "Bad & Boujee" "I get the bag" but you asked for one song so Ima "Get Right Witcha"

7. When is the appropriate time to swag surf?

A. At a function

B. At a wedding

C. By yourself in the living room

D. All of the above

E. Whenever they play the song

Allow us to reintroduce ourselves - we are the Trap Team!

1. What's your role with Trap Garden?

I'm the go-to for Trap Garden PR and social media.

2. Which Kanye are you?

Me all day.

https://giphy.com/gifs/black-and-white-kanye-west-jay-z-10PQN1dM2kfr2g

3. Favorite trap song of all time?

Does "International Player's Anthem" count? If not, "Got Dem Racks" by Yo Gotti because I, too, will have dem racks one day.

4. Tupac or Biggie?

Pac.

5. What trap song would you have played at your funeral?

"Bank Account" because by the time I die I will have acquired said racks (see number 3). Also, generational wealth.

6. If one trap rapper could come visit a garden site, which rapper would you want that to be and what task would you have them do?

Boosie so he could whip up some Louisiana gumbo with Trap Garden's freshly picked veggies.

7. Favorite Migos song?

"T-Shirt" and "Hannah Montana" are both gunning for first place in my heart.

8. When is the appropriate time to swag surf?

A. At a function

B. At a wedding

C. By yourself in the living room

D. All of the above

The better question would be when is it not appropriate to swag surf? I'll wait.

Many Americans would say Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday, as it is an occasion for families to gather, eat plenty of good food, and perhaps watch a game or two. Thanksgiving also provides us with a much needed break from our hectic lives to pause, reflect, and give thanks for all that we have. 

However, for many Americans the holiday season brings stress and uncertainty. In the time it has taken you to read this two people have died of hunger. 1 in 6 Americans face hunger. And in our land of wealth and prosperity there are nearly 50 million Americans who are unsure when or where their next meal will come from.

The Fifth Annual 100 Dreams Turkey Drive aimed to tackle the national hunger epidemic within the Nashville Community. With a goal to give 100 families, 1,000 people, in our community a “ready to eat” Thanksgiving basket. Filled with a Turkey and numerous side dishes all prepared by local chef, Chef Batts. 

This year they wanted to offer a fresh vegetables for families to replace the traditional canned vegetables. They reached out to us to assist in finding local farmers and organizations to donate to the cause.  

Collectively with the help of local farmers, grocery stores, and non-profit organizations, we were able to provide over 400 lbs of fresh vegetables.  

As the Aspire organization would say, Dreams Come True Everyday!

The problem of food deserts has been addressed in hundreds of ways, but the fact remains that communities nationwide suffer from a lack of something that most of us take for granted: grocery stores within a reasonable proximity. Rob “Veggies” Horton is on a mission to solve that problem, not by building grocery stores, but by empowering communities to grow their own food. He’s learned a few things about how to get people to work together to better their community – and how to get them hooked on healthy food.

Click the video and check out Rob Veggies talk!

Trap Garden loves giving back to the community! Fisk University held a very inspiring and conversational teach in event Saturday, September 30, 2017 that was free and open to the public to engage in conversation, listen to other workshop presenters, and allow attendees to take action on something concrete to do in relation to social justice. Participants cycled through a series of 20-minute sessions on topics such as community organizing and Black Lives Matter, the origins and mechanisms of white supremacy, how to learn from strategies from the Civil Rights movement, lobbying at the local and state level and of course Trap Garden.

Students, faculty, and community members came to the “Trap” classroom where we gave individuals an insight on what we do as an organization and how they could utilize the Trap Garden Process for starting their own community gardens.

Mrs. Davis, a mentor, fairy godmother and friend, came to support the event as she and her husband helped teach Rob “Veggies” how to grow.  Those lessons have grown into a manuscript as we expand into new territories and continue to create gardens.

After hearing participants feedback, Fisk notified us that participants would love to attend an extended workshop about our work to provide healthy food in urban spaces. A special thank you to Dr. Katherine Burnett, faculty member in the English department and Dr. Leslie V. Collins, professors in the Psychology and coordinator of the event and all those who came out!

Saturday, July 22nd volunteers came out for the revitalization of a community garden in South Nashville in partnership with Trap Garden.

Volunteers weeded over 20 raised beds, constructed 4 new raised beds, built 2 compost bins, and created pathways using mulch, in some extreme summer heat. Teamwork really does make the dream work!

In Tennessee, 1,016,420 people are struggling with hunger-and of them 315,370 are children.  What we were able to accomplish in South Nashville will help to change these statistics.

Could you imagine having to drive 15-20 minutes or even waiting for a bus to get you to your closest grocery store?  Many people in South Nashville have to deal with this problem. With the help of enthusiastic volunteers who gave their time and smile to create a space to be used to plant and educate individuals in their own neighborhoods.   

Community gardens can provide access to fresh produce that may be unavailable in low-income and limited resource for families and individuals. They are also recommended for dietary and health improvements within a community.

Johnson Middle School Community Garden will soon provide educational information and interactive events ranging from how to prepare your garden, plant crops, properly propagate and transplant plants, to music in the garden, painting and so much more to get people involved and take part in other “Trap” events.

A special thank you to these incredible sponsors, AIG, Legacy Ink, Metro Public Health Department, Clerisy Circle, Sir Sanitation, and Title Boxing Club.

If you know anyone who resides in the South Nashville area and may be interested in receiving a plot in the garden space, please have them to submit a South Nashville Community Garden Application. 

“When you’re hungry the best place to go is the garden.” –Will, Six Boots Collective

written by: Kanita Hutchinson, Trap Garden

IG: @jus_lilhutch

Trap Garden intern, Kanita Hutchinson, held it down at Tennessee State Universities annual Spring TigerFest Event.  She managed the Trap Garden table during the event and informed students, faculty, and staff members about the Trap Garden movement.  While playing interactive games with attendees like “Guess the Herb” (game designed to see if participants can guess the difference between rosemary, cilantro, mint, and thyme with just one smell) she explained the overall meaning of the Trap Garden name and the work ethic it takes to grow your own vegetables and herbs.

Coconut water samples were given out during the event as a healthy alternative to energy drinks to make sure students stayed hydrated.  For those who participated in the games at the table they received a Trap Garden Lapel pin or Trap Shirt.  The educational aspects of Trap Garden extends to more than just this one event.  Kanita dropped jewels to students and staff members that can be applied to their day to day lives to assist in living a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. 

Tunnel Vision...Alabama A&M Campus Ambassadors were in the zone during the workshop we held on campus which focused on nutrition and sustainability.  The vision created by the students (with a little help from the Trap Garden Team) came to life during the earth day event hosted by the ambassadors.  

We Challenged campus ambassadors at Central State University to create a campus event that focused on sustainability, nutrition, and physical activity.

They definitely delivered and had a great time in the process.

Give them the problems and listen to their solutions.

Miles college campus ambassadors delivered an experience that students will remember forever.  Watch the videos and catch the sustainability vibe.

The Trap Garden is GROWING! We just hired our FIRST official intern.  Kanita H. is a senior at Tennessee State University majoring in Agricultural Sciences with a concentration in Biotechnology.   

For Kanita, her major is not just about farming but learning about soil, researching the economy through agribusiness, and the opportunity to travel and educate people about the world around them. Biotechnology gives Kanita an opportunity to research plants and animals to create solutions that can improve how our food is grown and better enlighten people on facts rather than myths.

When asked about her career goals, Kanita simply said, “I want to have a career not just a job that allows me the opportunity to express myself and have unlimited opportunities to make a difference in the community.”

After graduation, Kanita plans to continue school and earn her Ph.D as well as work with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) or anywhere that will allow her to utilize her skills and continue learning about new things.

Welcome, Kanita to the Trap Family!

“It’s easy to stand in the crowd but it takes courage to stand alone” -Ghandi

Never in our wildest dreams would we have thought our cooking demonstrations would make such a great impact in the community so quickly.  Dr. Martin Luther King had a dream for peace and equality in America.  Our dream is to strengthen food sensitive communities by increasing the availability and access to healthy food options.  This past weekend, that dream continued on as we held our second cooking demonstration at Fisk University during their MLK Day of Service Event.  Giving away free groceries to the first 25 guest and a 10-piece cooking set generously donated by our friends at the Tennessee Department of Health.

Servicing the Fisk campus had a special meaning to Chef Rae Stelly as she is an alum of the University.  She shared her experiences on the campus as she gave a lesson on how to prepare Mexican Quinoa Chili (recipe below).  Reminiscing with the students about cooking meals in her dorm room using hot plates and cooking for her dorm room floor (no you are not suppose to have a hot plate in your dorm room but when you’re in college and a master chef, you have to get it how you live lol).   Community members had great questions for Chef Rae as she went through the cooking demo and she gave us all some great tips, tricks and knowledge.

Major shout out to all the Fiskites who helped setup, prepare Trap bags, and register attendees. Special thank you to Tashaye Woods for reaching out to Trap Garden to participate in the MLK Day of Service at Fisk and continuing to support our initiatives in the community.  Let’s all dedicate this year to turning our dreams into a reality.     

Our latest stop on our TGI Tour was Houston Texas for the SWAC Football Championship. The more universities we travel to and work hand-in-hand with, the more we realize the power we have to collectively grow something great. During the championship weekend the TGI Coalition visited Texas Southern University and assisted in their beautiful community garden. While it may have been a cloudy and gloomy day we had full support from community members and students from both Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University. From planting seeds to moving bricks, everyone got their hands dirty and the rain held off until we were finished putting in work!  

Be sure to check back for more updates on our blog as we continue our tour with Toyota Green Initiative. Next stop, CIAA Basketball Tournament in Charlotte NC, February 22 – 25th.

Enjoy this holiday season with your loved ones, eat your veggies! We’ll see you all next year! 

Our vision for servicing Food Desert communities is not only to teach people how to grow their own food but to also show them how to live healthier lifestyles.One way of doing this is by establishing our FREE Healthy Cooking Demonstrations. The goal of the cooking demonstrations is to educate community members on how eating HEALTHY can be AFFORDABLE and TASTE GOOD! 

A few months ago when we came up with the event we decided that Hadley Park Community Center would be the perfect location as it is in the middle of three HBCU’s (Fisk University, Meharry Medical College, and Tennessee State University) and on November 21st we hosted our first SOLD OUT cooking demonstration. We partnered with local Chef Rae Stelly to bring this vision to life and she did not disappoint! 

 The dish for the night was Cheddar Cream Cheese Polenta wrapped in Spinach and topped with Cajun Butternut Squash. Chef Rae Stelly really showed off her cooking skills as she answered questions and showed participants step-by-step how to prepare the dish; providing history and nutritional benefits of each ingredient along the way. While guest were reluctant to try initially, by the end of the night each sample was completely consumed and all attendees gave rave reviews.

The event felt more like a conversation about cooking with a group of friends than an educational demonstration. Everyone laughed, asked great questions, and Chef Rae told personal cooking stories about what inspired her to become a chef and her addiction to cheese (Ha!). At the end of the night as each community member left with their free groceries, they provided us with great feedback and looked forward to preparing the dish on their own.

If you were unable to attend the first event, don’t worry, you can still recreate the meal with the recipe provided at the bottom of this blog post. We plan on kicking off our demonstrations again in January and hope to have an event every month. 

In the meantime, if you’re ever in the need of a personal chef, you can contact Chef Rae Stelly via email at raenel_1@yahoo.com

People know when you’re real and genuine about the work you do in the community.  At the Magic City Classic in Birmingham, Alabama, Rob Veggies served as a panelist at West End Community Garden at Urban Ministries.  During the discussion he mentioned how some of our favorite rappers, singers, athletes and activists are shifting towards a healthier diet.  Artist like Waka Flocka and YG trying out vegan lifestyles and seeing the benefits.  Towards the end of the discussion, students from Miles College asked if a Trap Garden could be created at Miles.  You already know what our answer was…we’re trappin’ state to state.

While the students and attendees were inspired to build something great in their community, we were also inspired that day, not only by the students, but by the volunteers and panelist as well.  One of those panelist being Ama Shamulia, Wellness Programs Director at Urban Ministries.  Ama has an amazing spirit and her personal values and mission align directly with those of the Trap Garden.  She reminded us to always keep the community in the forefront of all of our initiatives as we continue to grow and expand.  Motivated by her words, ideas, and current community projects, we will be able to better serve our community by establishing programs that we consider to be best practices.

The Toyota Green Initiative is providing the Trap Garden with opportunities to meet other gardeners, social entrepreneurs, and community activist.  The ability to connect with other like-minded individuals and share resources and ideas will help our communities move forward in living a more sustainable lifestyle. 

Many individuals are unhappy with the current election results, but know that Trump can’t stop the Trap! As Mystikal said in the 97’ hit song “Make ‘Em Say Ugh”, “We won’t stop now.  We can’t stop. You can’t stop us so Trump don’t try.  We true soldiers and we don’t die.  We keep rollin!”  We remixed the song a little but you get the point.  Trap Still Boomin’!

Be sure to check back for more updates on our blog as we continue our tour with Toyota Green Initiative. Next stop, Florida Blue Classic in Orlando, FL, November 17 - 19th. 

AfroPunk's "Carnival of Consciousness" was unlike any other music festival I have ever attended. A collection of creative artist, both on and off stage, with positive vibes and dope styles. AfroPunk creates and environment where diverse groups of people can freely express themselves through fashion, art, music and social dialogue. From SZA to Tyler the Creator the entire event was Lit!  

Our AfroPunk weekend with Toyota Green Initiative (TGI) kicked off with a community service event. TGI Coalition members, Trap Garden and AfroPunk volunteers worked on multiple projects at Truly Living Well (TLW) like mulching, composting and cleaning debris around the garden space. I really enjoyed getting to know the TGI volunteers while we got our hands dirty. Truly Living Well has created a local sustainable food system to service the Atlanta community. We started the service project with words from a representative of TLW, Mr. Smalls (who I now call my Triple OG in the garden game), who compared me to the great Ron Finley and reminded all of us that change must start with LOVE. 

Once we wrapped up at TLW we made our way to the AfroPunk Music Festival Toyota Green Initiative booth where we demonstrated some easy DIY projects and fun informative games to festival goers. Educating everyone who stopped by on the importance of going green and living a healthier lifestyle.

Trap Garden created and played a game with guests entitled “The Snack is Right” which illustrated the pricing and nutritional differences of a corner store offering healthy products compared to another store offering less healthy options. The game was a big hit; I was shocked to see how many people were genuinely interested in learning more about healthy snack items that are affordable and tasty.

After the demonstrations ended, it was time to really 'turn up' and enjoy the rest of the musical artist at the event.  If you have not experienced AfroPunk before, I definitely recommend you add it to your festival lists in the future. You will not be disappointed. 

Be sure to check back for more updates on our blog as we continue our tour with Toyota Green Initiative. Next stop, Magic City Classic in Birmingham, AL, October 27th - 29th. 

The Trap is Booming! The Trap Garden has partnered with the Toyota Green Initiative to bring to you some dope, creative, and feasible ways to adopt a more Eco-friendly and healthy lifestyle. We are so blessed and excited for this opportunity to travel and share the Trap Mission with people all over the U.S.

 Toyota has allowed for us (along with some other awesome organizations), to create our own events and activities; and trust me when I say this experience will be 'lit' for all who attend. We've been working hard to develop these activities so that they are fun but also change the way that we think about eating.

From community service projects to DIY activities we got you covered.  If you will be attending any of the events listed make sure you are on the look out for Trap Garden.

Our first stop is Atlanta Georgia for AfroPunk Festival. Be sure to check back for blog updates as the tour continues!

Guest writer and creator of Latetorehearsal.wordpress.com, Courtney Carroll, shares her experience and thoughts on launching a Trap Garden in Cincinnati, Ohio:

When an idea manifests into a movement, the creator must have power. The creator must set aside normalcy and see the potential that being unique brings.

The Trap Garden made its move all the way to Cincinnati, Oh and Victory Deliverance Ministries Cincinnati indulged in the unique art of gardening. The young people at my church were given the opportunity to plant flowers around our growing ministry to give it some pizazz. Rob Veggie's, immediate responses and flexible schedule helped to nurture the horticultural side of me. I wanted to share Trap Garden with the youth because it isn’t every day you see a young successfully individual doing something that they love. I wanted our young people to think outside of the box and to not be afraid to get their hands dirty, literally.

The youth at VDMC were so excited! The amount of soil thrown, shovels digging, and plethora of questions that were asked can’t be recorded! After they watched the Trap Garden video they pointed to it saying “THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DOING?”, “YAY!”, “WE HAVE THOSE SHIRTS!”.  I enjoyed them seeing other children that they could relate to doing something that can’t be found on everyone’s snap chat or social media timeline. It changed their perspective about their own abilities.

I believe in this brand and I believe in what it teaches all of us. We should never limit ourselves to what the world says we should be. We must take risk and go beyond barriers for the young people following our paths. Trap Garden is not only investing in others to be independent financially, it is pulling old roots of normalcy and planting seeds of individuality. 

Leading up to the launch of our Learning Tree Academy site was a stressful time.  I was stressed to the MAX! I'm talking eye twitching, pacing around the room at night, no sleep stressed.  From scheduling conflicts, to delivery delays, and this crazy Nashville weather we experienced it all.BUT...God blessed us with a great team of people who, like me, wanted to see this Trap BOOM!

Mark Lollis from the Metro Public Health Department did everything possible to ensure we had all the tools and equipment we needed and helped prep the area at 5am the day of the event.  The Learning Tree Academy team came ready to work with plenty of snacks for the volunteers and Lauren Mechetner from Starbucks brought a great squad of Starbucks volunteers that were not afraid to get down and dirty in the Trap!  

Collectively they all made this a dope event and I consider them a part of the Trap Family now.  Team work is the true key to success.

It doesn't take much to grow your own...Check out this quick video on growing in small places and spaces.

Planting season is now in full effect! I recently had the opportunity to speak to an amazing group of kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Middle Tennessee and get them excited about planting.  The energy at the event was infectious and the kids were so excited to plant their watermelon, tomatoes, and squash in their raised garden beds.  

To be honest, I was nervous going into the event.  I always do a great job interacting with kids but I wanted to make sure I could keep them engaged and have fun throughout the entire process. I kicked off the event with a small exercise to get the group going; that helped to calm my nerves and get the young growers fired up. 

The kick-off was a great success and the highlight of the day was watching a young Trap Gardener teach her fellow peer the exact same planting method I taught her.  By the end of the day, I'd lost my voice from laughing and talking to so many kids and felt even more inspired to continue spreading the initiative in the community. 

 We are so grateful for the opportunity to work with the Boys & Girls Club of Middle TN on Earth Day and can not wait to visit again.

Side Note - I lost pretty badly to a 3rd grader on the Foosball table so I have to go back and get a rematch soon! 

Last October I attended an event at The Garden Brunch Cafe and shared my passion for growing and the future of the Trap Garden with a group of dreamers.  A few days following the event one of the owners of the cafe contacted me about meeting to discuss setting up a garden at the restaurant.  

After months of planning with The Garden Brunch team, I am happy to announce the first official community partnership for the Trap Garden!  

This past weekend, we built raised garden beds at the site in front of a long line of guest waiting to enjoy a great meal at the restaurant.  I can not lie, it was hard to complete the project with the smell of Fish and Grits in the air but we made it happen. We can't wait for the Garden Brunch Cafe chefs to begin harvesting fresh, organic, tomatoes, herbs and peppers from their garden. 

If you are ever in the area be sure to check out the Garden Brunch Cafe on Jefferson Street!

The Trap Garden is my solution to helping urban communities grow fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables.  I want people in our communities to have an OPTION to choose between a bag of chips and an apple.  We all deserve that option...lets show them that we can create change!

I am working to give my own creative process the same care and nurture I do with other projects.  Nothing I want to do with the Trap Garden is going to come easy or overnight...but I have VISION, a PLAN, and PASSION.

Honestly, even if a healthier alternative was available, It’s hard to spend $1.00 for an apple when I can get a Blue Juice, bag of Frooties and .25 cent bag of chips all for the same price.

The corner store provided everything that I wanted but not what my body always needed.  Growing up I can’t really remember seeing an apple or banana in the store at all.

The name says convenience store but we called it the corner store and the owner was the candy lady.  7:00 am walking to elementary school me and my crew would wait in a long line to order up the neighborhood treat.  "Doritos with chili and cheese please", and if you have a little extra change you would grab a bag of Frooties to get you through class and after school it was the same routine. 

The home of my youth...I learned how to ride my first bike on the back lot, kicked it with my friends on the front lawn and everything I needed at the time from the candy store, to my barbershop and school was in a three block radius.

Dani (or D.Veggies) has been putting in work in the Trap since the beginning.  From hearing my "Random Rob Rant's" on the long drive to the grocery store to helping make the decision on what should be planted for our first Spring crop.  She is included in every decision made and has been very supportive throughout the entire process.

Side Note - She is stealing my swag and wearing overalls in the Trap Garden as well.  

For the last three months I have been trying to get a logo created for the Trap Garden and after many failed designs, multiple graphic designers, and a lot of frustration it is finally complete.  

I never thought it would be so difficult to bring my vision to life.  I am sure I was driving my designer crazy with all of my ideas and changes but I wanted something that was a good representation of myself, and the Trap Garden.  I could not just settle for just any design.

I am happy to be able to share this design and thankful for the creator who was able to bring my vision to life.  I wanted something that was simple but stands out.  Something that was not your average garden logo.  Special shout out to all of my friends for putting up with all of my "Rob Rants" throughout the process.

"Man I remember I couldn't get into any clubs.  I don't know why...one day it would be the dress code and the next day it would be something else.  Then I told myself that I would never wait in line for a club again and haven't since." - Robert "Black Rob" Higgins

The homie Black Rob recently visited the Trap Garden and had a long conversation with me about motivation, failure, and his vision for the future.

The moment you get sick and tired of being sick and tired and make the decision to do something about it is when change happens!

I am always excited about the feedback I get from people who come out to the Trap Garden.  Special thanks to Evony Thompson for coming through and putting in work while also sharing her own personal dreams with me.  I should have known that she wanted to be a veterinarian by how excited she was to see goats on the farm. 

I low-key wanted to talk crazy about the Tennessee Titans after she informed me that she was a cheerleader for the team but I will save that for another day.

The rule in the Trap Garden is if you come out to the Trap you have to put in work...No free passes!  Both Tim (Pro Sports Trainer) and India (Public Health Specialist) came out to the Trap fresh off of work and got dirty while learning about the initiative.  

Salute to both of them for putting in work!

"The Three things that have guided me along the way thus far in life is having the courage to chase my dreams no matter where the path takes me, the resiliency to continue that path when times get rough, and having the drive to take it to the next level when needed" - wise words from Danny D. Glover.

Danny Glover and the Stay on the Go Magazine team came to the Trap Garden and hung out with us.  As we put in work and bagged up basil they interviewed me about the garden and it's future.  I can't lie I was super excited for the opportunity and appreciate them for sharing my vision with others.

What started as a 7:00 AM text message from a close friend for an interview has turned into a documentary series based on the Trap Garden.  After our interview she changed her entire Graduate thesis to focus on Food Deserts and the Trap Garden.  

One conversation can change everything...

My mother always told me you have two ears and one mouth for a reason, LISTEN more than you SPEAK. I have had the opportunity to learn from many community growers.  I always appreciate the chance to learn from seasonsed growers and today was no different.  

"What is this?!?!" Today's visitor, Maia, had a million and one questions about the Trap Garden's seasonal veggies.  Maia put in a lot of work in the garden all while remixing Nicki Minaj's 'Beez in the Trap', lol. 

Do something that matters!!! Plant some ssshhhhh......

Thankful for the opportunity to work with The United Way today and build raised garden beds at a local school in Nashville.  These garden beds will be used by students, and parents.  Looking forward to working on other initiatives with this organization.

Great conversation with the homie Biggie in the Trap Garden.  As we discussed my vision for the Trap Garden he continued to remind me that success is always in the details and to be patient.  

I know that I must respect the process as we continue to grow. 

Blake Nathan of the Educate Me Foundation stopping by the Trap Garden today. We discussed our dreams and visions for the future and then I told him to plant some sh*t.  

Learn more about Blake's organization, Educate Me, here.

I was so pissed off at my local Kroger grocery store at the beginning of the year that I decided to grow my own herbs and vegetables.  Now I can shop out of my own garden.

Cabbage, squash, tomatoes, banana peppers, and mint all from the Trap Garden.  

Nothing means more to me than making my family proud.  From grandparents to cousins I have received major support for the Trap Garden initiative.  Pictured here are my two little sisters and father.  I couldn't help but smile hard while giving them a tour. 

After weeks of watering and weeding we finally begin to see progress in the Trap Garden. The hard work and early mornings are starting to pay off.  I am definitely learning to be more patient and to respect the process as I continue to grow and nurture the garden.

While on the hunt to find available land and space to grow my own fruits and vegetables a family friend, who later became a gardening mentor, introduced me to the community garden located at Tennessee State University.  

Here the Trap Garden was created and with the help of my mentor I have learned a lot in a short amount of time but I still have so much more to learn. Teamwork makes the dream work!

This one very simple idea changed everything.  An idea that came from frustration and anger grew into a solution to a major problem.