Fighting the Food Desert, with Christa Barfield
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
This week on CHEF Radio Podcast, host Eli Kulp sits down with Christa Barfield, head farmer at Farmer Jawn Community Greenhouses and owner of Viva Leaf Tea Company.
In this two part interview, Eli and Christa talk about regenerative agriculture and food insecurity while attending the Food Forever Event at Pocono Organics. They continue their interview online to discuss food injustice, specifically in Northwest Philadelphia, and how Farmer Jawn’s CSA is fighting food insecurity with intense organization and local, organic produce. Check them out at @FarmerJawnPhilly on Instagram.
Eli Kulp: [00:00:00] Hey everyone. It's Eli. Welcome back to the CHEF Radio podcast. Well, two days before Christmas. Who else is scrambling to get everything they need besides me? I hope that all of you enjoy the snow last week. It looks like we have some decent weather this week for Christmas. Not sure how many people are traveling, but it's such a weird time.
My parents actually came in last week and they spent a week quarantining before they got their negative tests. They flew out from Seattle. So that was a lovely to have them here and celebrate, uh, look forward to celebrating with them over the, over the holiday.
So, yeah, this week we have Christa Barfield who I've talked about her on the podcast at times. I don't remember how much, but she is a really ambitious [00:01:00] young lady. She's Philadelphia through and through. She really came across the idea of farming in Martinique, where she was traveling and she was a healthcare professional, and we'll get more into that in the, in the podcast itself. But her story is so cool, what she's doing to really bring CSA and good local farming to, uh, where she is, where she grew up in Germantown area of Philadelphia.
She's got such great ideas and she's got a love for what she's doing. And I really felt that we could have a great conversation about that and I want people to know who she is and what she's doing so you can support her and this awesome endeavor she's on. This is a two part interview. You're going to hear us kind of chatting, um, which is recent just the other day.
And then we're going to kind of rewind a little bit. And we did a interview at the [00:02:00] Pocono Organics Farm at PoconoOorganics out in, uh, Long Pond, New York for the Food Forever event, and you're going to hear us talk during that, and then we're going to come back and you're gonna hear us follow up with the rest of the podcast.
I do have to say we're, we're back to virtual because of COVID. So the sound quality might change during the, the podcast at times. So I apologize, but that is just the way the world is right now. So without further ado, Here's Chris Barfield.
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Hey everyone. Welcome back to the CHEF Radio podcast. We are in the month of December now, Christmas is right around the corner. We have a holiday version of the CHEF Radio podcast and our guests joining us today is none other than Christa Barfield of, well, a Philadelphia resident first and foremost, a proud one, but also the founder. And what are you the president? No head farmer. I don't even know what you are.
Christa Barfield: [00:03:40] Head farmer
Eli Kulp: [00:03:42] Head Farmer of Farmer Jawn
Christa Barfield: [00:03:45] Yes.
Eli Kulp: [00:03:46] And also she owns Viva Leaf Tea Company right here in, uh, Philadelphia. Uh, Christa, welcome, well it really back to the CHEF radio podcast.
Christa Barfield: [00:03:59] Yeah. Thanks. [00:04:00] Thanks for having me always a pleasure.
Eli Kulp: [00:04:02] Always a pleasure. I appreciate that. I, um, you know, I, I saw on your Instagram posts, you know, all the people that you were thankful for and, you know, this year has been insane to say the least, and we're kind of coming up on the end of it.
Yeah. And you, uh, you tagged me in that. And I was, I was thinking like, wow, like, I'm thankful for you guys as well, because you know what you guys are doing at, uh, Farmer Jawn and, uh, you know, Viva Leaf Tea Company is nothing short of amazing and, uh, thoughtful and meaningful. And, you know, to give, to give the audience kind of just a little tidbit, because we're gonna, we're gonna also to listen to the original recording that we did at Pocono organic when we originally talked and we're gonna do a little rewind in a couple of minutes on the podcast to kind of go over that, but the audience for right now, tell a little bit about what [00:05:00] a Farmer Jawn is and what you're doing there.
Christa Barfield: [00:05:03] Yeah. I mean, honestly, Farmer Jawn overall is the concept that focuses on growing food. We're generatively, organically, uh, for the masses, introducing people to this idea of a better way of farming and a better way of consuming food with a heavy focus on marginalized and underserved communities, which obviously for the most part means Black and Brown communities.
And being as though that is where I'm from, I am a German town native of Philadelphia, so it's important that as I have been growing up and seeing how the changes and how, you know, lack of food and food deserts, uh, have affected my community is something that I want to definitely focus on. But overall, everybody needs to just be consuming more, a hundred percent organic food because it's going to change the planet.
Eli Kulp: [00:05:59] A hundred percent. [00:06:00] So what was it like growing up in that area of Philadelphia? Can you explain kind of what it was growing up and what it is today? What are some of the challenges that the people living in that neighborhood or that section of Philadelphia, um, experience on a day-to-day basis.
Christa Barfield: [00:06:18] Certainly. So, I mean, there, aren't a lot of nice grocery stores in the area. I wouldn't, I wouldn't even say we actually have a nice grocery store. So I live right off of Germantown Avenue, the house that I'm in now, um, I've lived in for 10 years, but I've lived in multiple parts of Germantown growing up as a kid, um, having my own house and that's where I'm at now.
And I honestly don't see myself living in another part of the city just because I love it so much. And I'm there sticking with it through and through all the changes through it being impoverished on one side of the block, to it being gentrified on the other. Um, that's very much what this area is.
Um, Northwest Philadelphia is transforming and [00:07:00] changing and there currently are so many pockets of food desert and specifically what a food desert is defined as, is any area where a resident can not walk to a grocery store or a grocery store is not within one mile of where we're living. And the options that are in these marginalized and underserved communities, and the reason why they are considered underserved, is because there are a plethora of a corner stores.
Or in other areas, uh, like places like New York, they call them Bodegas, there is such an influx of these places. Uh, these businesses where there's nothing but processed foods, there's nothing but people, but them cooking the food in such a way that's unhealthy. Even if it is a tomato, now it's on a cheese steak so we just canceled out the nutrients. So, yeah, that's pretty much what you're dealing with in an area where I live.
Eli Kulp: [00:07:55] Okay. Now Mount Airy kind of butts up [00:08:00] against Chestnut Hill and Germantown Avenue kind of runs through both of those. I mean, the difference between Chestnut Hill and then further down Germantown Avenue is striking. Chestnut Hill being very affluent, uh, kind of old money, stately homes, beautiful businesses, kind of that quaint uh, really sort of, um, kind of a special place in Philadelphia that a lot of people don't know because it's far, pretty far from center city.
Christa Barfield: [00:08:32] Yeah, it's charming.
Eli Kulp: [00:08:33] Very charming, very charming, and you know, to, to drive further on Germantown Avenue and seeing the disparity is pretty striking and you know what you're doing to make these small steps, these small inroads, into educating people about bringing healthy food to, to them. And you're doing CSA. Is that [00:09:00] right?
Christa Barfield: [00:09:01] I'm operating a CFA. That is a main part of how we do business. And definitely, um, expanding upon that so that we can touch not only the people where our farm is located up in Elkins park, but that we can, you know, make affect change on the people that are in the neighborhoods where we're from.
Eli Kulp: [00:09:17] So how far is Elkins park, where the, where your, um, main farm is now to Germantown?
Christa Barfield: [00:09:23] It's a 15 minute drive.
Eli Kulp: [00:09:25] So it's, it's relatively close.
Christa Barfield: [00:09:26] Yeah,
Eli Kulp: [00:09:27] THat's great. I mean, that's one benefit of urban farming, I guess your, uh, your travel time is cut way down. And we're going to talk a little bit more about the challenges of urban farming, but before we get to that, I want to sort of rewind here a little bit and. Uh, the listeners are going to hear our original interview, which took place at the Pocono organics Farm in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, and during the Food Forever event, which was featured on our, I think it was [00:10:00] our second episode this season, where we had talked to quite a few different people up there about, you know, their roles in regenerative organic, and I think it was really eyeopening for myself. And I think you also experienced that kind of feeling being there. And we're gonna get to more of that as well.
So go ahead. And, uh, we're going to have a quick listen. Uh, it's about 12 minute conversation talking, uh, in September at the Pocono Organics.
All right, everybody. Uh, we have, uh, really impressive next guest, I will say, uh, Christa Barfield. How are you?
Christa Barfield: [00:10:40] I'm well, how are you?
Eli Kulp: [00:10:41] Good. Welcome to the CHEF Radio podcast. Welcome to Pocono Organics and this awesome Food Forever event. So, uh, for those of you out there who don't know Christa, you are a farmer here in the Philadelphia area, right?
Christa Barfield: [00:10:56] Correct.
Eli Kulp: [00:10:57] Yeah. So what else? Like tell everybody about [00:11:00] it?
Christa Barfield: [00:11:00] So, um, my name is Christa Barfield. I am a native of Philadelphia and a farmer healthcare professional turned farmer recently about two years ago. And, uh, Farmer Jawn community greenhouses is located in Elkins park, right outside of Philadelphia, but a couple of minutes out away.
And, um, my focus is to help combat food insecurity and food injustices in and around Philadelphia. Um, but especially in Northwest Philly, that is where I'm from. And so, um, you know, the whole hub of Germantown and Mount Airy and, uh, those being marginalized communities and having a lot of Black and Brown folks who pretty much exist in a food desert and I am making plans to help combat that along with some other uh, food injustice related
Eli Kulp: [00:11:45] events.
Really amazing.
Christa Barfield: [00:11:46] Yeah.
Eli Kulp: [00:11:47] Yeah. Good for you. Yeah. Uh, so you grew up there, right? You've seen it. You grew up with it around you. At what point, what was the, um, point where you're like, you know, I, I would like to do something about this and thinking about [00:12:00] how.
Christa Barfield: [00:12:00] You know, actually I traveled working in healthcare for 10 years. I did a quick pivot, uh, in 2018 and decided to travel, uh, quit my job and just travel. So I did that. I went to Martinique and where I had an experience with some farmers that were out there, family of Black farmers who opened my eyes to CSA and what that meant to grow food for people directly, what that meant for you to know your actual farmer and be able to connect with them on a personal level and, um, know that your food is being grown sustainably and organically.
So I did some research when I got back home just about that. Having never seen it in Philadelphia. And so find out we had so many different farms that did CFAs locally, and I wanted to recreate that. Being as though I'm from Philadelphia, I'm from Germantown, specifically born and raised there. And I went to private school.
I had a really pretty good upbringing and still to not have known anything about a CSA. Um, being amongst others in my community. [00:13:00] And I knew that I needed to bring this to them so that those Black and Brown folks that don't know anything about a CSA, I need to do my part to make sure that they know more about it.
Eli Kulp: [00:13:09] Awesome. Very cool. And, uh, you, you're doing this through, um, You're doing this through your farm and in everything else you have going on. So what's tell me about the farm.
Christa Barfield: [00:13:21] Yeah. So, um, the farm really started as a small four by six greenhouse in my backyard. Uh, yeah, it actually was a gift from a friend and, uh, we erected that greenhouse back there and started growing herbs and then I needed some land.
So I did a lot of research and trying to find like how's where can I find land and where can I get it from um, that was affordable being as though we don't have a bunch of money and land is expensive. Um, so I actually found a community farm space out in Roxborough section of the city. So still Northwest and had a couple square feet.
It was about a thousand square feet at first. Now we have 2,500 square feet where we have been growing this [00:14:00] whole beginning of the year. So taking our plants from the greenhouse and transplanting them out there, uh, and realizing that we had a lot more space. So we were going to start growing for people and actually individuals. And, uh, so that's what we did. We started our CSA of 10 families and, uh, just, yeah, actually the beginning of this year.
Eli Kulp: [00:14:19] This year and, um, big summer for you, right? Yet you, you grew into another facility, a lot of growth in a lot of different, different ways, different, different meanings of that word. So, um, and now you have a spot now in Elkins Park?
Christa Barfield: [00:14:35] We do. Yes. We have a spot in Elkins park that is almost a full acre. It is 40,000 square feet of greenhouse specifically. And right now we're starting to grow into this 4,500 square foot house. Um, but there's so much more land to really dig into, but we're in the beginning, but we were able to take that greenhouse and increase our CSA allotment to 50 people.
Eli Kulp: [00:14:57] So for people out there wondering like, what is [00:15:00] a farm have to do with social justice? Like, what's, what's the point of that because it doesn't make sense.
Christa Barfield: [00:15:06] Definitely. So local farming, so social justice, farms have a responsibility to be the people that are around them. Social justice is specifically food injustices are when food deserts exist.
And where organic healthy options are not available or affordable. Um, and that's an egregious act in my opinion, to have a supermarket that is pumped with food that is full of chemicals or does offer organic food, but it's way too expensive. Um, so Farmer Jawn strives to have affordable options that are closer to the city, um, for people who normally wouldn't even think twice about the chemicals that are in their food. So we're providing education as well.
Eli Kulp: [00:15:46] You have a farmer's market as well. Right? You bring in a lot of great, fresh produce. How are people taking to that in that area?
Christa Barfield: [00:15:52] You know, it's been really awesome. The people in the general area of Elkins park have really taken really well to it. They love us being there, but it's really [00:16:00] great for me to see the people that are coming to see me in that area, from where I'm from.
So from Germantown, I've had people come from West Philly, um, and specifically Black and Brown folks who were like, you know, we recognize that we need this. You recognize that you're doing great work and we want to support you in any way that we can. So we're going to travel, uh, no matter how, whatever the distance is to come see you. So that's been great.
Eli Kulp: [00:16:23] For people that don't know what Jawn.
Christa Barfield: [00:16:26] Jawn, jawn, jawn.
Can't see
Eli Kulp: [00:16:31] my jaw doesn't do that motion, John. John. So not Philly. What is jawn?
Christa Barfield: [00:16:38] A jawn is defined as a person place or thing. So it's literally anything, uh, anything
Eli Kulp: [00:16:45] a noun, so anything so, uh, that microphone?
Christa Barfield: [00:16:51] That's a jawn. Everything, table, you.
[00:17:00] Eli Kulp: [00:17:00] So we're, we're here today at Pocono Organics. Talk about, uh, a farm, right? This place is places insane. What was it that, um, how did you find out about the event and why did you wanna be here?
Christa Barfield: [00:17:13] I originally received an email about this event. And, uh, after just reading it and talking about Food Forever and, you know, sustainability practices and how we care for our soil and all the things that are important to me, um, and bringing organic foods to people that just being so important, I was like, okay. It was a no brainer. Like I immediately was like, Oh yeah, I'm RSVPing to this.
So, um, so that was the first, um, knowledge that I gained about this event. And then the second time was actually coming to an event that you put on Eli, and I'm a meeting, another individual that was telling me about it. And I was like, okay.
Yeah, I'm already RSVP for it. And then again, after speaking with you a week after your event, and you're like, yeah, you should come to this. And I was like, I'm already RVSPed.
Eli Kulp: [00:17:57] No like stop bugging me. I've already in it.
[00:18:00] Christa Barfield: [00:18:01] Absolutely had to be here. And, uh, and I'm really happy to just be here after seeing, I haven't even gotten dug deep into the the property, but just seeing these are a family of greenhouses. Um, I know there's more land, but just what we walk up on was a bunch of greenhouses and it's just like, that's what we have. And so it's great to be able to come into a place that's been here for much longer. There's a ton of experience and a lot to learn here. So I'm really happy and I'm just honored to be here.
Eli Kulp: [00:18:30] That's great. Now. I mean, you're a relatively young farmer, young in age, but also young in it, like you're learning. Right. So you mentioned learning just now. I mean, what type of, what type of things do you think you can learn from, uh, all the events like this and the importance of, of biodiversity and also regenerative agriculture. Like what, what are the other things that you're looking forward to learning and hearing about?
Christa Barfield: [00:18:54] You know, everything specifically growing outside is very different from [00:19:00] growing indoors. So growing in these greenhouses, Um, the temperature changes can shift at a drop of a dime, like really quickly, um, and things can die very quickly.
That was nice to just be able to, to learn more about like how they're keeping their ceilings alive, how are they doing it at such a large scale? Um, cause like I said, I started growing in a greenhouse, but it's a really tiny one. So to now be on a much larger scale, having going from a 4500 and now eventually expanding to the full 40,000 square feet, I want to make sure that I'm keeping my crops alive and I'm doing it in organic and a sustainable way. So I know that they have a lot to teach me.
Eli Kulp: [00:19:35] I'm sure there'll be happy to teach you as well. Uh, have you been introduced to the Rodale Institute yet?
Christa Barfield: [00:19:41] Not yet, no. Looking forward to it. I read all through the program today so I got to get to know this people..
Okay.
Eli Kulp: [00:19:49] Now they're great. You know, they, they, they would do, uh, they happy to. Yeah, we'll bring you in to what they do and you know, into their facilities. So let's see what [00:20:00] else? Um, you're what about a couple of years into this farming? Right.
Christa Barfield: [00:20:05] I actually resigned from my job in January of 2018. Um, it took me a while I knew exactly that I was going to come home and start growing after my trip. Um, and it just was a matter of, of logistics, like finding exactly where I was going to do it, how it was going to do it. So, yeah, just, uh, just over two years.
Eli Kulp: [00:20:22] I mean, your, the trajectory here is pretty intense. Um, what is, what has been the key to your success as far as you know, I just learned about you. Well, I think three different people like mentioned, you mentioned you to me. Um, I know that, uh, Hope Cohen, uh, was somebody who mentioned you also. And then, um, my business partner, Ellen, what, what has been the success, your success in, in kind of getting the word out there and people finding you? People are really excited about what you're doing so
Christa Barfield: [00:20:55] yeah, they are and it's, and I'm really humbled for that as well. It's really just been, [00:21:00] um, exposure, obviously social media is leaps and bounds of the main reason why I'm able to get my story out, but at a surface level, that's just what I do. And then it comes to all the media attention that I've been gaining, um, from the Inquirer article that I had, we, I also own Viva Leaf Tea Company.
And so that really is what started and helped um, catapult me into Farmer Jawn, and give us the revenue to be able to get into Farmer Jawn and, and move into these larger greenhouses as well. Um, but that article was read by the actual owner of the greenhouse property that I'm on. And that is what started the whole, uh, Farmer Jawn community greenhouses.
So he, you know, introduced himself via email and asked that I come visit these, this property and the rest is history.
Eli Kulp: [00:21:47] That's crazy. Yeah. Planting those little seeds. Right. And you never know what's gonna come.
Christa Barfield: [00:21:51] Um,
Eli Kulp: [00:21:52] well, good for you. Uh, I don't want to keep too much of your time, so I know there's a lot going on. Um, so, uh, if people don't [00:22:00] already know how to find you, how are they going to go and find you out there?
Christa Barfield: [00:22:03] Yeah. So Farmer Jawn community greenhouses is located at 770 Jenkintown Road in Elkins Park, 19027. We actually also just opened a, another brick and mortar. Um, our Viva Leaf Tea Company did in Mount Airy.
Um, yeah, we did. So we just celebrated our opening last Sunday. And that is at 6730 Germantown Avenue, 19119.
Eli Kulp: [00:22:26] Close in Chris's neighborhood.
Christa Barfield: [00:22:27] Oh yeah. Uptown.
Eli Kulp: [00:22:30] What's your Instagram.
Christa Barfield: [00:22:32] Our Instagram is @FarmerJawnPhilly. Yes. Make sure you get that right. Farmer, Jawn J a w N Philly. Uh, that's how you get to us and message us. Email us info@farmerjohnphilly.com
Eli Kulp: [00:22:47] and when are your farmers markets?
Christa Barfield: [00:22:49] Yeah, so we're open every weekend. It's Friday from 12 noon to 7:00 PM and Saturday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. And we'll also be opening up Sundays very soon [00:23:00] as well as we get into the holiday season. So look for that the first weekend of October, which is only next week.
Eli Kulp: [00:23:06] All right. Here we are. Okay, cool. Well, thanks for stepping in the studio.
Christa Barfield: [00:23:12] Thank you, Eli.
Eli Kulp: [00:23:16] All right.
Hey, I'll just want to take a quick break, give a shout out. Uh, the old pro bono, shout out to some great people doing great things here in Philadelphia. This week I wanted to highlight the People's Kitchen. It is a program that's been set up by the owners of South Philly Barbacoa, Ben and Christina, and the People's Kitchen is a food security and employment survival project.
And that's in collaboration, what they're doing at South Philly Barbacoa. Now what they're doing there is that they're keeping people employed. They're keeping the lights on in one of their locations and they're feeding people in need. They're doing amazing things. You can check out their [00:24:00] Instagram @People'sKitchen.
You can look up the website, they really need donations. They go a long way right now. And. I know that it's not just, you know, food that you would kind of see normally be served on the street. These are talented chefs going in with passionate cooks and they're using a product that's been donated by people to pull this off.
So if you want to go and donate to a really great cause, especially during the holidays right now, it totally makes sense. Check out People's Kitchen or the 215 People's Kitchen. You can look it up online, just Google it and you'll see what they're all about. So awesome good job guys. Really, really setting an example here in Philadelphia. So definitely deserve the pro bono shout out. Back to the show.
All right. So we're back [00:25:00] now. I hope everybody enjoyed that conversation. Um, we were actually sitting in the conference room at Pocono Organics and having multiple people stop by and, um, you know, some really great conversations and met some really phenomenal people being there. So. I want to get back to kind of where we were going with that conversation about, you know, the food deserts and kind of the um, the real mission that you have.
At what point was it that you, you just said, and I know we talked about in the last interview, kind of like you go into Martinique and, you know, kind of, you know, quitting your job and saying, this is what I want to do. Uh, so we don't either, we don't really need to rehash that, but like, what was the, what was for you making this decision to leave your, your former career and really pursue uh, this urban farming dream. What was the [00:26:00] one thing that said I'm doing this? Like, what was the catalyst for saying I'm jumping in both feet and I don't know where it's going to go, but we're going to try?
Christa Barfield: [00:26:08] I mean, honestly, yeah, it does directly tie in with the trip to Martinique for sure. Um, and coming home and just knowing that I was wanting to grow, uh, and then having this smaller greenhouse that I've had in my backyard, um, since 2019, and just really starting to delve into the, actually since 2018, excuse me. And really just starting to delve into if I can grow. Um, and then once I was like, okay, like, I read it. I was like, okay, I got this.
Eli Kulp: [00:26:36] Weren't killing everything right?
Christa Barfield: [00:26:38] Right. It's a little water. Some sun. Yeah. Like some change of direction on some plans. Okay. I got this. Um, and then it ended up me getting this land that I happened upon just by doing a field trip with my daughter.
And then I found some land that was in Roxborough area of Philadelphia. So I was like, all right, let me start growing more herbs [00:27:00] here and moving on from just growing herbs, I had so much space. I'm like, all right, I can let me, let me move into the CSA aspects where I can actually start growing food. And then once I got a hang of that and I was like, I'm just going to do it.
Let's just do it. I reached out. Kind of just like put out what I was doing on, um, the living in Germantown page, the people on Facebook. And I knew that I only wanted to take 10 families and then, and like within no time I had my families. So I was like, all right, great. Like now we're rolling. So now we're doing this.
Eli Kulp: [00:27:35] You know, with food deserts, you know, I think what they, what they do is they, it's almost like an enabling process and well, it's, it's this really bad cycle of cheap processed food and the food that they're cooking in them, whether it's a lot of fried food, um, you know, it's all frozen product. It's not high quality, definitely not [00:28:00] organic. Definitely is it? It's the old kind of race to the bottom who can sell it for the cheapest mentality, because listen, we all know that a lot of the people live in these communities.
A lot of them are, you know, unemployed or don't have the money can't afford it. And so that, you know, this is what they can afford. Now, your goal was to kind of bring it to them, fresh vegetables, but do it in a way that, uh, or at a, at a price point that they could afford, uh, when you're, when you're kind of competing against, you know, the price point that people are able to afford versus growing in organic fashion, making sure that you can still afford to keep the lights on.
How do you balance that, that challenge between affordability, quality and price point?
Christa Barfield: [00:28:50] Yeah, it really comes down to having a solid business plan first and foremost. Um, but the way that I look at organic food is that I'm not using chemicals. There's no [00:29:00] herbicides, there's no pesticides, so I'm not paying for any of those.
Those are very expensive additives and we're just not using them. So our approach is more just having a bird's eye view on the crops and really taking care of them at soil level. So. For me, I want to normalize organic food costing what everything else that is being offered out here cost. And that's super important to me.
I actually did a walk through the neighborhood, um, with a good friend of mine, also a, a farmer and activist in Germantown, uh, named David Rose. And we did a walkthrough to a couple of different corner stores and really just asking if they would consider carrying fresh food that was grown locally, whether it be grown from another local, a local farm or from us, or from, even from these organic gardens that are in the area, the community gardens.
Those the neighborhood could potentially be growing food that's going into the corner stores. [00:30:00] And their main concern was the cost. They were like, Oh no, we wouldn't do that because we can't guarantee that we're going to be able to sell it. And if we're buying it and we can't sell it, like that's not good for us.
So that's why they have these foods that are processed in a box, that are canned. And, um, and the only thing that they're keeping uh, readily available is lettuce, tomatoes because who doesn't love a good BLT. And so I'm guilty of that. If I go to a corner store, I know what I'm getting. It's gonna be a BLT.
Um, so therefore things like that, that they know they can sell. They'll carry onions, you know, those types of pickles, but they're not gonna, you know, have ginger and rutabaga and radish because nobody, even in those areas, unfortunately even knows how to cook them.
Eli Kulp: [00:30:49] That's the other challenge, right? Because a lot of people are afraid scared to cook these products because they've never used them. They don't know what to do. And you know, that's [00:31:00] another challenge in, you know, green markets around have, have helped to figure that question out by having people often cooking some of the food at the markets, but. If you're putting them into a corner store and you know, people are used to this and you know, maybe there's, maybe there's some creative ways to introduce product to those stores in a way that people feel more comfortable.
But yeah, it is a big challenge and you know, but it's small steps, right? You're doing the right steps. You're, you're taking the initiative to find out kind of what the, you know, what the reaction is in these, from these owners at the corner store, but then also then taking that data and trying to figure out, well, maybe there's a way to do it.
So I applaud you for that. That's, that's amazing to hear that you did that.
Christa Barfield: [00:31:54] Thank you.
Eli Kulp: [00:31:54] Well, you know, we talked about organic and I know that you [00:32:00] took a trip up to, uh, the Rodale Institute in Kutztown, PA. And I think you probably met, did you meet Jeff at, at, uh, Pocono Organics for the Food Forever event?
Christa Barfield: [00:32:13] Yes, I did.
Eli Kulp: [00:32:14] Okay, cool. So, you know, uh, Jeff was on the, on the podcast as well earlier in the season. What did you, what was that like? I haven't been there. I don't, I don't know Rodale Institute, uh, I mean, I know of them, but I haven't been to their actual, their grounds. What was that like?
Christa Barfield: [00:32:33] Best trip ever. From a farmer's perspective and for someone who's super into regenerative way of farming and believe that organic is, is the only way to farm, it is, they support that rhetoric so much.
I mean, they, they coined the term organic. So like they literally have been doing this for years, so many years and just to be immersed in the way [00:33:00] that they do things. And to understand from another farmer's perspective that everything doesn't go the way that you plan it. Like no matter if you take every precaution and you plan every single thing from how you're going to seed from how you're going to fertilize to, if you're going to till the soil or not to the soil, if you're going to cover crop, you know, all the things you can plan as much as you like, but at the end of the day, mother nature is just that.
And we work within the constraints that it, that mother nature nature sets. We, we play by the, we play by their rules. So any, when I was explaining, um, any type of difficulties that I may have been having, they could also say like, Oh yeah, like we dealt with something similar or this is so literally farmers, um, them, they have just a wealth of knowledge for farmers and they make you feel like you are doing the right steps. They just provide so much [00:34:00] support and really great place to visit
Eli Kulp: [00:34:02] What were some highlights. Um, for people kind of paint a picture for people who are out there, like what was, it was like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory for farming. Like what, what did you see? What did you see while you were there? And maybe some, some real takeaways.
Christa Barfield: [00:34:19] Yeah. So this is a place where so much is going on. It's over 200 acres at this particular farm. They have other sites. Um, but this, this being their main one where their visitor center is. And, um, they're, they hope this, that with Paul there, uh, farm manager for the property, and we got a chance to walk around, um, and really just like dig deep and see how they're doing specific things.
Um, got a chance to look in their greenhouses and also meet John their greenhouse manager and see how they're, what they're growing right now, how they're dealing with not having heat, um, in their greenhouses cause they actually don't even heat one, a couple of them. They don't even heat it all
the [00:35:00] way in. They just, you know, it's just the way to extend the season and just this learning that was just like a major part. And then also meeting their turkeys was really great, like the way that they're raising their turkeys and going to see their pigs, like they have these beautiful pig, um, who are living just like the best, their best life ever.
Yeah. They, they have so much going on. They have hemp growing. Um, well, will they have land for hemp to be growing. And when it's not cold, it's not December. Um, yeah, just there's so much are a, uh, a very biodiverse farm and biodiversity is super important. And it goes hand in hand with this mission of regenerative farming and taking care of the soil and the equal system taking care of each other.
And so it just was really nice to see it. And so. I've only seen it in the glory of the fall, winter frosty, but I really look [00:36:00] forward to going back when, um, when spring and summer.
Eli Kulp: [00:36:03] That's awesome. Yeah. I'm so happy that you were able to, you visit them, get to know them, start a relationship with them because you know, they are there to support, uh, you know, people just like you.
No, I think they probably just as excited about what you're doing as you are, what they are doing. So that's, that's great. And, you know, Jeff was such a, a pleasure to talk to. And I mean, just, I mean, a wealth of knowledge. I mean, we didn't even scratch the surface with guy. So, um, yeah, I look forward to also getting up there, hopefully the spring or early summer sometime for sure.
So you, you now have a brick and mortar store, uh, which we touched on in the earlier interview in September, uh, for Viva Leaf Tea. Talk a little bit about, I know you're doing some, uh, some good things for the holiday. What are some, what are some great [00:37:00] little, uh, gift ideas or, or, you know, thoughtful, thoughtful ways to give somebody a gift that you're, that you guys have?
Christa Barfield: [00:37:07] Yeah. So a Viva Leaf Tea is a farm to cup tea experience. That's what we focus on, um, growing our own herbs and making sure that, uh, people have understand the traceable origins of what's in their tea and what they're consuming and how it can benefit their, their health. Um, so I like to say it's like the true version of healthcare.
Um, educating people on how herbs affect change in their body. So we do have our brick and mortars right in Mount Airy, right on Germantown Avenue. And, um, we are doing these little cute tea and honey sets that we're pairing. And, um, pretty much again, like telling people what the benefits of everything that's in it.
So it's a nice gift for somebody, whether they have, like sleepless nights or if they have tummy issues, we pretty much have a tea for a wide variety of elements. Yeah. That'll be really nice gift this event.
Eli Kulp: [00:37:58] That's cool. Very cool. [00:38:00] And also you were talking a little about what you have planned for the new year. Um, and you mentioned that. You have a fundraiser that's happening, uh, for kind of a new wing of, of, uh, Farmer Jawn and what does that, what does that look like? What do you call it?
Christa Barfield: [00:38:20] So the, the, the new wing of a Farmer Jawn nonprofit sector, and essentially is going to be called, um, FJ Philly provisions. And it literally is really just a way for us to be able to connect with other nonprofits in, um, put together campaigns so that we can focus on getting more people into farming, one, uh, increasing awareness and education about farming, and definitely making sure that we are doing the necessary renovations for the properties that we plan to acquire that are necessary so that it can be full-fledged farming operations and create jobs and then while we're doing all of that.
[00:39:00] Eli Kulp: [00:39:00] Yeah, absolutely. And how are you, how are you going to be doing the fundraising? How can people find out more about
Christa Barfield: [00:39:08] that? You know what I would just say to pay close attention to our social media outlets. And we're going to do a lot more with our engagement planning when we're able to get together again. Uh, obviously it'll be a lot different cause we want to do a lot more hands-on in-person things. But in the meantime, we're going to be switching gears to virtual. Our virtual outlets, which is mainly going to be our social media. So just stay close to that and we'll get you all, some details.
Eli Kulp: [00:39:35] Cool. All right, great.
This was, this was fantastic. I'm so glad we were able to, uh, reconnect, uh, to, you know, actually do a full podcast together. So we're gonna, we're gonna do a holiday version of the question session. You ready for that? All right, here we go. The best holiday memory.?
Christa Barfield: [00:39:56] Cool. Wearing my, uh, the onesie, the little one [00:40:00] piece.
I probably was like eight years old. And you know how you used to have like the foot piece in my defeat of mine always had holes in it coming downstairs for Christmas, opening my gift with my feet out in my one piece
Eli Kulp: [00:40:12] love it. Uh, favorite holiday sweets?
Christa Barfield: [00:40:16] Uh, Apple pie all day. I'm just an Apple pie girl. Give me some Dutch Apple pie, and I am good to go.
Eli Kulp: [00:40:23] Nice. Dutch Apple pie. That's something you don't see enough of. Uh, did you believe in Santa Claus?
Christa Barfield: [00:40:32] My mom made it very clear and I think this is a pretty constant across a lot of Black families that Santa does not exist. My mother was Santa.
Eli Kulp: [00:40:40] Okay. Very good. I was the same way for different reasons, but yeah, we didn't, we never had Santa. Baby Jesus was always there for us. Favorite Christmas song?
Christa Barfield: [00:40:51] Oh, This Christmas. Hands down. Love me some Donnie.
Eli Kulp: [00:40:55] Nice. Favorite tradition, holiday tradition for you or your family?
Christa Barfield: [00:40:59] Reading the [00:41:00] naitivity each and every Christmas. That's something we would do. I haven't done the greatest job, carrying it over into my own children but reading the naitivity is something that my family grew up doing. I grew up with two other siblings, so that's something that we, um, my mom made sure we did every single Christmas morning. Nice.
Eli Kulp: [00:41:16] That's great. Best place in Philadelphia to get that holiday feeling.
Christa Barfield: [00:41:21] Ooh, that's rough. I mean, I guess right now it's probably going to be considered City Hall, like with all the Maker's Market down there.
It is pretty cool. Like the ice skating, I love ice skating. I grew up doing it. So-
Eli Kulp: [00:41:35] Oh yeah? you got some skills on the ice?
Christa Barfield: [00:41:37] I did. At one point I actually had my own iceskates when I was younger and a girlfriend of mine, we used to go ice skating every single Friday.
Eli Kulp: [00:41:45] Okay nice. Can you do pirouettes?
Christa Barfield: [00:41:47] Oh, absolutely not.
Eli Kulp: [00:41:52] Are you an ugly sweater wearer?
Christa Barfield: [00:41:54] Love ugly sweater time. That actually has to be one of my favorite things to do. When, when parties were a thing, [00:42:00] I always look forward to ugly sweater party, and I always won because I have this, I wear the same sweater every year and would win every party bell.
Eli Kulp: [00:42:10] Wow. Explain this sweater. What, what is so perfect about that?
Christa Barfield: [00:42:13] So this sweater has Rudolph on it and it also has baby Jesus on it with Mary and Joseph. It also has penguins who are posing as the three wise men. And then you have blinking lights all over it.
Eli Kulp: [00:42:27] Okay. That's great. What do you hope to accomplish in 2021?
Christa Barfield: [00:42:35] Yeah. Accomplishments in 2021 is seeing our mission come full circle. Um, being able to feed people, being able to create, really redefining the corner store and and educating people in marginalized, marginalized areas on what good food actually is and it's not what they're used to, it's not what they know. So connecting with Chef, building relationships with even more chefs so that we can show them how to [00:43:00] use food, that they didn't grow up using
Eli Kulp: [00:43:02] Redefining the cornerstore that, that really stuck out to me. That's, that's an amazing thing because you know, a lot of these corner stores are ran and operated you know, by immigrants. You know, and you know, for them to become more aware of what you know, you and others are doing. Like we talked about a little bit earlier. I think that's, that's an amazing goal. I look forward to, you know, kind of seeing that come to fruition.
Cause I know, I know. Well, uh, best advice you would give to a young farmer? Even though you're still young, still pretty new to farming. What would you, what would you tell somebody who was like, Hey, I'm thinking about doing this.
Christa Barfield: [00:43:44] You know what? It's going to suck sometimes. That's what I would say. I would just be very honest and open and I'm really having a plan is very important because if you don't set a plans and you're definitely planning to fail, um, but at the same time and whatever you do plan, [00:44:00] expect a hiccup or two, um, ready to pivot.
Eli Kulp: [00:44:03] Awesome. How would you describe 2020 for you?
Christa Barfield: [00:44:07] 2020 has been a certain whirlwind. There's been, um, you know, I mean, I've got a new farm. I pretty much launched Farmer Jawn in, in January of 2020. And, uh, I mean COVID is a thing. Me and my kids being home. Uh there's I mean, there's just so much, it's been a, definitely a whirlwind, but it's been definitely highs and lows and included in that. So overall, I'm going to say a whirlwind.
Eli Kulp: [00:44:33] Very cool. All right. Last one. If you could sit down and have tea with anyone in history, who would it be? Ooh,
Christa Barfield: [00:44:45] Let me see, anyone in history? Uh, you know, I want to say James Baldwin. He is. I mean, he just has so many amazing things to say. I love his writing. [00:45:00] And he also lived in France for quite a long time and I grew up speaking French.
And so I always take the opportunities where I can, uh, speak French with people, even if it's terrible French. Um, I would love to have a conversation with him in print just about his life and his legacy and, um, Yeah, he has so much to offer and so much wisdom. So I would definitely be him.
Eli Kulp: [00:45:25] Great. Let's see, uh, an amazing, amazing choice and very thoughtful.
All right, Christa. Well, 2021 is right around the corner. We're going to be watching you and all your, um, amazing growth in more ways than one. I wish you nothing but the best. And I know that, you know, Philadelphia is, is lucky to have uh, individuals like yourself that are, are thinking differently that want to, um, you know, make, make change happen.
And the beauty of it, what [00:46:00] you're doing right now is that you're, you're personally doing things that are steps in the right direction when it comes to food and feeding people. But no doubt about it, you're going to inspire others. And that's really where, uh, over the years in front of you that are coming uh, and you're gonna see that, you know, your inspiration is going to, uh, really affect greater change than what you can, you could possibly do on your own.
Christa Barfield: [00:46:27] Thank you. Thank you, Eli. I so appreciate that.
Eli Kulp: [00:46:30] Yeah, no doubt about it. And you know, I guess I wish you nothing, but the best for 21 and, uh, look forward to.
Christa Barfield: [00:46:40] Yeah, thanks to you and yours. I'm excited to, uh, to listen more and hear all your amazing guests that you have on this podcast journey and listening so far. So, yeah.
Eli Kulp: [00:46:50] Great. All right, so we're going to wrap it up and, uh, you know, thanks for, uh, thanks for hanging.
Christa Barfield: [00:46:56] Yeah, thank you!
[00:47:00] Eli Kulp: [00:47:00] Thanks for listening to The CHEF Radio podcast. If you'd like to support the show, please leave us a review wherever you listen to your podcast. It helps others find the show and allows us to continue to make great content. The CHEF Radio podcast is produced by RADIOKISMET. Post-production and sound designed by Studio D Podcast Production and I am your host, Eli Kulp.