March 2026: Member Spotlight- Dan Scott

Dan Scott

At Black Sustainability, Inc., we are proud to uplift leaders who are transforming food systems and building new pathways for economic empowerment within our communities. This month, we highlight Dan Scott, founder of Studio Farmer, Inc., a veteran-led nonprofit organization focused on workforce development through agriculture. Scott’s journey reflects the power of resilience and vision transforming his experience as an Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) into a mission that helps others access opportunity through land, seeds, and sustainable food production.

Scott coined the concept “ABAWD-to-A-BOSS℠” a framework that reimagines SNAP participants not simply as beneficiaries of food assistance, but as potential agricultural entrepreneurs. Through the Snapcorps℠ Buyer Of Seeds (BOSS)℠ initiative, Scott promotes the idea that SNAP benefits can be used to purchase seeds and food-producing plants, empowering participants to grow their own food and build skills in agriculture. His approach reframes public assistance as a stepping stone toward self-sufficiency, innovation, and career development in emerging green industries.

As the founder of Studio Farmer, Inc., Scott has built a platform that connects SNAP participants with training opportunities in what he calls “studio farming.” The organization operates as a job training hub where individuals learn the fundamentals of urban agriculture, land stewardship, and food production while gaining practical skills that can translate into non-traditional careers in agriculture and environmental work. By turning vacant or underutilized land into productive growing spaces, Studio Farmer is helping communities reconnect with land while creating pathways toward economic stability.

Scott’s work has been recognized and supported by several partnerships and grants that strengthen his mission. He secured an NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Grant between 2019 and 2020, as well as the Augusta Housing & Community Development “Seeds for Life” Grant from 2018 to 2019. His organization has also served as a Goodwill Works Evaluation & Training Site Partner, a Georgia Gateway Social Services Assisted Site Partner, and a participant in the Augusta Land Bank Authority Pilot Project, demonstrating the wide range of institutions supporting his innovative model for community development.

A graduate of the HABESHA Extreme Green program, Scott continues to lead with a vision rooted in sustainability, economic justice, and food sovereignty. His work reminds us that agriculture is not just about growing food, it is about cultivating opportunity, restoring communities, and building systems where people can thrive. At Black Sustainability, Inc., we celebrate Dan Scott for his dedication to creating new agricultural career pathways and for planting seeds of transformation that will benefit communities for generations to come.