The Original Collard Greens Cultural Festival RECAP!!
This year’s gathering at The Original Collard Greens Cultural Festival was nothing short of amazing!
Our community came together to celebrate our African American roots through food, culture, wellness, and sustainability. From enjoying traditional Southern collard greens to experiencing the unexpected delight of collard green ice cream, there was something for everyone to enjoy!
Meanwhile, at the Sustainability Pavilion, we learned, laughed, and celebrated all things Black and Green!
We kicked off the day with a surprise Green Vendor Award presentation to Mama Nobantu Ankoanda and The Original Collard Greens Cultural Festival in recognition of their commitment to sustainability. Their efforts include banning Styrofoam from festival vendors.
That’s right! No More Styrofoam!
Styrofoam, a type of expanded polystyrene plastic, poses significant environmental challenges because it is difficult to recycle, can persist in the environment, and can break down into smaller pieces that pollute our waterways and harm wildlife.
Thank you to The Original Collard Greens Cultural Festival for leading by example and demonstrating how community events can make more sustainable choices. Small changes can make a big difference!
Next, we brought the kids together for our interactive Waste Relay!
Beneath the shade of a beautiful oak tree, the children gathered in a circle to hear The Story of Sama, a tale about a human whose waste began to harm the animals living in his environment.
After the story, the children worked together to help Sama clean up his mess. Through a hands-on waste audit, they explored practical ways to reduce waste and care for the environment using the 6 Rs: Rethink, Refuse, Refrain, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
By combining storytelling, teamwork, and environmental education, the Waste Relay encouraged our youngest community members to think critically about waste and recognize their role in protecting the planet. Our Waste Relay winners were gifted with Climate Kit Bags full of interactive worksheets, tools and resources to continue their journey in sustainability.
Interested in bringing the Waste Relay to your school, church, or next community event?
Email us at info@blacksustainability.org to learn more!
We also put our community’s seed knowledge to the test with Seed Bingo!
The game unfolded in three exciting rounds. In Level 1, participants identified some of the most familiar seeds. The second round increased the difficulty, challenging players to expand their knowledge. For the final round, we highlighted selections from the Afro-Indigenous seed collection in our BSI Seed Bank.
Congratulations to our winners! Each winner took home a collard green seedling planted in a homemade mug pot for correctly identifying the most seeds from our Seed Bank.
Beyond the friendly competition, Seed Bingo offered a fun and engaging opportunity to connect with seeds, celebrate Afro-Indigenous agricultural knowledge, and highlight the importance of preserving our seed heritage.
Interested in becoming part of our Sovereign Seedz Initiative? Join us as we continue to celebrate seed sovereignty, preserve our cultural heritage, and cultivate a more sustainable future for our communities. Together, we can continue to grow a future rooted in culture, community, and sustainability!
On Day 2 of the festival, we teamed up with Chris Lemons of Gratitude Botanical Farm for a community seed swap!
Community members came together from near and far to exchange seeds saved from their harvests, including Motherland okra, milkweed flowers, squash, red onions, and other treasured varieties. The seed swap was more than an opportunity to share seeds; it was a chance to exchange knowledge, celebrate our agricultural heritage, and strengthen our connections through a shared commitment to connecting with our food systems.
By sharing seeds, we help preserve culturally significant varieties, encourage food sovereignty, and ensure that the next generation can continue growing, harvesting, and learning from the land.
A special thank-you to Chris Lemons and Gratitude Botanical Farm for helping us cultivate community, one seed at a time! And another thank-you to The Original Collard Greens Cultural Festival for bringing the community together again for this event!
Comments