By Jamesia Downer, AFRO Intern
Pleasant Hope Baptist Church hosts its monthly Soil To Sanctuary Community Market as apart of its membership with Black Church Food Security Network.
The churches within this network make a safe space for farmers within their network to sell their products and provide healthy food options to the community. These farmers and Churches all come from within the Mid-Atlantic region.
Here in Baltimore City much of the city is located in Food Desserts, where there are few grocery stores to service neighborhoods. Many people also rely on public transportation which makes going to the grocery store difficult.
Soil to Sanctuary is bringing produce that the community will not normally have access too. “This is a way for us to bring fresh food, organic food, quality food to these communities and its also being brought by black people,” said Sha’Von Terrell Food Sovereignty Fellow, Volunteer Coordinator and Market Manager at Pleasant Hope Baptist Church.
Pastor Heber Brown, III at Pleasant Hope recollects on what people have told him about the foods they purchased at the market, “folks come and say Pastor Brown it taste so much better, it taste fresh.” He continues, “ A member who got some free range eggs from one of our farmers and said that she could taste the difference between those eggs and the eggs that are sold at the grocery store.”
Beyond the produce sold local vendors from black-owned business also sell at the Market. Fresh pressed juices from Healthy People Juice were available for tasting and buying, Naima’s Sweet Shop had your favorite desserts ready to be bought and eaten, and some local girls had their own snowball stand right at the market.
The DJ and host kept the good times coming while everyone shopped and took time to dance. Making this a community event for all ages to enjoy.
Whether you’re a black business owner or a farmer looking to sell your products and produce or you are looking to buy organic foods for yourself and family the Soil To Sanctuary Community Market is just the place for you.