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♪♪ >> I grew up in Austin.

My roots are here in Austin, and so my ancestors -- I'm a descendant of slaves who were brought here to build up the community.

And so I have this generational gap in learning when it comes to farming and agriculture.

So I want to reclaim that.

So, being able to say, "I own a small farm in my neighborhood where I grew up, literally down the street from the elementary school I went to," it's powerful.

♪♪ >> This story starts with a cow named Zella and an NBA basketball player named Gilbert Arenas.

But it really started centuries ago, when the streets of East Austin were farmland and, before that, plantation homes.

Today, East Austin is walking that line between history, community, and gentrification, between affordability and newness.

But on one unassuming corner is Tiffany Washington, who operates the only Black-owned farm within Austin city limits and is planting a nutritional defense around her community.

Except Zella keeps eating it.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Gardening is both art and nature.

It is a place for creativity and catharsis, a place to drink up the antidote to our technology-driven lives.

For me, it is a tonic, a place to let anger out on Bermuda weeds and feel the immense joy of digging gold potatoes from the earth.

In many ways, it makes me feel connected to the women I grew up with, who taught me the names of unusual herbs and all of their healing attributes, who taught me to stop and smell the rosemary and look for purslane, a weed they said had more omega-3s than salmon.

And it connects them to my daughter, who has been rolling around in these raised beds and picking the flowers with me since her first week on this earth.

>> It's big!

>> There is something visceral about my connection to the land I grew up on.

>> Whoa!

>> It's an ache and a longing that never seems to fully fade.

No matter where we go, it is a place that holds the building blocks of my identity and my story, a story that I keep telling while trying to write a new one.

♪♪ When people commit to growing a garden together, they create community around a shared purpose.

When you labor alongside someone, you're building something together.

It becomes more than just about you.

It becomes about your neighborhood and your community, and you connect with one another in deeper ways.

Today, I'm spending time with two women who are doing powerful things to improve their communities by working their ancestral land.

♪♪ ♪♪ Tiffany Washington is a mom of four and a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It's been a long six years since she broke ground on Dobbin-Kauv Garden Farm, a quarter-acre urban farm in East Austin that takes its name from two of her ancestral families.

There's been so much red tape, and she's someone who wants to get things done.

So she pushes forward, collects rainwater, pulls wild onions to sprinkle on loaded baked potatoes, grows mushrooms in a wood-chip pile.

She sows seeds and gives away food and tries to make her neighbors feel closer to the land around them.

♪♪ >> Welcome to the neighborhood.

This is the community.

This is the Pecan Springs neighborhood.

So, when we talk about urban farms and urban agriculture and what that looks like, then it's in the center of the city, you know?

So, it's a food desert, right?

That's what they say.

They call it a food desert.

>> Yeah.

>> Let's figure out a way to fix that, you know, to fix that and bridge the gap.

>> So, what's your goal here?

It's to use this very urban environment to kind of show people that they can access the land even in an urban area?

>> Yes.

When you think of farmers, you think of rural communities, you know?

You think of large farms.

You don't think of just a quarter-acre farm or something like that.

>> Even with the long history of Black agriculture in this area, it's been cut out of the historical narrative.

And Tiffany's work is helping change that by modeling farming as a career.

Her goal is to help people of color understand their relationship with food, understand the disparities in the food system, and reclaim the land that their ancestors once worked.

>> I did kind of look for a place in the community where I knew that there was food insecurities, where I knew that there was issues with homelessness and unhoused people, and just getting access to fresh produce would be an issue.

And so, you know, we found a willing property owner who wanted to share earth.

And since we've been here, we really just been kind of feeding the community, growing produce, and just trying to get people to understand how important it is to have small-scale farms inside of our communities that are being supported by large rural farms.

That's a part of it.

That's definitely city.

And that happens all day.

It's interesting, right?

Because when we're talking about marginalized and vulnerable communities and we talk about brown and Black people, it's kind of having a Black-owned farm across the street from the brown grocery store.

But we're in a marginalized neighborhood, you know, where the people do suffer with public-safety issues, you know, it being a high crime community or just not having certain resources, you know?

But the goal is to change that by being sustainable, you know, creating a place, like the farm, where people can come to gather, build community, and really just work together.

♪♪ >> Lately, the farm hasn't produced much food on its own, thanks to a cow named Zella and a good deed that Tiffany did in helping an NBA player who reached out looking for advice on purchasing cattle.

>> We got Zella the cow from former NBA player Gilbert Arenas.

And he just kind of reached out, you know, and he wanted to get into the cattle business.

And he was like, "Hey, you know anybody that sells cows?

Do you sell cows?"

I was like, "No, but I have friends," right?

So I plugged him in with one of my cattle-ranching friends, and they connected.

And about two weeks later he's like, "Hey, do you want a cow?"

I'm like, "I just told you, Gil!

I don't want a cow!

Where am I gonna put it?"

I mean, he sent her, and I was really -- I didn't know if it was real, you know?

I was like, "Is this for real?"

>> So this cow just shows up on a truck?

>> She shows up on a trailer.

He's like, "She'll be there on the 14th at 10:00 a.m." And I'm like, "What?!"

They just opened the trailer and let her out and left.

>> "Good luck!"

>> Yeah.

I'm like, "Well, wait a second.

Um..." [ Both laugh ] >> So, you just figured it out?

>> We just figured it out.

Me and the kids.

I really, really want it to be a learning space.

I really want my farm to be a place where children can come, adults can come, elders can come, we can all come together and learn from one another.

>> Zella, who spent her days lounging along the cinder-block wall between a housing project and the farm, has eaten everything in sight.

And so it was time to find her a bigger home.

But she became a kind of mascot for the neighborhood, a source of joy and amusement.

>> She outgrew the space, and so we want to get her into a breeding program.

Now that she's gone, the neighbors ride by on their bikes and they're like, "Where's Zella?

Where's the cow?"

And I'm like, "Oh, she's gone."

But we'll be back.

So, we were talking about swapping out calves.

>> Mm-hmm.

Well, where's Zella now?

>> Right now Zella is in Luling.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> She's with a friend of mine, Deydra Steans, at her ranch.

[ Laughs ] >> What would be the dream scenario for you in what you're trying to do?

>> I would love to be able to own our farm here in the neighborhood and to be able to have enough for my family to be able to get our own land, maybe like five acres, some rural-stuff ranch like Deydra, but still have this as a business, still have it and turn it into a commercial kitchen where we can pull things out of the field... >> Yeah.

>> ...take them right into the home, prep them, prepare them, do farmer's markets on the property, continue to do our hot food, hot meals on Tuesdays from the property.

But, yeah, I mean, the ultimate goal is to buy.

>> The descendants of many Black farmers moved to the city to put a traumatic history behind them.

But as properties become redeveloped and less affordable, people are becoming displaced again, making it even more difficult for families to own their own land and build generational wealth.

>> So, this is kind of like the gentrification.

You can kind of see the neighborhood, the old apartments that are coming down.

>> It is interesting.

You do see a lot of new development in this neighborhood and a big contrast between what was and what's coming and what is and... Do you think it's good for the neighborhood?

Do you think it's problematic?

>> I think that it's good for the neighborhood as long as we're able to have places like the farm.

>> Yeah.

>> As long as we're able to have businesses or have access to the communities.

A lot of Black people, a lot of brown people, we get displaced, you know?

We're not able to stay and afford it in the communities that we grew up in anymore.

Being able to find communities where you can live comfortably, you want to be able to enjoy it.

You want to be able to go outside and see the parks or see beautiful flowers.

I don't think that should just be for one community or one side of town.

>> Yeah.

>> You know?

If we're gonna do revitalization and resilience across the board, you know, you have to reach into the communities that get forgotten about.

We just turn it into places where agriculture is a part of the neighborhood and call it the "agrihood," I guess.

>> I love that.

An agriculture and nature and the land is such a healing thing.

It's good for mental health.

>> Right.

>> It's just good for well-being and just overall happiness.

I just think being outside in nature is just a basic human right.

>> Right.

♪♪ >> And so the question becomes, how do Black families reclaim their legacy and right to land that their ancestors made profitable when their labor formed the backbone of the nation's first economy?

Finding ways to engage and inspire her surrounding community to feel ownership of their neighborhood is part of what brings Tiffany delight.

She is one of the heroes that remain, determined to keep retelling the story of Black American farmers.

♪♪ The share of Black farmers has declined over the last century.

Today, just 1.4% of farmers identify as Black, compared to 14% a hundred years ago.

Those that remain find strength in community.

Connecting with other people who share the same values and are on the same mission is what lights Tiffany up.

She and Deydra Steans are the perfect duo, on a mission to empower people of color to own and work their ancestral land.

Deydra's ranch is Zella's new home.

♪♪ Deydra is a fourth-generation rancher who owns and works land where her family once toiled as slaves and, later, sharecroppers.

She grew up in the freedom colonies nearby, small communities formed and farmed by freed men and women in the years immediately after the Civil War, usually outside more established towns.

Deydra went to law school to help reestablish her community's connection to the land, as she witnessed minority landowners have their land taken away from them through legal loopholes and exclusion from USDA programs.

In a business that has become about chemical fertilizers, crop rotations, and foreign markets, Deydra's approach is centered around the benefits of regenerative agriculture.

>> We've actually participated in a program called EQIP.

That's a program through the Natural Resource Conservation Service.

But it's like, how can we accomplish these things without having to have the big machinery?

Because that's a huge expense.

For most farmers, without those programs, it's hard to afford it.

Putting more hooves on the ground in a smaller area, we can actually accomplish the same types of things.

♪♪ >> She conducts workshops about soil health, soil management and rotational grazing.

And through her work, she helps people recognize the economic benefits of doing things sustainably.

Today, Deydra's 220-acre ranch is transitioning to become a regenerative agriculture demonstration site, planting native and improved grasses on land where she stopped using fertilizer seven years ago.

She teaches others these same methods, and also focuses on how to make farmland profitable as a way to bring young people back to the land.

>> Deydra's been able to introduce native seeds, native grass seeds.

>> Really?

>> And that is really helpful in, you know, being able to, long term, get the soil and the grasses back to a natural state.

>> So, I imagine that the planting of native grasses is really what helps the soil stay enriched versus just depleted from... >> Correct.

>> ...use and wind and rain and all of that.

>> Yeah.

We prefer the native.

One of the reasons is because native seeds -- it's like they're already in your seed bed.

They're already growing.

>> Yeah.

>> They're already there.

♪♪ Our family has been in Caldwell County, we know, since the early 1800s.

Our great great grandfather -- he actually purchased land here in the county as early as 1867.

>> Wow.

>> So, not just that we've been here, but to be able to come out of slavery and two years later purchase property?

>> Deydra is also the founder of Black Gold Resourcing, which provides outreach and technical assistance to marginalized minority farmers in south Central Texas.

She's an advocate with a talent for historical detective work.

>> Somebody has to have that representation, you know, and carry that torch.

And it feels good.

I feel like -- A lot of times, I feel like, you know, we're on the right track.

The fact that we're still able to do that and hold those roots and have those memories is special.

It's a lot to overcome, but, you know, I'm like, "Well, how dare me think about what we've been through?"

'Cause the people that came before us -- now, they really had -- >> Yeah.

>> The fact that they passed land on is amazing to me.

>> Her family is such an inspiration, right, for somebody like me who lost that generational opportunity to live on the land or continue farming and growing.

So everything that she does, in my mind, is there to help us come back to what we lost, you know?

So really working with her -- Was it trying to get me?

>> It was trying to get both of us.

[ Laughter ] >> So when it comes to working with her and all the knowledge that she has and everything, I'm just so fortunate because I can take those things back into the city and really work with the community.

And that's where we come in together to kind of bridge those gaps and really, you know, keep that strong face of Black agriculture.

>> Seems like you're both really trying to show people that it's accessible, no matter your circumstances, that you can access the land in so many ways.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> Yeah, absolutely.

>> And there, peeking out of the brush, is that cow they are raising, the one and only Zella.

>> Zella!

♪♪ >> She's like, "I'm a real cow now.

I'm a country cow."

>> Say, "That's my grass."

>> And so what's the plan with Zella?

>> Zella is actually gonna be in our breeding program.

>> Oh, yeah.

>> So, she's out here -- These are all mama cows.

So, she will get bred probably sometime in the spring.

She'll be of age and ready to go.

She'll be a mama.

She won't be a brisket.

Yeah.

>> Yes, and that is so exciting, right?

I think, for me, having her and having calves is really about keeping it going with the kids, especially the city kids, 'cause you've been trying to swap out.

She's like, "I'm gonna bring you some goats."

I'm like, "No, I gotta plant lettuce this week."

[ Laughs ] >> Georgia, I'm so impressed.

You're not scared of these things, but you said you -- >> No, no.

>> Oh, Georgia's all out in the outback.

>> She's like, "This is nothing.

When are we riding?"

>> She's, like, on the journey.

>> ♪ All this time we had to prove ♪ ♪ That we could stand here, too ♪ >> His name's Rick.

He's only, like, 5 months old.

>> Are you serious?

>> Yes.

>> Take him back to where you got him from.

He is huge.

>> Hey.

>> ♪ We're on the edge of our moment ♪ ♪ Been out of our depth ♪ ♪ Now we're diving in ♪ ♪ The light up ahead ♪ >> Goats are new to the ranch.

We're learning.

It's a way we're trying to diversify our operation and have -- you know, have income other than just cattle 'cause they only have one calf a year.

>> Good for curry.

>> Goats can breed twice a year.

So, great.

[ Laughs ] >> Grant is ready.

>> [ Laughs ] >> Grant's like "Don't get me started."

>> Gotta love a young Black boy with a lasso.

>> ♪ We're on the edge of our moment ♪ ♪ Been out of our depth ♪ ♪ Now we're diving in ♪ ♪ The light up ahead ♪ ♪ We're running to it ♪ ♪ We're on the edge ♪ ♪ Now we're diving in ♪ ♪♪ >> Family collard recipe.

Deydra's grandmother, Lillie Ball, came from a large farming and homesteading family in the Zion Hill and Jake's Colony freedom colonies.

Deydra describes herself as a product of sharecroppers and homesteaders who taught her a lot about cooking, food, and community.

>> With the collard greens, we're gonna dice the onion.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> I'm also gonna dice a little of this bell pepper.

>> Okay.

>> We'll sauté this in the pot in some rendered bacon fat... >> Great.

>> ...along with some fresh garlic.

>> Nice.

So, we're doing half of an onion, diced, half of a bell pepper, diced.

>> Right.

>> And then once you have this diced, you just kind of put it -- Should we just put it aside, or are you throwing it in the pot?

>> So, we will.

We'll set the onions aside.

>> Okay.

>> And then we'll get the bell peppers added.

Let's dice the garlic.

>> Okay.

>> All this is gonna go into a pot and render down.

We'll add the greens to it.

>> Nice.

What kind of fat are you using?

>> I'm gonna use some bacon fat.

>> Yum.

>> [ Laughs ] >> The best kind.

>> I know it.

>> It looks like you got all different kinds of greens, more than just collards, here.

You got kale, Swiss chard.

What's that about?

>> I wanted to incorporate these, like kind of do a twist on collard greens and incorporate the Swiss chard and this dino kale, which is like -- >> It's beautiful kale.

>> So good for you, right?

>> Do you keep the stems on?

>> I don't keep the stems on.

>> Okay.

>> So, we... >> Strip them right off?

>> ...strip them off of the stems, especially the tough part, and then I usually fold them, give them a mid cut, and then just slice them long ways.

>> What's on the full menu for tonight?

>> So, on the menu today, we have some of our farm-fresh tenderloin steak.

>> Wow, what a treat.

>> Yes.

Tenderloin.

We're gonna have these Pristine Produce fresh greens.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> And we'll have sides of mashed potatoes and Mexican rice.

>> Amazing.

>> So, this reminds me of growing up in Kingsbury, Texas, and being at my grandmother's house when all my aunts are in the kitchen cooking.

Usually there's, like, laughter and, you know, good conversation happening with the women around the table.

>> Food is so nostalgic.

I think that's why I love food so much, is that it has that nostalgia to it.

>> That nostalgia.

Right.

>> Look at this beautiful pile of greens.

>> That is beautiful and healthy-looking, and it's gonna taste great!

>> Alright, let's put them in the pot.

>> Alright, let's do.

♪♪ >> Okay, we got our pot heated up, and we've got -- Look at this.

You have a little container for bacon drippings.

>> I know!

>> Love it.

How much do we put in there?

>> We're gonna put, yep, that whole scoop full right there.

What is that, about 2 tablespoons?

>> Yeah.

>> So, that's gonna start sizzling a little bit.

>> It's already going.

>> Yep So, we can go ahead and add our diced bell pepper, onions, and garlic.

Yeah.

>> Gonna start smelling really good.

>> Absolutely.

Also, this is the stage -- I actually salt these.

>> Okay.

>> I put a little -- >> Me too.

It helps release that moisture.

>> That's right.

You get all the juices out in our pan.

>> Look at that.

So, how long does this total recipe take typically?

>> You know, I have a little trick.

Some people cook greens for maybe four hours.

>> I've heard that.

>> Yeah, they take a long time to cook, but I have a secret... >> Okay.

>> ...my grandmother shared with me a long time ago.

I put a little bit of vinegar in my water, and the vinegar helps the leaves and everything to tender and soften down really nicely.

And add our hot water to the pot.

Pour the cup of broth to this.

♪♪ >> Nice.

>> Now the next step is gonna be we're gonna put all the greens in here.

One of the other things that I like to do -- and I feel like this is very important when we're cooking greens -- is to add meat.

>> Ooh.

>> So, I'm gonna add this.

This is some smoked ham.

>> Mmm.

>> You can also -- A lot of people use bacon, smoked turkey, smoked neck bones.

Any of the meats that are smoked are really delicious in greens.

Plus, it helps with some of that salty and just flavoring through and through.

>> It just adds to that richness.

>> Yeah.

Alright.

>> It's gonna be so good!

>> Yeah, it is.

♪♪ >> With a mix of greens from our gardens and beef from Deydra's ranch, we have dinner, with those ancestors that came before them set at the end of the table, a reminder that their work is what allowed this moment.

My great grandfather was from Caldwell, Texas.

His name was George W. Gray, and he was a writer.

I was named after him, and he moved to the northeast, lived a full life, and passed away before I was born.

Even though I never met him, my grandmother said that reading my books was like hearing her father talk.

Our cadence was the same.

It's amazing how powerful genetics and ancestry can be in that I unwittingly find myself not just back in Texas, but near the place of his birth, breaking bread with its people.

It's funny that, no matter how much we may try, our roots run deep and pull us back.

And I think mostly that is a good thing.

[ Indistinct conversations ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> To learn more about the topics featured on this episode, log on to GeorgiaPellegrini.com, or follow along on Georgia's Facebook and Instagram pages for weekly "Modern Pioneering" adventures, tips and recipes.

"Modern Pioneering" is made possible by... >> Welcome to Total Wine.

Doing okay?

>> My buddy says "rosé all day"?

>> My personal fave is this new French rosé.

>> Find wine, beer and spirits from around the world at Total Wine & More.

>> At Muir Glen, we believe that organic farming benefits consumers, farmers, and ecosystems.

>> And made possible by... Michael and Susan McGwire, Zina Bash, and many other generous donors.

A full list is available at GeorgiaPellegrini.com.

♪♪