News Article - 3 minute read

Fall Morning at the Farm

During these busy times, we rarely stop and think about where our food comes from or how healthy it is.  On October 15, 2022, Sigma Mu Mu’s Healthy Living Series brought our community to one of the only black owned farms in the DC metro area to experience fresh, pesticide-free local food offerings for healthier diets.  The event also served to promote our area's black businesses.

Our “Pumpkin Patch Party” at Brother Lorenzo Gibbs’ Hidden Gems Farm in Centreville, Virginia was a family-oriented event offering goat petting, fresh eggs, fresh baked goods, and pumpkins.   Brother Gibbs opened the event with a talk about his journey back to his farming roots, the farm’s high farming standards and the importance of black families holding on to their farms.   As a group we discussed new strategies for economic land uses.

The chapter and the farm provided coffee and fresh baked challah bread.  Forty guests enjoyed a tour of the farm’s animals – goats, chickens, ducks, and turkeys – and fields yielding seasonal greens, berries, and other crops throughout the year.  The farm’s store offered eggs, candles, ice cream, and goat milk-based soaps and creams.