asharaekundayo:

Name: Neambe Leadon-Vita 

website:   https://www.facebook.com/libation.lucky

city you call home:  Denver, CO

favorite local fare? 
RBG (Roots, Beans and Greens) Soup = Any bean with potatoes, carrots, & any leafy green, fresh basil, sage and rosemary cooked all day in a crock pot…MMMMM.

what do you do to make money? 
Facilitate youth workshops, teach elementary and middle school science at a small private school, sell produce I grow at a local farmer’s market (Mo’ Betta’ Greens)

have you been to east africa yet as part of the fellowship? Not yet 

in 30 words or less - what was and what is your food justice philosophy? (pre and post boldfood)

Food Justice is what our food system and social system should be modeled around which includes a system where all people are allowed access to and information about healthy, real, local food.  In this system there are no industrialized foods, no gmo’s and gardens in every yard and at every school, encouraging communities to be self sustainable.

what is/are your current projects that are informed by your participation in boldfood?
Roots, Beans and Greens Workshops:  Fresh, live juicing, explanation of the health benefits of eating live foods, films, intergenerational dialogue, music, community engagement.

I am also on a mission to become more self sufficient making my own soaps, herbal tinctures and teas from my own herb garden. Additionally I am attempting to grow food this winter season in “hot boxes” while working on turning our community garden (EastSide Growers Collective) into a small farm with other community growers.

do you have any collaborators who are also connected to boldfood as part of this new work? (fellows, directors, administrators)

I work with my husband/fellow Ietef Vita in coordinating several projects such as the BrownSuga Youth Fest the RBG workshops & the “Going Green, Living Bling” curriculum in our community.

how can you continue your partnerships and community building when the boldfood program officially ends?

The Roots, Beans and Greens workshop, an extension of the “Going Green, Living Bling” curriculum I teach will continue community engagement. 

There is also the annual Brown Suga Youth Festival, partnering with the Northeast Denver Youth Engagement Zone (Y.E.Z.), set to take place in April 2012, an all day event engaging young people with holistic health practitioners, environmental advocates, bboys/hip hop yogis and artists, with dialogue, film, art and a panel discussion resulting in action steps. 

Also, I will continue producing workshops where we help youth with community projects of their choice, where we instruct them on how to utilize food and herbs as medicine to prevent illness.