Good Soil Events // Foodtalks, D.C.

Washington D.C. Through our work with Tater Tats, we've met a lot of cool people. Melissa Jones is one of those people. She's got a spirit for activism, she loves food, and she's built a business that combines these things and brings stories of food to the forefront. GoodSoil + FoodTalks are the result of her curiosity and insistence that food stories need telling and that EVERYONE has one.  

You can reach Melissa at melissa@goodsoilevents.com.

Tell us about your organization, what do you do?

I am an edible activist, event curator and the creator of GoodSoil Events--a sustainable food project that promotes healthy food and agriculture through food experiences, media, and storytelling.

How did you get interested in working with food? 

About five or six years ago I decided to change my diet after seeing the documentary: Forks Over Knives. This began my journey of learning more about how health was connected to food and the environment. After reading many books, including Foodopoly, I decided I needed to part of the food movement in some capacity. I have my own events consultancy, and felt strongly that I needed to leverage my events skills to promote an issue that is impacting the world. GoodSoil Events was born.

What are you working on right now? What are you most excited about? What's your mission or long-term goals?

Currently I am working on FoodTalks, which is a platform for individuals of all walks to share their personal and wholesome food journeys. I like to highlight people of color--when you look at food from a justice standpoint we are the ones who are affected the most, but we're also creating some awesome, viable, self-sufficient businesses in response. Black and brown communities are doing amazing things to bring love and healthy food to people who need it. My heart beats for this project! Long-term goal is to help other regions/states/countries host FoodTalks in their communities. We also look forward to creating some sustainable and valuable partnerships in 2018 and hosting more consistent FoodTalks (think CreativeMornings for food)!

What frustrates you most about your work or the current food culture at large? What do you wish to change the most?

I love my work--but as a whole--black and brown communities need more credit for their work. I am hopeful that by giving people a platform to tell their food stories, we can shift the narrative. Not every story is a struggle story; I am hopeful that our communities can be seen as more than a statistic.

Any recent moments of optimism? Things you see changing for the better?

Everything is about perspective; I am optimistic ninety-nine percent of the time. I believe that only one percent of our world is in a disarray. The other ninety-nine percent is filled with perfectly fine, imperfect people. There is so much work being done with food to support justice, advocate for healthier diets, environments, good soil, and more. I love hearing stories about what people are doing.

What's your favorite vegetable to eat, grow, or wear?

Brussel's Sprouts. :) I love a young, tender turnip as well!