241: Amanda Storey, Jones Valley Teaching Farm (Birmingham, AL)

The Southern Fork

In times like these, it’s good to go back to the garden, and with school back in session, that’s exactly where some children in Birmingham, AL are headed. Jones Valley Teaching Farm is located in the city’s downtown, and its patchwork of small, urban farms within a single community is reshaping the stories and futures for those nearby. Amanda Storey is the Executive Director of the farm, where she’s been an enthusiastic advocate, volunteer, and employee for 10 years — four of which have been spent in her current role. Her passion for the connection between food and community began in her early career, and like me, she sees food through the lens of the people it touches. In a place where weeds once grew in abandoned lots, Jones Valley Teaching Farm is growing hope and imagination for a different future.