Thanks to unwavering community support, 2025 has been a transformative year for Asawana Farms—one that strengthened our mission, deepened our relationships, and expanded our impact in the vital work of Food as Medicine. As we close out the 2025 growing season, we are honored to reflect on what we’ve accomplished together and to express our deepest gratitude to the people and partners who made this journey possible.
At Asawana Farms, our work has always been rooted in a simple but powerful belief: food is medicine, culture is healing, and farmers are essential to community wellness. This year reaffirmed that belief in countless ways.
Growing Health from the Ground Up
Throughout 2025, our farm continued to champion culturally relevant, nutrient-dense, and medicinal crops that have long supported health and healing in African and Afro-Caribbean communities. These included bitter leaf, bitter melon, fluted pumpkin (Ugu), okra, and African scent leaves—plants widely known for their role in supporting digestion, blood sugar balance, kidney health, maternal wellness, and overall vitality.
Beyond growing food, we focused on growing knowledge. Through hands-on demonstrations, volunteer days, farm tours, and educational sessions, community members learned not only what these foods do for the body, but how to grow them, prepare them, and integrate them into everyday life. These moments—hands in the soil, stories shared across generations—are where Food as Medicine truly comes alive.
Food as Medicine in Action: Partnerships that Matter
Asawana Farms was invited to present because of our ongoing commitment to the Food as Medicine movement—an approach that recognizes food not just as sustenance, but as a critical tool for disease prevention, management, and healing. Our work focuses on growing organic, culturally rooted African and Indigenous vegetables that have long been used for nourishment, strength, and medicinal purposes.
A Sensory and Educational Experience
Our impact this year was amplified through meaningful collaborations that bridged healthcare, education, and agriculture.
One of our most important ongoing partnerships is with the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center Food Is Medicine Program. Through this collaboration, doctors and patients visited our farm to learn directly how food is grown and how it supports healing. Seeing healthcare providers and patients together on the land—connecting diagnosis with diet, and prescriptions with plants—was a powerful reminder that health begins long before food reaches a plate.
We also continued our collaboration with Civic Engagement for Social Good (CESG) at the University of Maryland, College Park. CESG students dedicated their time to volunteering, learning, and contributing meaningfully to our mission, gaining firsthand experience in community-based agriculture and public health.
We were equally honored to welcome the Jack and Jill of America – Prince George’s County Chapter for a special Morning of Growth, Culture, and Community Learning. Watching young people engage with culturally significant crops, ask thoughtful questions, and connect heritage with health affirmed the importance of early exposure to land-based education.
In addition, hundreds of PGCPS Community Service Hours students joined us throughout the season. These students didn’t just log hours—they gained hands-on agricultural experience, learned where food comes from, and discovered how farming intersects with health, environment, and justice.
And always at the heart of our work are our senior citizens, whose wisdom, stories, and steady presence remind us that farming is intergenerational knowledge passed hand to hand.
Honoring the People Who Showed Up
A farm does not thrive on crops alone—it thrives on people. We are deeply grateful to the many individual volunteers who showed up consistently to learn, contribute, and grow with us.
We would like to extend special recognition and heartfelt thanks to Rasim, Esther, Tonya, and Mecca for their superior dedication and high-quality support. Your reliability, care, and commitment strengthened our work in ways both visible and unseen. Asawana Farms is better because of you.
Leadership That Moves Policy and Practice
We are profoundly thankful for the leadership and support of Councilwoman Wala Blegay, whose commitment to community health has had a lasting impact on Prince George’s County. Her initiative in advancing and securing the passage of the Food as Medicine bill with a unanimous County Council vote marked a historic milestone for public health and local food systems.
Equally meaningful were her numerous visits to Asawana Farms—not only to purchase produce, but to witness our work firsthand, encourage our efforts, and affirm the critical role farmers play in building healthier communities. That kind of leadership—present, engaged, and grounded—matters deeply.
Stewarding the Land with Integrity
Healthy food begins with healthy soil. We extend our sincere appreciation to Kim Rush and Jason Sierra of the Prince George’s County Soil Conservation District for their invaluable guidance and technical support throughout the year. Their commitment to teaching us and ensuring our regenerative and organic practices align with county and state guidelines strengthened our stewardship of the land and reinforced our long-term sustainability goals.
Their support reminds us that responsible farming is both a science and a responsibility—to the environment, to future generations, and to the communities we serve.
Grateful for the Organizations That Power Our Mission
We are also deeply grateful to our supporting partners whose contributions—financial, technical, and relational—continue to power our mission. These include Future Harvests, Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, the Maryland Food Bank, the Capital Area Food Bank, Foresters Financial, Around the Bay Foundation, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and others who stand with us in advancing equitable, community-centered food systems.
Looking Ahead: Rooted, Ready, and Resilient
Together, we are building a future in which communities understand where their food comes from, embrace the healing power of culturally relevant crops, and actively participate in a local food system rooted in health, resilience, and sustainability.
Growth always brings challenges—but with your continued trust and partnership, Asawana Farms remains committed to being a strong and steady pillar for organic farming, education, and community wellness. As we look toward the next growing season, we are more prepared than ever to share our knowledge, expand our Food as Medicine initiatives, and serve as a catalyst for a healthier Prince George’s County.
Will you continue this journey with us?
With gratitude and determination,
Asawana Farms