We recently connected with Taffany Hyatt and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Taffany thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Crazy stuff happening is almost as certain as death and taxes – it’s technically “unexpected” but something unexpected happening is to be expected and so can you share a crazy story with our readers
My love for gardening is what literally grew my consultation business. Wanting to help others cultivate their own green spaces fills me with joy. Be it a church, community garden, school outdoor classroom, back yard, balcony, etc. I welcome the opportunity to be of service. One day, a community member contacted me wanting help creating a neighborhood garden on this empty lot she owned. After meeting with her and surveying the land we began to brainstorm.
While outside, one of the neighbors saw us and came up to us. He immediately let us know that he will do everything in his power to stop our project. He then continues to say “I don’t want any of your kind close to my house” then huffed away. I was flabbergasted to say the least. It’s understandable to want your privacy but to start throwing out racial slurs is inexcusable. At that point, I knew this project was not worth my energy or effort.
As an agriculturalist and black woman, I am faced with many challenges in regards to racism, gentrification, red-lining of communities and many other socioeconomic factors but when someone approaches me with disdain and animosity, like he did, it was in my best interest to withdraw from the project. I didn’t want him thwarting our hard work by sabotaging the garden in anyway.
Some would say that this was a negative experience but overall I am grateful that the truth came to light before I became to invested in the project. Yes, I want to see more urban greenspaces and aid in creating more micro-local produce systems but not all opportunities are worth the challenge. Being able to choose your battles wisely is a major lesson I learned from this experience.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My journey into agriculture started at a young age. My dad is a horse trainer, so when I lived with him in Texas on his ranch, I was submerged in nature. Being able to roam free picking berries and catching frogs filled my five-year-old heart. From there, I went on to study engineering and agriculture in high school. Being a part of FFA (Future Farmers of America) helped build my public speaking skills, plant identification, land surveying and so much more! Unbeknownst to me, I was building the foundation for what I am doing today.
After doing three years in college for Civil Engineering, I dropped out. I realized that doing something just for the money wasn’t sustainable, at least for me. Sitting behind a computer pushing out drafts and crunching numbers while being depressed and unhappy with life was not something my five years old self would approve of. The only thing during that time that would bring me peace was going to my local community garden and tending to my plants. That was about ten years ago. Now, I have partnered with a plethora of organizations, nonprofits and community stakeholders to help maintain and build out community gardens and green spaces for everyone to enjoy. Curating safe spaces for families to utilize within their immediate vicinity creates a dynamic that fosters healthy family dynamics and healthy lifestyles. During the pandemic, I was able to donate over 2,000 lbs (literally over a TON!) of fresh organic produce which was donated to food banks, churches, community and community pantries.
Being able to aid people on their sustainable journey empowers them to be the sovereign being that we all naturally are from birth. Seeing the impact my work has further pushed me on my path to where I am today. I am currently site coordinator over two community gardens in Decatur, Ga. As well as expanding my consultation business and launching my very own non-profit next year. I am planning to continue my work on an even larger scale to impact more lives and make truly healthy food available to all.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
My work ethic and tenacity has been the driving force that has helped me to build my career. Also, my empathetic and compassionate nature. Truly wanting to be of service never goes unnoticed.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One major lesson I have had to unlearn is imposter syndrome. Becoming confident in myself and the work I do. In the past, I wouldn’t feel worthy of being in certain rooms or even to receive recognition for my work. It took some years and a lot of inner child healing to unlearn and recalibrate myself to where I am now.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @theelementalgardner
- LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/taffany