History of Nourish Botanica
Founded in 2014 by Quianah Upton | Homegrown in Atlanta, GA.
We're building a black woman owned greenhouse cafe in Atlanta. We provide healing through art, flowers and plants grown on our land, food as medicine and herbal blends. Nourish Botanica also provides a physical space for engagement and education around food equity and economic justice.
The for-profit greenspace and cafe will set the stage for the programming which amplifies Black voices, highlights Atlanta’s food justice organizers and farm communities, and supports the good work of organizations and leaders fighting against food and economic justice. Nourish Botanica was watered by mutual aid and community support. That is at the root of who we are.
Launched an art and retail business called Arbitrary Living that evolved into a food equity conversation event initiative, #ChopItUpATL, now Nourish In Black.
The experiences Nourish In Black have created, focus on culture & story sharing through visual and oral dialogue at the union of art and cuisine. This initiative highlights Atlanta’s local food justice organizations and farm community. The platform seeks to honor storytelling, art, and cultural foodways.
Our founder organized twenty one outdoor festivals, encouraging commerce and healing in greenspace by creating Simmer Down Picnic, then Friends and Neighbors Day Fest. We have collaborated and hosted six festivals highlighting local entrepreneurs, and black women in creative businesses.
Nourish In Black has organized twenty one dinner parties with facilitated conversations focusing on food justice and art including five Collective Impact Dinner’s fundraising for local black led food justice organizations like Carver’s Produce and Gangstas To Growers.
Nourish In Black developed a feed the protestors program, called Nourish The People, which fundraised and reallocated funds to black owned food based businesses to feed at least 150 protestors per week as a five week pop-up initiative Summer 2020. The program raised over $2,500 from the community that then went to purchase meals from black owned caterers and restaurants during COVID. We also facilitated donated resources from ally owned restaurants.