Growing through Extreme Lows in the South with Jamila Norman of Patchwork City Farm

Jamila Norman of Patchwork City Farms in Atlanta, GA, is a first generation daughter to Caribbean parents whose history is rooted in agriculture. After a career in environmental engineering, she founded Patchwork City Farms in 2010, an acre+ urban farm with one 30'x96' high-tunnel and four caterpillar tunnels that supplies two farmers markets, a couple of local restaurants, and a farmstand. I reached out to Jamila in January after an arctic blast with lows in the teens hit Atlanta and decimated 90% of her winter crops and severely impacted local winter crop availability. I wanted to see if I could offer any help or suggestions in preparing for future extreme cold weather events not normally experienced so far south, but what I learned from Jamila was just how difficult it is to prepare for extreme unpredictable cold unless adequate infrastructure, like high-tunnels, are already in use, which are not typically needed for winter hardy crops in the south. We also talk about her television series, Homegrown, on Magnolia Network, which just launched it's third season. The series focuses on helping families in the Atlanta area transform their outdoor spaces into beautiful and functional backyard farms and gardens. It can be streamed on HBO Max. Jamila is a warm-hearted leader and resource for the urban farming community and I truly enjoyed this conversation.

Mentioned in the show…

Homegrown from Magnolia Network on HBO Max

Folks who make the show possible...

Vermont Compost Company premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!

SeedTime Planner crop planning tool for home gardeners and market farmers. Get your free account and $5 seed coupon ->> seedtime.us/notillpodcast

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.