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From 'Milkshake' to veggies, Kelis and Ron Finley share their farm journeys
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Grammy-nominated recording artist Kelis has long had a creative connection to food. It's right there in her music, with tracks like "Milkshake," "Midnight Snacks," and "Jerk Ribs" — she even has an entire album titled Food. But Kelis' passion for gastronomy extends beyond her music: She graduated from Le Cordon Bleu, released her own cookbook, and most recently, bought a farm in Temecula, Calif., where she lives with her family.
Just a few hours away in South Central Los Angeles, Ron Finley, the "Gangsta Gardener," is spreading his own message of urban gardening. You might recognize him from his Masterclass — it's one of the platform's most popular courses — or his TED talk on guerrilla gardening, which has amassed over a million views.
In 2010, Finley planted fruits and vegetables on the parkway in front of his house, which violated a Los Angeles city code that he eventually got changed. Since then, he's worked to build gardens throughout his city, with the goal of turning food deserts into food sanctuaries.
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We arranged for the two of them to chat — Kelis from her farm, Ron in his garden — about the joys of growing your own food, the relationship between Black people and the land, and how to handle a mean rooster.
This video is available with closed captions.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
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