Today we’d like to introduce you to Damon Bartos.
Hi Damon, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
4 years ago I moved from Chicago IL, to Chattanooga. In 2022 I was certifying my secondary Education license (6-12 grade) for Biology in the state of TN. I thought it would be a good idea to get acquainted with the South Chattanooga, Alton park community before I began student teaching because I wanted to teach in title one schools. I found The Bethlehem Center, and after school center for students 1st grade to the high school level. I was teaching a STEM class there for a full year seeing kids ages 3rd grade to 6th grade doing science experiments and practicing the scientific method. The Bethlehem Center had a community garden out back that was not producing very well but had a long history of community involvement, I offered to share some science knowledge until it was time for me to start student teaching. During that period of help, I volunteered 10 hours a week working in the garden. In November of 2022, I received the worst phone call I will ever experience in my life. My brother was shot in the head back home in Chicago. I dropped everything. The Bethlehem center helped me out tremendously I was back home for over 2 months. My brother was considered to be in a vegetative coma for over 4 months, it was not looking good. During his timeline. Coma it was time for me to begin student teaching and I couldn’t get myself up for the task, I was not in a great place mentally and I did not want to teach in that kind of state, when I shared that information with a close friend and director of community out reach, Lillian Moore, who now is my boss, she offered me the garden manager position, and said we have no expectations give it your best shot. I had 0 farming experience, I had never grown a plant outside before, in fact my background emphasis was in genetics I was great in a laboratory setting. When I took over the garden I had a vision, I wanted to create a beautiful lush space with fruits, vegetables, and vibrant flowers, a little oasis for the Alton park community, and selfishly myself, I needed somewhere peaceful to handle possibly losing my little brother. I think the combination of my brothers fight, a lot of sadness, and the need to help others (something I felt called to do even in teaching) produced what we saw that first year of 2023. My brother came out of his coma and is back with us now disabled physically but still the amazing loving funny kid I remeber him as. One of the coolest things when he regained his speech was to tell him the garden I took over as a coping mechanism with his accident produced over 4,000 lbs of produce for a community in need. The year I learned the ins and out of urban farming from veteran advice, the internet, and my foundational platform (an 8th grade science textbook on plant structures, root systems, and soil biomes. Last year was the year of, okay I can do this. We had so much extra produce, despite doing 100lb produce tables, sending food home with families, filling community fridges, we still had produce go to waste. This year, funding was tight for our non for profit farm, grants disappeared, money began to seem like the demise of our project that just began. I was determined to make sure we could keep this going, so I began to offer a supply of our produce to restaurants to help out our budget, An amazing restaurant downtown Calliope, with chef Khaled AlBanna, a James beard award winner, has been buying produce from us weekly and has been a tremendous support of our work. We are now a market and community farm, we grow over 40 different varieties of produce and herbs, we have two beehives on site which we harvest honey from, we have 7 spaces full of beautiful flowers for pollinator habitats, media coverage, and generous volunteers. Things have blown up for us and I am nothing be eternally grateful for peoples belief in our work and my vision.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Learning to farm, with zero experience was quite a bumpy road. Growing things in Tennessee clay is never easy. And growing produce organically is even harder. We are 100% organic no pesticides or insecticides, we also use zero plastic in the ground for weed barrier just a lot of mulch and manual weed pulling. All of that is labor intensive, it requires removing pests by hand, pulling weeds weekly, and companion planting herbs to deter pests. It’s not the easiest route, but it’s the route you chose if you care enough about the food your giving out. I know it makes things harder but it produces healthier safe food, and it makes our growing space a better environment to steward food, animals, and insects. A struggle that I dealt with my first year and will many more years to come is the weather, growing in a changing climate with unpredictable weather is hard. With a lab background in science I thrive with controlling variables, I cannot control the weather, droughts, a full month of heavy rain, violent thunderstorms, and high humidity is like a unpredictable science experiment that pushes me to be a harder worker, and also a better problem solver.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I run an urban Farm in a low-income, underserved, community attached to an afterschool center. I grow food for the community which goes home with families in our after school programs, into our food pantry on site which sees over 200 families monthly, and I sell produce to a restaurant. I teach a garden club with our students in after school once a week. We teach kids how to grow food and about the environment. The students help grow and take care of all our plants, flowers, and beehives; yes beehives. Two students a week put on a bee suit with me and we inspect our hives. I’m known as farmer D by the students, the vegetable man by the community, and the farm at the Beth to restaurants, but really I’m just damon, and I really care about helping others and growing food for people to enjoy who need it most or want to eat organic produce in a restaurant setting that tastes special. Food is community and I’m just trying to steward community. My work makes me proud, I’m happy to bring joy to others. I’m proud when I see the shocked looks on people faces eating vegetables right out of the garden, a smile, a great review, a hug, or a returning product ask on something I spent sometimes over 190 days meticulously taking care of for it to produce food. It’s hard work but I’m proud to produce something fresh, organic, and tasty for others to enjoy.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My first year nobody knew I existed, I had my head down and just worked day after day growing. This year I’ve sought out partnerships, advice, and help. Look for local coalitions, other farmers, people in your community, and people who appreciate your style of work. In the farming network, other farmers, nurseries, restaurants, chefs, and community groups are your best support network. I have learned alot from hearing farmers speak at food as a verb events , I have learned a lot from chefs like Khaled AlBanna at Calliope, and I’ve learned a lot from community coalitions like the food forest coalition in Chattanooga. Find your people, and pick your head up and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Pricing:
- Donation-
- We are a non for profit and rely on donations and grants any donation is appreciated
- Donation link to the farm:
- https://thebeth.harnessgiving.org/donate/?selected-method=one-time&amount=40&campaign_id=15460
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebeth.org/farm
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beth.farms?igsh=N2NoODBxaWVsNXZq&utm_source=qr
