HHIPP - Meet Guy

Guy joined the Hearty Harvests in Iowa: A Photovoice Project to share the good experience of farming and its connection to health

Feb 06, 2024

A close up of plants in a greenhouse with the word 'photovoice' in the middle and an image of a man with his name 'Guy' below it.

As evidenced by his healthy doctor checkups at his ripe age, Guy believes that food and well-being are intertwined. From his enthusiastic personal rule to eat only fruit after 7 pm - if you're actively trying to lose weight - and efforts to include crops known to have health benefits in his diet, Guy understands that food is medicine. He desires to help others gain insight into and apply this understanding of food in their lives.

A person holding two different sweet potato leaves in each hand. The left hand has a Cordate or heart shaped leaf. The right hand has a five lobed leaf. — Guy showcases the difference between the leaves of two sweet potato varieties he grows. Image credit: Marianna C.

A man in an orange shirt and white hat kneeling down next to a fence as he points out a crop.

A wooden stick with writing on it in a garden stating 'Oseille vegetables more vitamin C'. A fenced garden with a lot of plants growing in it. — Guy shares his excitement over his experiments growing crop varieties known to have health benefits in a smaller section of his urban farm. Featured above is Oseille, also known as Sorrel, a type of leafy green high in vitamin C. Image credit: Marianna C.

Given his personal experiences, Guy is working hard to share his knowledge and get his customers to want more vegetables. Ultimately, one of his goals is to show his family and community members here in Iowa that it is possible to have a healthy lifestyle.

In addition to the food one eats, movement is an equally important part of Guy's healthy lifestyle. Farming is a physically active task requiring Guy to move in ways he suggests keep him young. He finds joy in caring for his body while tending to his crops.

A person holding a garlic cloves in their hand. A garlic field covered with straw. A garlic plant emerging from a field covered with straw. — Guy selecting large garlic cloves to plant, mulching his planted garlic, and showing off garlic growth at his urban farm. Image credit: GBN & Associates

Guy encourages his family to take part in these benefits of farming to honor his upbringing. He recalls learning from his mom how to plant and sell produce as a child in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At an early age, Guy cultivated valuable life skills and habits, a legacy he carries on with his children, who often find time to join him in farming.

A group of four people standing around a wheelbarrow in a field. A young girl kneeling down in a field. A couple of young people preparing soil in a field. An image of Guy and his wife standing in the field with tools in hand. — Guy and his family members - including his wife and three of his children - enjoy their time together farming. Image credit: GBN & Associates

His ability to farm here in Iowa with his family is thanks to his participation in Cedar Rapids-based Feed Iowa First’s Equitable Land Access Program as a Community Ag Farmer. He was previously involved in Grow Pamoja, a Train-the-Trainer project developed by Iowa Valley RC&D and United We March Forward in Cedar Rapids. Guy’s vision is to keep expanding, beginning with an acre and striving toward a final goal of 28 acres.

A sign in front of an urban farm site along a dirt road. — Guy’s urban farming space thanks to the Equitable Land Access program, one of Feed Iowa First’s core programs. Image credit: Marianna C.

A close up of a green okra plant with flower buds. A close up of a white flower on an okra plant. A close up of an okra fruit on the plant. — Featured above is okra from Guy's urban farm. Image credit: GBN & Associates

Currently, Guy is looking for support to have a greenhouse space to have plant transplants year-round for use and sale in the community. In the meantime, he uses a small makeshift greenhouse to keep his plant starts. As an urban farmer, finding creative solutions allows Guy to continue providing fresh, healthy food to the community.

A man holding a box of tomatoes in a warehouse. — Guy weighing his tomato harvest at the Feed Iowa First storehouse. Image credit: Lauren Luerkens

Guy's ingenuity as an urban farmer reflects his efforts to utilize all the available skills, knowledge, and resources. Such efforts include his vertical farming technique for sweet potato vines and the practice of seed saving from his best-producing crops.

A man in an orange shirt and white hat holding a metal bucket pointing at a row of sweet potatoes. — Guy shares that he puts garden stakes in his rows of sweet potatoes. This practice allows the vines to grow upward, making it easier for him to harvest them as another nutritious and familiar item to share with his customers. Image credit: Marianna C.

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