Miss Mel stands five feet even in an ensemble very reminiscent of Ms. Frizzle: curly ginger tresses tucked in a low bun, stewarded by a headwrap decorated with planets or fruits and vegetables. As one makes their way through her adorable features, their eye is met, pleasurably, by matching earrings, pins on the lapels of overalls, or retro Jordans in matching colors. Her right arm is adorned with a tattoo celebrating her love for vegetation: two butcher knives crossing paths over produce.
Needless to say Miss Mel is cool—too cool for school, yet an agricultural educator to the people of the Back of the Yards community and beyond.
With her farm and CSA business, Sunflower Soule Farm, Miss Mel works, in her words, “… to provide organically grown produce that is accessible to all members of the community regardless of income. We strive to bridge the gap between food “apartheid” stricken areas and food oases. We are dedicated to continuing our efforts to advocate for food justice in BIPOC communities. We strongly believe that food is a right, not a privilege.”
Melanie Carter (who goes by her middle name) was born on the South Side. She grew up in Woodlawn, where she attended Emmett Till Grade School, with her grandparents and family. As an impressionable young farmer, Miss Mel was cared for by both of her gardening grandmothers, maternal and paternal.
Miss Mel gorgeously reflects on that time: the roses and tulips that surrounded the garden, her grandfather trimming some plants. Her other grandmother, sweetly caring for strawberry patches, the mammoth sunflowers standing eight feet tall, ivy wrapping around the premises and vegetable patches around the garden. With fishing trips to Kankakee, these grandparents cultivated both life and sustenance for Miss Mel.
Now with two adult children, Mariam and Anthony, Miss Mel currently lives where the Robert Taylor Homes used to be. We are invited further into her history, which still reflects the work of her family: On her maternal side, all of her uncles have been in the military, serving in the Korean War or other notable wars, which would later lead to PTSD. Saddened by this reality, Miss Mel shared her own experiences and qualms with many Black men being put on the frontlines of these wars, almost as a sacrifice.
Between 1988 and 1992, Miss Mel would serve as a medic and combat medic trainer in Washington D.C. Aside from the torment of circumstance and tangible reality, Miss Mel also dealt with her fair share of misogyny during her active duty. After her reserve, she was honorably discharged while in standby reserves.
“A conflict was just starting up, Desert Storm. But at that time, I decided not to extend my service any longer simply because I wasn’t going to be involved in anything that was committing genocide with Brown folks. So I made the decision just to let it go and move on … The commander of the unit honorably discharged me,” she recollected. “I don’t have a baby sitter.”
And so Miss Mel made her way back home with her skills of cultivation. In conversation, Miss Mel reflects on the history of when Black folks weren’t allowed to shop for groceries or produce, and compares that to the systemic effects of food deserts. “There will be a point where we rely on each other for staple food sources”, she said—an impassioned statement. Bartering and trading is also mentioned, as we face EBT cuts and the current climate of the world.
When questioned about how fresh food and produce heals, Miss Mel responds with the intention behind her farmstand, made by Eco Friendly Mobile Carts. Through partnerships with neighborhood urban farms, such as #LiberationLanding Gardens & Farms and OTIS Fresh Farm, she goes around the neighborhood with fresh produce and asking neighbors if they need food.
As Miss Mel says: “I don’t want folks to feel shamed for being hungry.”
Miss Mel has plans and goals for herself, including canning produce and continuing to promote her produce/farm cart, Sunflower Soule Farm, LLC. But while she continues to work to be approachable in her community, Miss Mel said she would never expect anyone to do the same. The Back of the Yard community houses many veterans with PTSD, Miss Mel said, which led her to reflect on her personal experiences of war and the common treatment of our soldiers thereafter. Miss Mel is familiar with the mental health state of veterans, and is something that drives her compassion and empathy.
Acknowledging that veterans want to be treated like human beings, Miss Mel makes sure gardens/farms are equitable spaces. She shared her method of being in community: “Mental capacity for trauma has no limits. Take a gentle approach and deescalate.”
“Keep Glowing and Growing” is the tagline of Miss Mel’s upcoming podcast, which she’s working on through a media fellowship program. But Miss Mel continues to connect with people through urban farming in Back of the Yards.
“The people and the community is the inspiration,” we are encouraged to keep in mind, as Miss Mel and Sunflower Soule Farm grow.
Sunflower Soule Farm, LLC, Temporarily closed due to Miss Mel’s recovering eye surgery, more details at @sunflowersoule