I didn't start gardening because I loved vegetables. I started because I wanted something better for my grandson.

I grew up in a neighborhood where fresh, healthy food wasn't always easy to find. Like many people, I never developed a love for vegetables because I wasn't exposed to them growing up. Canned vegetables were the only option.

When my grandson was born, I wanted something different for him. I wanted him to have a better relationship with food, experience fresh produce, and have opportunities I didn't have. So I decided to give gardening a chance.

As I learned to grow my own food, I challenged myself to find vegetables I actually enjoyed eating. Along the way, I discovered an incredible world of peppers, I intensley disliked the flavor of  jalapeños, so I looked for different seeds to find somehting I may have liked better and a whole world opened up for me. Their colors, flavors, and endless varieties sparked a passion that changed my life.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, my garden produced more peppers than I could use, so I began creating hot sauces, jams, seasonings, and other products that celebrated their unique flavors. That passion grew into TheHoodGarden.

Soon I was invited to teach workshops and demonstrations, and I discovered something unexpected: while I loved growing food, I loved teaching even more. Seeing someone gain the confidence to grow their first garden, preserve their harvest, or try a new vegetable became the most rewarding part of my work.

That passion led me to create TheHoodGarden Food Education Project. Today, my mission is to make food education welcoming, practical, and accessible so that more people can grow food, build confidence, and strengthen their communities through hands-on learning.