Today we’d like to introduce you to Jarmonay Nelson.
Hi Jarmonay, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up around good food and strong women in Baltimore. My mom and my aunties could really throw down in the kitchen just creative things crab cakes casseroles,
lasagna, jerk, shrimp Mac and cheese the kind of meals that bring everyone to the table. To this day, I’ll still say my family makes the best crab cakes in town. No debate. And everyone was welcome to the table especially at my aunties house!
I started working in kitchens in high school. My first job was at Cosi, where we made fresh flatbread hourly. I learned so much from the Hispanic cooks who trained me at almost every job I can give them character building credit …. they really shaped my foundation before I ever stepped into culinary school. Later, I attended Anne Arundel Community College’s HCAT program, where I earned my culinary degree, sharpened my skills, and even discovered I loved public speaking.
At the same time, I was navigating life as a young single mom. I had my first son as a teen and now have two boys who inspire everything I do. I’ve always been determined to build something stable and meaningful for us.
After graduation, I worked across the food pathways managing bakeries, working farm-to-table kitchens, owning the grill, baking, you name it. But eventually, I needed something that felt healthier and more grounding. Restaurant life can be intense and sometimes toxic, and I wanted a different pace and purpose.
So I started volunteering on farms.
That’s how I found the Black Butterfly Farm Alliance and later Eco City Farms’ beginner farmer training program. I applied without fully knowing what I was stepping into but it changed my life. I graduated in 2023 feeling equipped, confident, and deeply connected to a community of growers. I found my people true friends of the soil.
All while self publishing my first book dedicated to my younger self who never once heard folk from Africa never once knew was taught about deities.
A week after graduating, I was offered space to grow at a local food pantry garden. I started with herbs and flowers and slowly built relationships, one conversation at a time. Building community isn’t always easy, but it felt right.
Around that same time, I began working with adults with disabilities and returned to cooking in a new way as a chef yes but as a teacher! I taught kitchen confidence as a culinary therapist : sanitation, knife skills, baking, shared meals and conversation! Watching people light up when they realized they could cook for themselves was powerful. That’s when everything clicked for me food could be both nourishment and empowerment.
Then came a big milestone. In 2026, I secured my own quarter-acre farm and grew seven varieties of watermelon along with vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Seeing that land produce food for my community felt like a full-circle moment proof that all the years of cooking, learning, and volunteering were leading somewhere.
Today, I run Enjoui Farm a small, community-rooted farm where I grow culturally meaningful crops, teach hands-on cooking and garden education, and launch CSA programs and collaborations. My work blends farmer, chef, and educator, all in one.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Heck no ! If I’m being honest, I’ve been in survival mode for the last ten years and didn’t even fully realize it at the time.
I was a young single mom, juggling work, school, and life. I had a full-ride scholarship twice and ended up stepping away before officially graduating.
I worked nonstop. Kitchens, side jobs, caregiving, farming, teaching. Burnout is real. Blood, sweat, and tears are real. There were seasons where it felt like I had to beg, borrow, figure it out, and make something out of nothing.
Nothing about this has been smooth or handed to me.
But every challenge shaped me.
Being a mom taught me resilience. Kitchens taught me discipline. Farming taught me faith and flexibility.
There was a mindset shift at some point where I stopped waiting for permission and started believing in myself … really believing. I started knocking on doors, asking questions, applying for things even if I thought I might get turned away. And if one door closed, I’d knock on the next or again. Eventually you realize rejection isn’t personal it’s just part of the process.
That perspective changed everything.
With support from good friends, community, and my faith, I’ve learned that struggles don’t define you , they refine you. And now when I look back, I see that those hard days weren’t setbacks. They were building blocks.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Enjoui started as a creative outlet before it ever became a business.
The name “Enjoui” is inspired by the idea of enjoying enjoying your food, your work, your life and draws from French roots connected to joy and lived experience. It also reflects “we,” a sense of togetherness and collective care that’s at the heart of everything we do.
Today, Enjoui Farm is a growing space for food, learning, and community.
We’re a small, minority-owned, diversified farm in Howard County growing seasonal vegetables, herbs, flowers, and culturally meaningful crops using regenerative, chemical-free practices.
We host hands-on workshops, cooking classes, tastings, and farm experiences where people learn the difference between varieties, flavors, and traditions like comparing seven types of watermelon or cooking greens passed down through generations.
My background allows me to bridge those worlds. I connect science, culture, food, and diversity in ways that feel accessible. We work closely with youth, seniors, and adults with disabilities, creating spaces where everyone regardless of ability or background feels capable and included.
We’re also intentional about growing crops that reflect heritage. You’ll find everyday staples alongside African, Caribbean, and culturally rooted foods you might not see in a typical grocery store. Representation matters. Food should feel like remembrance or an experience .
What makes Enjoui different is that it’s deeply personal and relationship-based. Brand-wise, I’m most proud that people say they feel safe and seen here.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
You learn by doing. If you have a skill just start with that . Every day teaches you something.
And this might sound funny, but it’s real … if you ever start to feel a little “crazy” for how big your dreams are, you’re probably on the right track!
Sometimes vision looks unrealistic to other people before it makes sense. Not everyone will understand what you’re building, especially in the beginning. But that doesn’t mean it’s not meant for you! I always say I believe in my seeds !
Know that you have a master plan inside you.
If no one else believes in you yet, believe in yourself. That’s the most powerful thing you can do. And honestly, a lot of the time you’re not just doing it for present-day you you’re doing it for your younger self, the one who needed someone to show what was possible.
Also, give yourself grace. You will crawl before you walk. You will change your mind. You will pivot. You will get tired. Be flexible and easy on yourself. Growth isn’t linear.
Don’t be afraid of rejection. If you stay consistent and keep going, it adds up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://byjarmonay.square.site
- Instagram: enjouifarm
