Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Womack.
Hi Amber, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I come from a family of farmers on both my maternal and paternal sides of my family. My Great Uncle Elijah had a farm where he grew not only vegetables and grain, but tobacco, cattle , chickens and pigs. I remember spending summers in South Carolina watching him farm and spending time with the animals and it was something I was always interested in doing as I got older. Back at home in Maryland, my Grandfather and Grandmother had their own small homesteads in their backyards, I would watch them grow vegetables, clean them and prepare them for dinner. I thought it was so amazing to watch something grow from a seed and turn into something that we could eat.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Growing your own food always comes with its own challenges. Many of them naturally, are beyond your control, For example the climate, having a severe drought, insects, deer, rabbits can get into your garden and effect your yield and harvest. This year specifically, the heat was intense some of the heavy rain early on in June can cause overwatering, and this year I was not able to produce the normal harvest that I would typically have. This also brought on many challenges as this was the first year I launched my business Zuris Fresh Garden LLC. However, a lot of it is trial and error and you figure out what works and never give up, Keeping faith in God always, and knowing that this is a growing season for me , pun intended.
We’ve been impressed with Zuris Fresh Garden, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I aim to provide mobile markets of organic food and healthy vegetables and fruits to everyone. Many times people feel that they can’t eat healthy and organic because of prices and because of socioeconomic status. Specifically in the inner cities there isn’t always access to a Whole Foods, or Organic Fresh Markets. However, I believe that everyone should have the right to eat healthy and shouldn’t be restricted to unhealthy food options or corner stores just because of where they live. I believe that when a lot of people start businesses they focus on the financial gain only and profit. Many people don’t focus on the people who may not be as fortunate as them. I started off the first 3 years growing vegetables and giving them out to family , and friends free of charge and handing them out to people at my church which is located in East Baltimore. Just hearing that people enjoyed my fresh veggies and were happy to have access to them was enough for me to be fulfilled. At the moment I want to be able to do the same thing just on a larger scale to reach more people.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success by my family and home life and our walk and relationship with God. I have been blessed with two healthy children, who are well taken care of and who have their own relationship with God. Psalm 127:3 “Children are a heritage from The Lord ,offspring a reward to Him” Many times, we get caught up in worldly work, and define success by our salary. When the real work is for the Kingdom of God.
Pricing:
- Varies based on Produce and Season
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.zurisfreshgarden.site
- Instagram: ZurisFreshGarden_LLC
