Cultural Heritage

Through Food

Story Andrea Haines

County, MD

Nia Nyamweya owns and operates Beauty Blooms Farm in Damascus, Maryland, growing certified and naturally grown African heritage produce and flowers with low-till and organic farm practices. “I love the pleasant surprise people have when I tell them I’m a farmer,” she explains. “As a young woman of color, I look up to folks that have come before me and farmed through immense challenges in our nation’s history.”

Nia is a Farm Credit Farmers on the Rise award recipient. “This amazing honor gives me a boost of confidence. Support from Farm Credit has enabled me to continue to grow the farm and to provide more food to the [Washington] D.C. community,” she claims. Nia was able to purchase a BCS walk-behind tractor and flail mower with the funding provided by the honor. “The various attachments that mechanize the small-scale farm and still remain low-till and hand-powered is the great thing about this addition.” She plans to purchase additional attachments, including a compost spreader and biodegradable mulch layer with the additional funds.

Nia credits her Kenyan-born father as a major source of inspiration. His African upbringing and his background in landscaping helped her realize her own dream of a thriving ecosystem coupled with diversity in agriculture and the community. “I didn’t grow up in a farm community,” she states. “Yet, I share so many values of environmental stewardship, sharing food with community, and growing food that’s important to my culture and heritage.”

Nia recognizes Farm Credit for the “dedication to farmers growing their operations” and thanks the staff that are farmers themselves or grew up in agriculture” for sharing their knowledge with her. She explains, ”I’m from the city and have different life experiences from many farmers. I hope I can be a strong example for other women of color and encourage them to take the leap and follow their farming dreams.”