The Vine, No. 7
Black urban farming, Los Angeles photoshoots, mommy issues, and more.
Hey y’all, it’s Ava (Founder/Editor-in-Chief) here! Welcome to The Vine premium, an expanded version of Ebony Tomatoes’ monthly newsletter focusing on all things Black, queer, and revolutionary. Thank you so much for supporting our publication and allowing us to continue highlighting today’s most influential voices. You’re doing a damn good thing.
Tokens of our undying gratitude include: Discounts on printed issues. Exclusive essays, fiction, poetry, and art. Community building and online creative workshops, the first of which will be led by Robyn Brown, a Black urban grower, teaching us how to start gardens in small spaces.
Sprout & Thrive: Take ownership of your food practices with Black urban grower Robyn Brown
Special shoutout to our co-founder, Yumna Elhdari, for putting this event together. This workshop is currently only open to our premium subscribers, who can RSVP here for the meeting link (which will be sent in the coming weeks). Read further for more details on Sprout & Thrive, and please stay tuned for more updates in the next few weeks.
Wednesday, July 16th at 7:30 EST.
Workshop Bio: Got a sunny windowsill, a balcony, or just a corner of your room? That’s all you need to start growing your own fresh herbs and veggies from seed! Sprout & Thrive is a hands-on virtual workshop designed for young adults who are curious about gardening but limited on space. Whether you live in a dorm, apartment, or urban home, you'll learn practical techniques for seed starting, container growing, and keeping your mini-garden thriving indoors or out. Led by an urban grower who’s turned patios and tiny lots into edible oases, this session will empower you to grow your own food, reduce waste, and connect with the rhythms of nature—no backyard required.
Facilitator Bio: Robyn Lockett Brown (she/her) is a doctoral student researching the direct impact of Black food sovereignty on the mental health of Black communities. Robyn hails from East Fort Worth Texas, by way of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and has a passion for garden instruction. Robyn specializes in making gardening accessible, fun, and creative by using recycled materials, upcycling, and repurposing household items. She believes that gardening should be an inviting space for all, removing intimidation and inspiring curiosity. A Certified Chemical Engineer and Black Urban Grower, Robyn creatively blends her passion for botany and science to develop homeopathic medicines and daily hygienic care products for her family and neighbors. This season, her life mantra is: “Take control over your agency, or systemic agencies will.”
Our LA photoshoot with Dream World Girl Zine
Not sure if y’all heard, but Ebony Tomatoes Collective is now bicoastal! Last month, our wonderful LA coordinator, Isabel Alexander, got a group of talented models and photographers together for a shoot. This photoshoot, which was done in collaboration with Dream World Girl Zine, made me want to move to the city of angels…for real. For now, I’ll settle for sharing these flicks from my not-so-temperate-and-sunny apartment in the Northeast. Sigh. Special thanks to this lovely group of models and the shoot’s photographers, Alex Bernabe and Brooke Kamille.
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