Germaine Jenkins

Roles: Special Guest

Germaine was born in Hartsville, South Carolina and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She moved back to her native South Carolina at 25-years-old in pursuit of liberation for her family through food. After graduating with honors from Johnson & Wales University, Germaine focused on work that addressed her lived experience with food apartheid. In 2014, Germaine co-founded Fresh Future Farm on a vacant city lot with $600 from a family tax refund. The last 10 years were dedicated to leading a team of fellow North Charleston budding leaders to create abundance in a disinvested neighborhood. Jenkins has been featured in Essence, Food & Wine, New York Times, and is now the subject of a full-length documentary depicting Fresh Future Farm’s work to build food sovereignty through community care. Germaine’s movement allies include Kennae Miller, Urban Growers Collective, Unearthing Joy, Fountain Heights Farms, National Black Food & Justice Alliance, Loiter East Cleveland, Black Church Food Security Network, and Black Lives Matter of Greater NY.

2025 Program(s):
Rooted