Newsletter | November 11, 2025
In this week’s Voices:
- “We got to get back to the basics” of food production
- Where to find free food and groceries in Atlanta
- Launching Farm Fresh Mobile Markets in South DeKalb
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Photos by Claudia Maturell
As the back and forth of whether to fund SNAP benefits continues, our newsletter this week focuses on local food—both where to get food assistance, but also highlighting the more long-term solutions led by communities and individuals.
One example is Bobby Wilson, who greets folks with a friendly smile and firm handshake as they visit his property, a green patch of productive life within the food desert that is College Park. From chickens cackling in their coops to the bees buzzing by, Metro Atlanta Urban Farm is an almost idyllic example of urban agriculture at a scale rarely seen within the Perimeter.Self-reliance is the core of MAUF’s philosophy, whether that’s nurturing a patch of tomatoes or okra in your backyard or securing a farm number to access U.S. Department of Agriculture programs. Though none of MAUF’s food goes to waste, Wilson believes that effectively combating food deserts ultimately lies with Atlanta residents themselves.
This is the second story in our series “Good Dirt: Atlanta Food Spaces,” as Canopy Atlanta Fellow Jack Rose tells the stories of people who advocate the benefits of getting your hands dirty, appreciating the fruits of your labor, and returning to one of the most basic human pastimes: agriculture.
“I think the only way we’re going to solve that is by us growing some of our own fresh fruits and vegetables. We got to get back to the basics.”
—Bobby Wilson, Founder and Farmer of Metro Atlanta Urban Farm
- Atlanta Community Food Bank: Food Pantry Map
Want to work with Canopy Atlanta on our latest project? Join us to for a workshop to learn more about how YOU can get involved in our community journalism.
đź“… Thursday, Dec. 4, 6 to 8 p.m.
đź“Ť CreateATL: 900 Murphy Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30310
We'll start the evening with refreshments and conversation. Then we'll provide an overview of various Canopy Atlanta programs and projects, including When the Creeks Rise, Documenters, Community Notebook, community listening, and more.
We'll have lots of time for Q&A, and Canopy Atlanta staff, Fellows, and Documenters will be on hand to talk about the work we do. You'll leave the workshop with the tools and information you need to become a part of Canopy Atlanta.
By Jack Rose, Norcross Fellow
More than a dozen people lined up in the nearly freezing temperatures on Monday morning, waiting to fill their bags with fresh produce and essential food items. Several took blankets offered by staff to ward off the cold as they waited in the parking lot of DeKalb County Public Library’s Scott Candler branch.
As metro Atlantans face the reality of reduced or no SNAP benefits, the DeKalb County Commissioner’s Office and Retaaza, a private business making Georgia-grown food more affordable to Georgians, held their first of hopefully many DeKalb Farm Fresh Mobile Markets.
Retaaza’s team set up shop with a sprinter van loaded with fresh produce and shelf-stable essentials. They offered 50% off EBT and SNAP purchases and a free $10 credit.
To see Farm Fresh Mobile Market dates and locations, click here.
Clare Schexnyder, Community Outreach Director for Commissioner Ted Terry’s office, said that some people had already been “waiting for hours” before they opened the van doors to allow the line to fill their bags. From zucchini and jalapenos for $1.59 a pound to grits, cider, and peanut butter, the mobile market wants to take the stress of transportation and cost out of the equation for people looking to feed their families.
DeKalb commissioners met that morning to discuss extending the initiative, which had been funded through the end of the year.
“It’s bittersweet,” said Kashi Sehgal, founder of Retaaza. “I’m glad we can provide this service. But eating is a basic human right.”
Want to catch up on the work Canopy Atlanta is doing and share what is happening in your neighborhood? Come out for a free cup of coffee this week.
Last week, folks from across Atlanta joined us for discussions about green spaces, flooding in Atlanta, and the TAD vote coming up in the city. We planned a presentation about When the Creeks Rise and a deeper dive into explaining the always complicated Tax Allocation Districts. We talked about how to make stories about public school systems sexy (stay tuned) and the runoff election coming up on December 2.
Join us this week for more conversations about sidewalks and dirt and how to make our communities more equitable places that work for everyone.
đź“… Thursday, Nov. 13, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
📍 Ke’nekt Cooperative: 1492 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW, Suite A, Atlanta, GA 30310
đź“… Friday, Nov. 14, 12 to 2 p.m.
đź“ŤClarkston Market: 980 Rowland St Suite 4120, Clarkston, GA 30021
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