By Aubrey Lenyard, Georgia Tech, FBA
In celebration of Black History Month, I chose to highlight Niya and Eric Matthews of Twin Oak Farms in Douglasville. It felt like the right moment to pause and pay attention to a couple whose work is rooted in care, intention, and an honest love of land and community. What they are building is not flashy. It is steady, thoughtful, and deeply human.
Twin Oak Farms grew from a personal place. For Niya and Eric, it started with wanting a better relationship with food and better health for their own household. Like many families, they noticed how fresh vegetables could feel surprisingly out of reach, whether because of cost, distance, or simply not knowing where to begin. Instead of accepting that reality, they decided to change it – not just for themselves, but for their community.
Niya shared that they never wanted a farm that only produced food. They wanted to create a space that produced peace, confidence, beauty, and connection to the land. That intention is felt immediately when you learn about their work. Twin Oak Farms is as much about people as it is about plants.
Their mission centers on food security, education, and sustainability, three ideas Niya sees as inseparable. Food security without education leaves people dependent. Education without sustainability ignores the future. Together, these elements create something much more powerful. They build independence, resilience, and self-sufficiency. This approach feels especially meaningful at a time when many of us are thinking more carefully about where our food comes from and how our choices impact long-term health.
Education at Twin Oak Farms is intentionally accessible. Niya and Eric meet people where they are, whether through hands-on workshops, garden builds, or simple conversations that make growing food feel possible. There is no pressure for perfection and no expectation of expertise. The message is clear: you do not need acres of land or years of experience to grow something meaningful.
Niya says the moment someone successfully grows even one plant, their confidence shifts. That small success changes how they see themselves and what they believe they are capable of. It is a reminder that food can empower people in ways that go far beyond nutrition.
During Black History Month, Niya reflects on the long and complex relationship between Black communities and agriculture. For her, this season is not only about remembering, but also reframing. It is an opportunity to honor the strength, knowledge, and innovation that Black communities have always brought to farming, even when that history has been overlooked.
Leading a community farm allows Niya and Eric to reclaim agriculture as a space of choice and care. Growing food today becomes an act of agency. It is about understanding systems, teaching children where food comes from, and turning something that once represented hardship into something that represents self-determination and hope.
When I asked Niya what had surprised her most since launching Twin Oak Farms, her answer stayed with me. It was not the harvest or the yield. It was the emotional impact. People come for vegetables or workshops, but they often leave feeling capable, inspired, and reconnected. They leave with hope.
That, to me, is the quiet power of Twin Oak Farms. Niya and Eric Matthews are not just growing food. They are creating a space where people feel seen, supported, and reminded that they can be active participants in their own well-being. In honoring their work this Black History Month, we also honor the enduring role that land, food, and community play in shaping a healthier, more connected future.
Readers interested in learning more about Niya and Eric’s work, upcoming programs, or community offerings can visit twinoakfarmsga.com.
Aubrey Leynard is co-director of the Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Accelerator (GT-FBA). Learn more online at https://gtfba.innovate.gatech.edu/.
This article was originally published in the Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin and is republished here with permission.
