Ron Finley began his journey in 2010 by “rebelliously” creating a vegetable garden in the front of his home. Finley is from South Central, where fresh, healthy food is not accessible - essentially a 'food prison.' This vegetable garden did not only give him and his neighbors access to organic and fresh vegetables, but started a local revolution. Finley has become a public leader advocating for the transition from food deserts to food forests. He has created The Ron Finley Project, a non-profit that envisions a world where gardening is gangsta, where cool kids know their nutrition and where communities embrace the act of growing, knowing and sharing the best of the earth’s fresh-grown food.  He is now teaching MasterClasses which gives people the tools to start their own gardens and to ultimately spread his mission.

In this talk with Lily Kwong for Cultured Magazine, Finley discusses his unexpected journey to nourishment and social change. He emphasizes his vision for the future, which involves so much more than solely gardening: Finley wants to empower and feed the needs of  the world. He has us questioning our priorities and stressing the importance of the resources the world has generously given us, like air. Finley’s impact on his community is powerful and inspiring, demonstrating what could come from a simple garden planted in our front yards.