Book Buzz: Akeem Keeps Bees by Kamal Bell

The farm is more than just a place to produce food. Actually, our approach switched off of food production this year and focused on the bees, because it came naturally to the students and myself. That was something that we were able to really build upon this year. In my mind, the bees can provide economic opportunities for us all. Economics is a big factor that can change things in our communities. We focused on that because we’re dealing with human lives too. I don’t want the students to get interested in the farm and then leave because they need money. This is to show them you can make that money. You don’t have to keep worrying from day to day. You can break cycles in your family.

― Kamal Bell, Interview, Edge Effects

Kamal Bell is the owner of Sankofa Farms, a 12-acre regenerative farm working to address the impacts that food deserts have on both urban and rural communities. Sankofa Farms Agricultural Academy provides opportunities for young men to engage in agriculture-focused STEM skill development and partners with community organizations to take food from the farms to the tables of people who need it most. The farm has been featured in Forbes, Southern Living, The News and Observer, Earth Eats, and ABC News. Bell is a doctoral student at NC State in the Agriculture Extension Education program whose work focuses on sustainable agriculture, the state of Black farming, youth advocacy, and social entrepreneurship. He lives with his family in Durham, North Carolina.