Giving Circle Spotlight: How Unearthing Farm and Market Is Solving A Problem They Didn’t Create

by Sagdrina Brown Jalal, Community Food Systems Strategist

The SageD Giving Circle began as an idea—a way to move resources through our community with intention, care, and shared responsibility. This year, that idea became something tangible as we completed our first full grant cycle. After months of review, we are honored to announce the first recipients of the 2026 Giving Circle Grants: Blessing Bags of Warmth, Carrie’s Closet of Georgia, Fleur and Forage Free Clinic, Greene Clothe, Unearthing Farm and Market, Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Umi Feeds, and Step Ahead Scholars. 

One of those organizations is Unearthing Farm and Market, whose resilience in the face of environmental injustice reflects the very values that inspired the Giving Circle.

In July 2025, Unearthing Farm and Market discovered that portions of its soil had been contaminated with lead from industrial waste. This sort of contamination and pollution has impacted Atlanta throughout history. 

Atlanta holds a unique place in the history of environmental justice. Often considered the birthplace of the environmental justice movement, the city was home to some of the earliest documented protests against environmental racism in the United States. In the 20th century, Black activists organized to protest the dumping of industrial waste into Proctor Creek, drawing attention to the unequal environmental burdens placed on Black communities. Their advocacy helped establish a framework for understanding how pollution disproportionately affects marginalized neighborhoods. 

Katie Kissel, the Co-Chair of Unearthing’s Board, shared comments on the history surrounding the farm’s crisis.

“We have a story to tell about environmental racism,” Kissel said, “about a history of bad environmental practices that were happening 100 years ago and still affecting us today, and choosing to do something about it instead of passing it on to our children.”

Faced with the challenge of addressing lead contamination on Unearthing’s farm land, Unearthing acted swiftly to protect the people who depend on the farm. The organization relocated its market and community produce fridge, ensuring that farmers, volunteers, and shoppers could continue accessing fresh food while recovery plans were developed. At the same time, farm leaders began the difficult work of envisioning a path forward, not just to restore the land, but to strengthen the community that surrounds it.

Unearthing has always been dedicated to cultivating its community with good, affordable food from local sources. This sudden crisis only deepened that commitment and ignited a renewed urgency to address the damage done not only to the farm itself, but to the wider Atlanta community.

Today, research continues to demonstrate the connection between race, class, and environmental exposure. Low-income communities and Black neighborhoods are more likely to be located near sources of pollution and environmental hazards, making them particularly vulnerable to the long-term consequences of contamination. The contamination uncovered at Unearthing Farm is part of that larger story, a reminder that historical inequities often remain embedded in the landscapes where communities live, work, and grow food.

Unearthing chose to move forward with transparency, determination, and a vision for renewal. Support from the SageD Collective Giving Circle will help advance recovery efforts and lay the groundwork for a healthier future.

Unearthing is not just recovering. It is rebuilding with intention and inviting the community back in. Which is why they have already begun promoting their “Unearthing Unleaded” event in October of this year, when remediation of the original farm location is expected to be complete. A celebration of recovery, resilience, and collective action. The event will mark a significant milestone in the farm’s comeback journey while honoring the people and partnerships that made it possible.

What began as a crisis is becoming a story of transformation. With community support, strategic investment, and an unwavering commitment to justice, Unearthing Farm and Market is cultivating more than healthy soil, it is helping grow a healthier future for Atlanta.