In the parking lot of Temple of Restoration church in Pawtucket, I was amazed to experience not just a pop-up farmers market (where I was able to procure some truly beautiful-looking corn, peaches, and green bell peppers), but to be somewhere that felt like home, even though I had never been there before. Farmers from various diasporic countries gathered around tables laden with cultural produce like callaloo, water spinach, okra, and varieties of eggplant that can’t be found in most regular grocery stores. About two times per month, people are able to reconnect with ingredients, recipes, and flavors that bridge the gap between RI and what any child of immigrants knows is referred to simply as “back home,” wherever that may be. This is the African Alliance of Rhode Island, an organization that has been going over twenty years strong and has become a vital source of community building in RI.
“I close my eyes and I’m like, wow. Like, I don’t even know where I’m at right now, but I know what it makes me feel,” says Yanel, the organization’s Pop-Up Farmers Market strategic support specialist. It’s this feeling of home, belonging, and cultural connection that has driven the organization since its founding in 2004.
AARI started with a recognition that African immigrants in RI lacked access to culturally relevant foods and health resources. Twenty years later, the organization operates a 6-acre farm in Johnston, runs multiple farmers markets throughout PVD and surrounding areas, and has created what Yanel describes as “a really small melting pot that you don’t really find in other states.”
At Bami Farm, the harvest season typically runs from June to October, yielding crops that reflect both a practical need and cultural significance. “Our farmers grow a variety of different staple foods,” Yanel explains. Crops range from familiar vegetables like corn, zucchini, and greens to African staples that serve as links to home for the significant number of African immigrants living in RI.
But AARI’s mission is just as much about community education as it is about farming itself. The pilot instance of their youth program that recently concluded its first season exposed about ten kids “to all things food, art, culture, and health,” Yanel shares. The program represents AARI’s multi-generational vision, ensuring that knowledge gets passed on to younger community members. Even their pest management reflects cultural knowledge; farmers strategically plant spicy peppers around other crops as natural barriers, though as Yanel notes with a laugh, “animals find their way” regardless.
AARI’s markets are designed as multi-generational spaces where cultural exchange happens naturally. The upcoming night market on September 12 at Farm Fresh RI, from 5:30 to 9pm, exemplifies this mission, featuring a poetry slam hosted by Afroverse PVD and a carefully curated selection of local small businesses.
“We make sure to have fruits and so on and so forth for moms that have WIC,” Yanel explains. “That is usually like the focal point for kids.” The organization also offers a “double your buck” incentive for EBT users, effectively doubling purchasing power for families. An initiative such as this is so imperative for families living in food deserts, who might opt out of the more expensive fresh fruits and vegetables in favor of fast and heavily processed foods.
The COVID-19 pandemic created particular challenges for immigrant communities, and AARI recognized the need to rebuild social connections. “The disconnect during the pandemic was that folks couldn’t interact,” Yanel reflects. “And now that we’re back in these spaces, people are still adjusting to ‘hey, let’s leave our house, let’s interact with these culturally relevant spaces that cater to our needs.’”
Accessibility is central to AARI’s approach. Rather than people always coming to them, AARI is intentional about mobility and meeting communities where they are: local churches, parks, or in parking lots, so that people that don’t drive are able to easily walk to the markets. This nimble pop-up style serves seniors, non-English speakers, mothers, college students, and the diverse arrays of folks that can be found throughout RI.
Perhaps AARI’s greatest benefit has been its ability to connect different parts of the African diaspora. Yanel, who is Dominican, reflects on discovering these similarities that have been somewhat lost to various migrations and colonization. “To find out how separated the continent is was so heartbreaking for me. I feel so at home here because we recognize the overlap. We are evidently the same kinds of folk, just in different spaces.”
Though they are called the African Alliance of RI, the organization “serves all folks within and outside of the diaspora.” The markets become spaces where someone from the Caribbean might discover that “folks from the continent eat the same stuff as us, you know, even if we don’t speak the same languages,” Yanel shares.
Beyond the seasonal markets, their free cooking demonstrations come with recipe cards, while their support for other local organizations creates a network of community resources. Community partners and vendors participate in markets free of charge. AARI also maintains a commitment to food access through wholesale fruit purchases and produce donations, ensuring that economic barriers don’t prevent people from stopping by.
Volunteer opportunities are often available both at the pop-up markets and Bami Farm, and the organization actively seeks community members willing to help with outreach and spreading the word about their events.
“What it means for the African Alliance to exist in RI is to be seen and to be heard by the communities that exist here,” Yanel reflects. AARI has created something truly unique, a space where cultural differences are celebrated rather than divisive, food acts as a language and connecting force that transcends borders, and where the diaspora can find a bit of home.
If you’re interested in becoming a part of this community, AARI would love for you to come shop at one of the markets, volunteer, or simply offer your presence at an event. As Yanel puts it, “as long as folks come hang out with us, it’s always a vibe.”
Be sure to follow AARI on Instagram (@africanaliianceofrhodeisland) or visit their site (africanallianceri.org) to keep with the pop-up markets and events! Their upcoming night market is Friday, September 12 at Farm Fresh RI from 5:30 – 9pm!
Photo by author