Calvin Bryant was born on a small farm in Georgia. “I’m a country boy,” “Always have been, always will be; that was the way it was for Blacks back in my day.” said Bryant. He didnt go to school “like they do now”. Bryant learned through hands-on experience growing up on the farm. He learned the importance of being a producer. “You never go hungry if you grow your own food”, he said. .“It teaches you survival skills”. “If we can go back to those days, get that in our blood, we’d be better off because we become independent.” “Farming teaches you discipline,” he added.”
Bryant’s two-acre farm is teeming with crops. He told Atlanta Black Star that “he grows everything from greens to tomatoes”. “This here land we’re standing on is full of okra, turnip, mustard greens, tomatoes and broccoli,” he said. Byant described the height of his okra plants as 10 feet tall. “When you don’t produce, we become dependent” explained Bryant. We’ve got to get back to where we start producing something” he said.
Now 81 year’s old, Bryant has spent more than 70 years of his life farming. He learned the benefits of growing his own food. “it’s all about setting goals, having pride in what you do, and teaching the next generation the value of that” said Bryant. “Set goals for yourself, and set them high”. “Even if you don’t get to the top, you will be better off than where you started,” he said.
