NE Ohio veteran becomes urban farmer, says farming saved her life
“A lot of people in this community [and] culture, we call it ‘hood,’” Atkins said. “[It’s] an urban setting, so I chose to go with Urbanhood Organicz.”
By Jade Nash
Spectrum News
Nov. 10, 2021
Excerpt:
Dana Atkins completes chicken chores outside of her chicken coop. These are chores that are commonly known as cleaning.
“Most animals are dirty creatures, you know,” Atkins said. “They’re not OCD like us.”
However, it’s a task she says she doesn’t mind completing because she loves her chickens. In fact, she says she finds her chickens hilarious.
Atkins explains that her chickens actually saved her life. Like many other veterans, she said she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after leaving the Navy.
“Farming grounded me,” Atkins said. “You know, it really helped with a lot of issues and trauma that I was dealing with.”
Atkins said she started Urbanhood Organicz to give herself a new purpose and return to her family’s roots in farming. She added that members of her family were sharecroppers.
“I believe it’s in my genes,” she said.
Atkins said her family farmed vegetables generations ago. Now, she said she’s following in their footsteps by also farming produce at a different location.
