Urban Farmer Michael Richard Is Thriving After Filming Queer Eye Season 7
When Michael is not working in urban agriculture, social justice, or cheering for his beloved Miami Dolphins, he says you can find him out modeling, acting, or promoting for one of the many events or artists he works for.
By Brad Witter
Bustle
May 12, 2023
Excerpt:
Having grown up with food insecurity, Queer Eye Season 7 hero Michael Richard II has devoted his life to helping prevent others from going through the same experience. As the manager of Recirculating Farms, an urban farm and food justice nonprofit based in New Orleans, the 31 year old was helping youth and families by providing fresh vegetables, education programs, and activities when the Fab 5 arrived in the Big Easy. “It sounds corny, but I wanted to be the change I wanted to see, and I would accept nothing less,” Michael explained in Episode 7 of the Netflix reality series.
Despite all his good work, Michael came onto the show struggling to feel worthy of people’s time, often feeling judged when he speaks about farming and horticulture. He described overhearing comments, such as “Why does Michael show up so dirty?” but explained that it’s because that’s how hard he’s grinding and how much he’s working. Born to Creole parents who were both half Black and half Native American, Michael also struggled with his identity and finding a community where he felt like he belonged.
