Mattie’s Garden earns financial boost to meet growing demand for popular microgreens

If you told Jacqueline Jackson seven years ago that she would move on from her career in banking to found a farm that would end up featured in Southern Living, she wouldn’t have believed you. 

Now, she is more than familiar with getting her hands dirty while sporting denim, and the pantsuits and heels are a distant memory.

Jackson, who owns Mattie’s Garden, has created a local fixture as she nourishes her community through sustainable farming — and the farm is continuing to grow each year.

ASAN helps to “Undo the Knot”

She was recently awarded an “Undo the Knot” grant from the Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network (ASAN) to help her achieve her goals and move forward after difficult financial times. 

“This year we have applied for several grants and we’ve had several projects already underway. Unfortunately, with our current political state, we were not able to get funded for projects that we originally had funding for, and so we have some projects that were completed, but we weren’t able to get any reimbursement.”

Jacqueline Jackson

Once she told ASAN about her situation, the organization jumped into action to help her farm overcome that financial hurdle and assist with future projects — for instance, she is preparing to introduce eggs to her rotation of produce.

“I think about my grandmother; she wasn’t a complainer. She came up in an even rougher time than me. If she could do it, I know I can, and that’s the level of commitment that I put into farming. 

“I’m just thankful that people appreciate it, and I pray that I can continue to keep this momentum going and be a part of a solution.”

Jacqueline Jackson

The inspiration behind Mattie’s Garden

In addition to the satisfaction of being able to give back to her community, farming is a real labor of love for Jackson.

She named the farm after Mattie, her grandmother, who Jackson learned to garden from. She has memories of Mattie going around town, sharing her garden-grown veggies. 

Her grandmother’s mom, Cora, taught Mattie that if there is ever someone hungry, you should feed them. 

“My grandmother grew up during the Great Depression, so she saw that — it doesn’t matter Black or white — people were poor. They were poor, and everyone was hungry…When her mother told her that (lesson), my grandmother taught all of her siblings and my generation the same thing.”

Jacqueline Jackson

Today, Jackson passes on that same lesson to her children, who she homeschools. She said that her farm has been “instrumental as an educational tool” for them.

“Me being a homeschool mom, farming has been very, very pivotal in their growth.”

Jacqueline Jackson

Where to find Jackson’s greens

Mattie’s Garden is known for its “microgreens,” which are plants somewhere between sprouts and baby greens, and they are packed with flavor and nutrients.

“They are like cousins to sprouts. You harvest them at a later stage, when they’re no more than about 3 or 4 inches tall, and it’s like you’re eating a small plant.”

Jackson to Southern Living

After Southern Living magazine caught on to what she was doing, business was booming, and she had to start producing more to keep up with demand. ASAN’s grant is helping with that, too, by providing funds for her to buy more supplies and replace old tools.

Many upscale restaurants use microgreens as fancy garnish, but Jackson likes that she can bring them to the average person as an ingredient for sandwiches or salads.

Folks can find Jackson and her microgreens — in addition to other farm staples — at Birdsong Farmers Market every Saturday from 7AM to noon. She is also on the board of Birdsong.

She has also distributed her produce to several grocery stores (like Redbird Produce, which unfortunately closed earlier this year).  

Learn more about Mattie’s Garden and Jacqueline Jackson on the farm’s social media platforms, and keep up with where the community will see her delicious produce next.

Mattie’s Garden: Facebook | Instagram

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