Aasaaska is an Indigenous Black Latina Woman owned, young BIPOC Male led Urban Farming and Beekeeping organization within the city of Hartford. We directly serve our mirrored community Hartford’s population, The bulk of produce we grow caters to this melting pot of individuals that call Hartford their home. Including but not limited to exotic peppers and okras from many of their native lands and onions.

We also grow tomatoes, herbs cucumber and root vegetables. We plan to continue to feed our community with our local produce For years to come. Hartford is a food desert with limited access to fresh, affordable food. Sadly 28.1% of Hartford residents live in poverty compared to 10.4% of Connecticut residents. These type of numbers is what drives Aasaaska to continue to working on providing as much locally grown produce as possible.

Collectively the young men of Aasaaska provide the blueprint of what leaders and future educators are, and can be, in their own communities. There are stigmas that our young men have to deal with every day that they step out the door. They have a desire to change the narrative while doing what they enjoy doing, hopefully to inspire others.

As the young men of Aasaaska learn about the vital roles of bees in the environment and develop better relationships with the land, they become increasingly connected and attuned to community resiliency.