Texas | NWIAA

Texas NWIAA Chairwomen

Kay Bell was born in Jacksonville, Texas where she was raised on a farm with her parents and siblings. Farming was something Kay did not have in her mind to do when she was preparing for her future. However, the need to live a healthier and more sustainable life motivated Kay to catch on to her roots of farming. Kay now resides in Waco, Texas.

Kay is a member of the community Race Relation Coalition, an organization that brings diverse races together while breaking down racism. In 2013 Kay founded the Global Revive Organization. This organization promotes the building of Kid’s Gardens throughout the city and the teaching of natural holistic health. In 2014 founded a new Farmer’s Market at the Waco Richland Mall, which goes from June to September. Kay is a certified herbalist, a certified doula, and a teaologist. She is the owner of Passion Garden, where she sells herbal teas from her herbs, which are grown, in her gardens. Kay’s Passion Garden vegetables and teas are sold at the year round Waco Downtown Farmer’s Market and her teas or in a local Health Store.

Key Bell

Kay is a graduate of Paul Quinn College, in Dallas, Texas with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Science. She currently teaches six-grade science in Waco, Texas

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Contact Info: Email bellkay9@gmail.com (254) 227-2488

Texas NWIAA Chairwomen

Sharita M. Humphrey is a nationally-recognized, award-winning finance expert and money mentor. Having previously been broke and homeless herself, Sharita knows first-hand that financial freedom has a blueprint and she’s committed to helping individuals change the financial trajectories of their lives.

Sharita is a certified financial educator, speaker and coach. At her namesake financial consulting company, Sharita helps minority women better understand, manage and grow their money. Sharita also helps Black and Brown entrepreneurs learn how to accelerate their businesses and secure funding through her other company, Change In Motion, which offers a comprehensive education program.

In 2020, Sharita was named National Financial Educator of the Year for her work within her local community and across the country. She is a regular contributor to entrepreneurial publications, and has been featured in top-tier media including CNBC, iHeartMedia, Forbes, Yahoo Finance and BBC World News.

This year, Sharita and her family set a goal of purchasing hundreds of acres of land over the next few years to build a family-run farm. During their journey, Sharita is teaching minority farmers how to obtain monies to acquire farmland and helping them to retain their land for generations to come.

Connect with Sharita

For financial and business resources, advice and tips, visit www.sharitamhumphrey.com, and join Sharita’s social communities on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Sharita Humphrey

Contact Info: Sharita@sharitamhumphrey.com (346) 333-0737

Texas NWIAA Chairwomen

Darciea Houston, also known as Major Melanin to her community, specializes in permaculture. As an Indigenous American Indian farmer, motivational speaker and business to business (B2B) entrepreneur, her goals are to simplify agriculture and other beneficial sustainable growing practices for underserved neighborhoods that lack access to fresh produce. Darciea is the founder and chief executive officer for Filthy Rich Nutrients LLC. She is a problem solver that uses her experiences, resources and platform to empower her communities to “Garden for Health”. She inspires residence by providing simplistic clear instructions and access to the resources needed for new gardeners and farmers to be successful.

Darceia Houston

Contact Info: soil@filthyrichnutrients.com (469) 506-2687

Texas NWIAA Chairman

Jerry Ra

Jerry Robinson Jr. or, Jerry Ra as he is known in the local urban farming community, is our current Urban Farming Superstar. While double majoring in Soil/Crop Science and Horticulture in the College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences, at The Ohio State University; his revolutionary agrarian spirit was completely ignited when he met Will Allen and completed a certification course in Commercial Urban Agriculture (CUA) at Growing Power in Milwaukee, WI class of 2012. After his experience at Growing Power, Mr. Ra dedicated himself to a personal mission of developing urban food infrastructure systems in every city he landed. With 20 years of experience in urban farming, he has specialized in growing herbs specific to human diseases, fifteen different types of microgreens, vertical farming and aquaponics/aquaculture. To further serve the purpose, he formed The Urban Green University, after moving to Dallas, Texas and attending several agricultural conferences, workshops and seminar where the lack of the AI ag technology and cannabis cultivation was not be discussed.

Mr. Ra current project is with RoomFul.com where he is implementing virtual agriculture farm to school to table programs. To date, what Jerry is most proud of, is, his ability to stay innovative and ahead of agricultural curves in helping to unify urban/rural farmers to compete within the agriculture industry. The Urban Green University is utilizing the AI virtual technology, hemp and cannabis industry as a catapult to eliminate food apartheid and rural farm debt. It is The Urban Green University objective to train, manage, maintain and sustain the new food system using philosophy of cooperative urban farming to create green micro enterprises.

Contact Info: urbangreenu@gmail.com (518) 372-4923

Texas NWIAA Chairwomen

Michelle Whitcomb

Michelle Whitcomb, My love of land started early in life. I was born a city girl in West Seattle in Washington State. When I was 10, my parents bought 3 ½ acres north of the city where they build a cabin and bought me a beautiful horse. We grew some vegetables and had goats and rabbits. My dream came true and it was there that I knew that one day, I had to have land of my own. I believe in goals, but I have had to dig deep within myself to understand why having land has been on my heart and how having land can have the biggest impact on my family and others. I want to impact and educate others as they follow their dreams of having a homestead, starting a business and becoming less food dependent and more independent. My goals are based on community with like-minded women and families who want to have a homestead, farm or ranch. I plan on learning as much as I can as I continue the journey as a woman in agriculture. My goal is to teach others and support them with their homestead and/or agriculture business vision as I grow my business. There are many resources available to farmers including grants, loans, farm programs, technology and more. I want to explore all of the options and choose the land, future-focused technology, machinery and infrastructure that I need to effectively produce and manage crops and livestock in my chosen community in order to build a legacy for my family and help others to do the same.