Entrepreneurship can often be an exciting, yet challenging undertaking, shaped both by strategy and focus, as well as circumstance. This is the understanding that Alex Booker of the former Booker Botanicals took from his experience earlier this year at the Black Urban Growers Conference where he was joined by two other Black farmers from the Madison area to attend the nearly-700-person event.
Booker reflected on the joyful weekend in both being around other Black farmers from across the nation and learning from those who work the earth across the African diaspora as this year’s conference had a focus on implementing international voices.
“Having people from across the world coming out and sharing their experiences with the land was just beautiful,” Booker told Madison365 of the conference held in Philadelphia. “Lots of drumming, lots of music, lots of food, lots of seeds. I have a bunch of seeds that I brought home with me from people who were just sharing things that have grown in their different climates, and genetics that they’ve narrowed down to working for the best for them. Things that they’re proud of. It was a very, very beautiful exchange of information, foods, seeds, love and energy. That in itself was beautiful.”
Upon his return, Booker recalled feeling energized by his experience connecting and sharing with conference attendees, but also feeling the pressure of what the experience meant for his work and goals in Madison. Those feelings signaled to Booker that his next best step would be to step away from Booker Botanicals and close the business while he reconsiders his approach to entrepreneurship in the Black growing space.
While Booker said he is unsure whether or how he would return to the work in a business sense, he has no plans to stop his work with the earth and growing, and is proud of making his own way this past summer with Booker Botanicals.
“I believe a major point that I got from the conference is the importance of specialization in Black agriculture,” explained Booker. “Not being spread so thin and doing a whole bunch of different things, but being able to focus your energy and your time and your attention on a specific thing. Then as you grow, maybe adding a couple of things to it, but really staying true to your vision and your mission towards what you’re trying to do with the earth.”
Although it may seem unfortunate to see the end of Booker Botanicals, when one door closed for Booker, another door opened. Having formerly worked with the Madison organization Rooted, it was an obvious choice when it came to who would be a great fit to become manager at the Badger Rock Neighborhood Center. The building that holds the neighborhood center, as well as Badger Rock Middle School and many Rooted offices, brings many different entities in the community together.
Booker was most satisfied with how easy of a transition it has been into the new role in terms of how his work to promote and partner with diverse people in fields such as healing and agriculture will continue.
“Working in this position, I’ve been able to work with other entrepreneurs, other healers, and other land and wellness people to give them access to our neighborhood center at Badger Rock to be able to do different workshops and diversify our programming as we reopen,” Booker was glad to report, with construction ending and more space becoming available.
“We are excited now to be open and able to start rolling out programming,” he said. “I believe that there have been a lot of improvements in the space. We have a completely separate private entry to our neighborhood center space now. We are able to have people come in and do different meetings and workshops when we have availability throughout the day, so we can keep that kind of separate. We also expanded that space and made it more handicap accessible, so there’s actual concrete paths that are wide enough for everybody to get through directly from the parking lot to the door.”
Highlighting events such as the community meals often hosted at the center as well as workshops, dance classes, and healing rituals all play a part in bringing people together under a range of interests and offerings. Booker mentioned specifically the success of a Palestinian solidarity meal that saw around 120 people come to Badger Rock to share a cultural meal and conversation, as well as send families home with extra produce from Troy Farm.
With what has been done so far with the space now available to the community, the future is looking hopeful as Badger Rock Neighborhood Center regulars settle into their collaborative efforts.
“It makes me very optimistic for our future at Badger Rock, because we’ve been able to work so well together and we all have similar missions,” said Booker. “Being able to share our shared spaces as well as our community center spaces, where even Toys for Tots is doing a pickup at our Badger Rock Neighborhood Center, but it’s being run through the people at the middle school. We’re not only using our shared spaces, but we’re also sharing our neighborhood spaces with people in the building. It’s all working. I believe we’re just all getting used to each other and finding ways to make all of our lives easier. We have different strengths in the community, and now we’re able to put those strengths together and make life a little easier amongst all of us.”
While the holidays and settling into winter may not see a lot of current programming in the works, Booker ended on a call for people and organizations to simply reach out and collaborate, especially in efforts to create a welcoming and supportive space for Black and brown youth and adults.
To learn more about Badger Rock Neighborhood Center and check out any upcoming programs or events, visit their website here.
