ABOUT MELVIN PARSON:
Melvin Parson (AKA Farmer Parson) has spent approximately 13 years of his life incarcerated.
As such, he has experienced many of the challenges that come along with either being on parole or probation. In 2016, Melvin earned a BSW from Eastern Michigan University. In 2015, he co-founded a mentor program for men and women returning home from incarceration called, A Brighter Way.
In that same year, Melvin founded We the People Growers Association (WTPGA) and in 2018, he started a nonprofit organization called, We the People Opportunity Farm (WTPOF). WTPOF’s vision centers around providing “soil changing” opportunities for both men and women returning home from incarceration. Melvin believes that a main factor that causes people to return back to prison, is a result of not being able to find meaningful employment.
One of Melvin’s goals is to provide as many meaningful job opportunities as possible and to create a culture where folks will have enough support to make meaningful strides towards caring about themselves, others, and their community.
RESOURCES:
We The People Opportunity Farm (WTPOF)
TRANSCRIPTION:
David Fair: This is 89.1 WEMU, and welcome to our weekly exploration of equity and opportunity in our community. On this week's edition of Washtenaw United, we're going to look at the expanding efforts of the We the People Opportunity Farm. Now, the principle behind its work is believing that the formerly incarcerated men and women of Washtenaw County deserve an opportunity to be restored and reintegrated into the community. The Opportunity Farm offers a second chance by working the soil and reducing the recidivism rate in Washtenaw County, as they say, one seed at a time. Joining us today is the founder and executive director of the We the People Opportunity farm, Melvin Parson. It's always nice to talk with you, Melvin!
Melvin Parson: Thank you! You as well, David!
David Fair: When the We the People Growers Association became the We the People Opportunity Farm back in 2018, I imagine it was because of the impact working in the dirt was having on people who were coming from time spent living in cinder block and concrete while behind bars.
Melvin Parson: Yeah, I couldn't agree with you more. And it was also born out of my own lived experience with the criminal justice system and the healing that I found personally working with the soil.
David Fair: What is it about working with the soil that provided you personally such peace?
Melvin Parson: I think it was just having my hands in the soil, in some sort of way, quieted the noise and the rumblings inside of my head, and it did quite a bit to just kind of ground me. And then, a couple of other things, just putting something in the ground and taking care of it, nurturing it, watching it grow helped me to see beyond just today to look into the future. And also, it gave me a sense of relevance in the world, which started simply with taking care of plants.
David Fair: Are you successfully transferring that sense of purpose and dignity to those who are coming out today and putting their hands in the ground?
Melvin Parson: I got to tell you David. You know, for me it's not rocket science, right? Like, we, as all human beings, I feel, need that sense of dignity and relevance and to be treated with kindness. You know, that's kind of like our sauce at We the People Opportunity Farm.
David Fair: I certainly don't have to tell you that those who serve time often face a stigma when they're trying to reintegrate, particularly Black men. Is the work at the farm helping reduce stigma, or is it just to better focus on overcoming the societal stigma?
Melvin Parson: Yeah, I feel it's two-fold It's both of those things, Dave. Part of our goal is to reduce the stigma by humanizing the population that we serve. We've got a pretty robust social media presence, and we're constantly putting up posts that help to reduce that stigma. We come alongside other organizations locally, like A Brighter Way and Supreme Felons, in an effort to reduce that stigma. And second prong in that is, yeah, it's about us helping to bring relevance and hope and all the things where we directly impact people that are in our paid internship program.
David Fair: And it is important that people get a paycheck and have that sense of purpose when they reintegrate into the community. What other support services do you provide or connect to give those working at the farm the best chance of growing and building a life all their own?
Melvin Parson: Well, I'll tell you, Dave. We've got the internship program, the paid internship program that we have, is not only about folks working at the farm, but it also includes financial literacy, and it includes social/emotional learning workshops. It includes horse wellness therapy. It includes our partnership with Michigan Works, where we get our interns connected to them so they can look at some career assessment and training. And we've also got compassionate communication workshops as well. So, we feel like there's a lot of different things and components that will help give a lens where the people that we serve can see themselves in a different way and give them different lenses to look through and opportunities to pursue.
David Fair: This is 89.1 WEMU's Washtenaw United, and today we're talking with the founder and executive director of the We the People Opportunity Farm, Melvin Parson. Now, Melvin, we're certainly living in uncertain times. Funding for social services and nonprofit programs are being slashed in a number of areas. You have said that you are cultivating justice on a daily basis at the We The People Opportunty Farm. Is the harvest now becoming more difficult under the new federal administration?
Melvin Parson: Yeah. A lot of organizations, including ourselves, are being impacted by the new organization and some of the directions that they're going. So, yeah, we feel that impact, and we just try to brace ourselves and reach out for as much support and funding as possible to keep our soul-changing work going. Yeah, we're just like everyone else, like trying to partner with one another and just build some sustainability within our organizations. One of the exciting things that we've got going right now, with the help of the Michigan Justice Fund and the Flagstar Foundation, is we're planning a social enterprise in the form of a cafe that will employ formerly incarcerated men and women. And we get an opportunity as a result of our connection with Stuart Beal from Beal Properties, who purchased that iconic Cow Building on Ecorse Road, and he's going to lease it to us, so that we can open up a cafe. And the name of it--it's going be called Good Soil Cafe. We're looking at maybe like a March opening date of 2026. And right now, we're just in the planning phase: putting together financials and business plans and focus groups within the community, because we want it to be more than just a cafe that employs formerly incarcerated men and women. We also want that historic building and that surrounding property to be a community asset. So, we're doing some focus groups with neighbors around there to see how we can best serve them and how we can best show up.
David Fair: I think it's an interesting prospect! And again, that's going to be at 979 Ecorse Road, the former Cow Building as you mentioned, and it's going be called the Good Soil Cafe. And we will certainly look forward to its opening. You have said we're not hiring formerly incarcerated men and women to sell coffee.
Melvin Parson: Right.
David Fair: We're selling coffee to hire formerly incarcerated men and women. Now, to knock down the recidivism rate and to have an impact on keeping young people, particularly young people of color, out of the penal system, how are you going to improve outcomes without the entirety of the community coming out in support?
Melvin Parson: Well, it's hard to improve. You know, Dave, we're all part of an ecosystem, right? And so, we need the community and the support of the community to improve outcome. Back to what i've always said, it's all about our soil. And I learned that while first starting to grow plants and vegetables. It was all about the soil. Same thing applies for human beings, right? It's all about our soil. And the community and the support that it can provide is a huge, nutrient-rich component for someone's overall personal development.
David Fair: Well, Melvin, you are quite a quotable gentleman. And once again, I come back to another quote of yours. You have said that "the farm grows a new story every day." What is your favorite story to tell?
Melvin Parson: Wow, that's a good question! Wow, I don't even know where to begin! There's so, so, many rich and wonderful stories. I think the one story that just stands out to me, currently, and it pops up quite often, is when we first started out there at the farm, there were three young gentlemen, probably ranging from the ages of maybe 11 to 14, and they would climb the fence over there. And near our farm is a basketball court, and they would go over there and play basketball. And I would wave, and they would wave and speak. And then one day, one of the kids stopped and asked me and said to me, "Hey Farmer Parsons! Have you ever been to jail?" And I just thought that that was a very interesting question to ask, right? And so, I responded with, "Yes, I've been to jail." The partner chimed in and said, "Ooh, ooh, ooh! What'd you go to jail for?" And it was almost like he was trying to muster up some sort of excitement.
David Fair: Like it was a badge of honor.
Melvin Parson: [Yeah, like it was a badge of honor. And so, I responded, Dave, by saying to the young man, "Hey, it doesn't matter what I've gone to jail for. What matters is that we do everything we can to make sure that you do not go to jail." And so, that began a series of conversations that I had with those young gentlemen throughout that summer.
David Fair: Well, you know what, Melvin? That's a great story! And unfortunatel,y it is going to bring our time to an end. I could talk to you all day! So, I will look forward to our next conversation!
Melvin Parson: Hey, looking forward to it myself, David!
David Fair: That is Melvin Parson. He is the founder and executive director of the We the People Opportunity Farm, and again, will soon open the Good Soil Cafe. It should open sometime early in 2026. To find out more about that, you can simply check in at our website at WEMU.org, and we'll get you everywhere you need to go. Washtenaw United is produced in partnership with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan, and you hear it every Monday. I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU-FM Ypsilanti.
WEMU has partnered with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan to explore the people, organizations, and institutions creating opportunity and equity in our area. And, as part of this ongoing series, you’ll also hear from the people benefiting and growing from the investments being made in the areas of our community where there are gaps in available services. It is a community voice. It is 'Washtenaw United.'
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